Articles / Blog
How valuable is a single soul? How much time is it worth? …time talking with others about Jesus? …time inviting people to our assembly? …time engaging in personal Bible studies?
How much effort is it worth? …effort equipping ourselves to teach others? …effort getting outside of our comfort zone to talk to others about the gospel? …effort reaching out to our friends and neighbors? …
“My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and of Your salvation all the day long; for I do not know the sum of them” (Ps 71:15).
We tend to talk about things that we are excited or passionate about. Our conversations steer towards these topics with ease. Maybe its our children or grandchildren, our favorite sports teams, politics, or the newest movie in theaters. Since these topics are often on our minds, they frequently show up on our lips as well.
This principle should be no different when it comes to spiritual matters…
“For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God…” (1 Thess 1:8-9).
We all have certain roles we are comfortable fulfilling and situations in which we find ourselves at ease. On the other hand, some tasks may call for skills we are still developing and other circumstances may push the limits of our past experience.
There is nothing wrong with having a “comfort zone.” But it is foolish for us to set these boundaries in stone. Jesus often calls us to exceed the limits of our comfort zone. He calls us to multiply our talents and move on to higher ground in our service. He calls us to be courageous in the face of opposition and persevere in the face of affliction. He calls us to reevaluate the status quo and explore more effective ways to accomplish His will and work in our lives...
“Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us or for our adversaries?” He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD” (Josh 5:13-14) ...
“Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matt 7:9-11).
How much confidence do you have in God’s love for you?...
“For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have” (2 Cor 8:12).
As we strive to grow in our service to the Lord and diligently seek out opportunities to engage in His work, it is easy to grow discouraged and overwhelmed. The more we reach for growth, the more we realize we need to grow. The more we pursue opportunities to serve, the more we are confronted with the staggering amount of work to be done and our own woeful limitations...
The Lord wants unity, but disagreements in discussions are also a fact of life. Sometimes discussions can fall apart pretty quickly, even before we really understand why. How should we react to this? How should we proceed in discussions when we are dealing with disagreements? Here are some suggestions...
Time is the great equalizer. We may all have different abilities, resources, and opportunities, but we all have the same amount of time each day: 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds. We may think of less busy people as having more time on their hands, but it is ultimately just an illusion. We all have been given the same amount of time each day, the difference is in how we choose to use it...
Our lives fill up quickly, don’t they? It always seems there is more to be done than can fit into our packed schedules. And somehow our days vanish as though they were hardly more than a moment. Because of the busyness of our lives here on earth and the pattern of this age to always be doing more, it seems wise that we consider the main purpose for which we are living. There is a reason that we have been made and there is a task that we have been given...
Would we rather be a mature church or a growing church? While we would hope to be both, the reality is that growing as a congregation is going to involve welcoming in some individuals who are still very spiritually immature. A growing church is going to be producing newborn Christians. Some of these new converts may still be dealing with a lot of baggage from their past lives. Growing is going to involve patiently working through ignorance, weakness, worldly attitudes, and fleshly struggles...
Why are there so many who claim to be Christians, but have little idea what the Bible actually says? Thousands of religious people have never read the Bible for themselves. Yet they are confident they have a strong relationship with God. They go to church regularly and financially contribute to its work. Many of them are very active in their church’s youth groups and benevolent programs. However, when it comes to knowledge of God’s word they are surprisingly ignorant. What has caused this widespread trend? I want to observe three dangerous ideas that keep people from investigating God’s word for themselves...
The lights began to dim and the low murmur of the crowd slowly died down. In the stillness, the soft sounds of a piano emerged. The gentle strumming of a guitar joined in as lights began to illuminate the stage. A stylishly dressed female stepped forward and drew a microphone to her lips. With closed eyes she started to sing in serene passionate tones. Quiet at first, the melody began to grow louder, progressing higher and swelling with each word. The piano and guitar joined in this crescendo. At its highest point the drums suddenly burst into action with an explosion of light and sound. A new rhythm transformed the song from peaceful to powerful ushering in an atmosphere of unreserved emotion and drawing in the crowd. The spotlights were now at their full brightness revealing several musicians who had been waiting for this moment. The audience swayed to the music, enraptured in the feelings created by their masterful performance.
Where am I? The fact that this description could equally apply to a modern worship service or a Taylor Swift concert should be great cause for concern...
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:19-20).
Thus began the greatest religious movement the world has ever seen. God’s church was built upon this mission statement. It is our prime directive. The church exists today to carry on Jesus’ work of “seeking and saving the lost” (Luke 19:10). Spreading the message of salvation was the single greatest passion of Christians in the New Testament. Even in the face of persecution “those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). From city to city and house to house they were announcing the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection to save a lost and dying world...
“Christianity began in Palestine as a relationship, moved to Greece and became an idea, went to Rome and became an institution, then came to America and became an enterprise” (Richard Halverson).
A 2016 Georgetown University study revealed that religious institutions in America take in around 378 billion dollars in annual revenue – that’s more revenue than Apple and Microsoft combined[1]. Churches in America have found their way into nearly every market of the private sector – healthcare, education, music, film, and apparel just to name a few. And while it is good and right for the influence of Christ to reach out and touch every segment of our society, it is challenging to stop and ask ourselves - Is this really what it means to “be about our Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49, KJV)...
Churches come in all different shapes and sizes. Are you looking for fellowship, friendship, and a sense of belonging? There’s a church for that. Do you want to be moved emotionally by passionate and contemporary worship? There’s a church for that. Do you want to hear a dynamic and uplifting message of grace and hope? There’s a church for that. Do you want donuts and coffee in a relaxed come-as-you-are atmosphere? There’s a church for that. The church you join says a lot about who you are and what you are looking for...
