The New Testament contains at least five strands of evidence for local church membership. Each one reveals something vital to Christian Faith which would be minimized or denied if there were no definable local church membership. 1. DISCIPLINE Church membership is implied by the way the church is supposed to discipline its members. The church appears to be the final … Read More
DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH: ‘I Follow Paul, I Follow Apollos’
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there … Read More
DOES YOUR “GOD” EVER DISAGREE WITH YOU?
“If your god never disagrees with you, you may be worshipping an idealized version of yourself.” -Timothy Keller This has always been one of my all time favorite quotes by Timothy Keller. Recently I had someone ask me a wonderfully thought provoking question in response to me posting this quote on Facebook. The person asked, “What things has God disagreed with … Read More
When People’s Bad Theology Makes Me Angry
HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS HANDLE BAD THEOLOGY? Should we be gentle? Or should we be bold? Let us consult God’s Word. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey … Read More
Anxiety, Panic Attacks, And The Gospel
About five years ago a handful of my closest friends and I moved across the country to plant a church. We had no idea how difficult of a task this would be. The endeavor of starting a church from scratch included more challenges than I had ever imagined. Preparing sermons, building a website, finding a venue to accommodate our gatherings, … Read More
You’re A New Creation But…
When I was younger I remember going to my first wedding and being frustrated by how much attention was given to the bride. I was just a selfish little boy at the time, but it seemed wrong for the groom to be merely an afterthought in his own wedding. Think about it for a second. In every wedding the bride … Read More
Why I Should Not Have Planted A Church
There once was a long-standing tradition held by the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania. When a young boy became of age, he would be sent out by his tribe on a special mission. The boy was expected to kill a lion with nothing more than his wits and a spear. This was his rite of passage. This is how … Read More
But What About Habitual Sin?
Do you feel trapped in a habitual sin that you just can’t seem to kick? There have been times in my life where I have felt that God would never set me free from habitual sin, that I would fall into time and time again. When this happens, it is sometimes easy for us to doubt the grace of God. … Read More
I’m Okay With A Lot Of Stuff, But There’s One Thing I’m Still Legalistic About
There’s a nerdy theology joke that I absolutely love. Here it goes: There’s three pastors in hell talking, trying to figure out why each other is there. One is a Nazarene, one is a Calvinist, and one is a Lutheran. The Nazarene says, “I think I’m here because I didn’t attain perfection.” The Calvinist says, “Well, I guess I was … Read More
What You Need Most For Christmas
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as … Read More
