Sunday Leftovers (9/13/09)

I fell in love while I was in seminary. Twice. It was while I was matriculating in preparation for ministry that I met Raye Jeanne, fell in love and we married. And during those same years of study, I fell in love with another woman — the bride of Christ — the church. I hadn’t […]

Today’s Quote – Church (Wells)

David Wells, The Bleeding of the Evangelical Church: [In today’s church,] The importance of theology is eclipsed by the clamor for management skills, biblical preaching by entertaining story-telling, godly character by engaging personality, and the work of the ministry by the art of sustaining a career. I believe that these are all unhappy exchanges.

Today’s Quote – Church (Swindoll)

Charles Swindoll, Rise and Shine: The depth of a church is determined by its quality of worship and instruction.…the breadth of a church is determined by its commitment to fellowship and evangelism.

Today’s Quote – Church (Beecher)

Henry Ward Beecher, quoted in Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts (McRae): The church is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent Christians, but a school for the education of imperfect ones, a nursery for the care of the weak ones, a hospital for the healing of those who need assiduous care.

The church in community

After writing yesterday’s book review, I remembered a seminar entitled “The Pastor and His Community: How the Gospel Informs Our Mission beyond the Church” that Mark Dever did at a pastor’s conference earlier this year. Both the audio and his notes are available. While he may not have been as definitive about how these principles […]

Book Review: Unfashionable

Title: Unfashionable: Making a difference in the world by being different Author: Tullian Tchividjian Publisher: Multnomah Books, 2009; 204 pp. $17.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): This morning I was in a meeting at the church when an unknown man came to my office door, introduced himself and said that he had a financial need — could […]

Book Review: Why We’re Not Emergent

Title: Why We’re Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be) Authors: Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck Publisher: Moody Publishers, 2008; 256 pp. $14.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): Just when I thought, “do we really need another book on the emergent church?” I visited another church recently. It’s not an emergent church. But it’s also not […]

Today’s Quote – Prayer (Hiebert)

D. Edmond Hiebert, Working with God through Prayer: The Holy Spirit is seeking to make the desperate world conditions an insistent call on our hearts for prayer. Prayer is the primary need. In the efforts of the churches today to respond to these vast needs, the most urgent need is not money, important as it […]

On sermons and Super Bowls

I guess I should be paying more attention to the big game this evening. Or at least the ads. It seems that there is not just entertainment value in the commercial fare, but there is a sermon or two to be found in those messages. At least so thinks one pastor. Pastor Ken Diehm of […]

Reasons for John MacArthur’s enduring ministry

On February 1, Grace Community Church will celebrate the 40th anniversary of John MacArthur’s pastorate there. In what he called a “pre-emptive strike,” he offered three sermons that provided the reasons for the success of this church: “Foundations of Grace, Part 1: The Glory of God” “Foundations of Grace, Part 2: The Lordship of Christ” […]

Today’s Quote – Church (Calvin)

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion: Surely the church of Christ has lived and will live so long as Christ reigns at the right hand of the Father. It is sustained by his hand; defended by his protection; and is kept safe through his power.

Today’s Quote (10/22/08)

Charles Spurgeon, “Separating the Precious from the Vile:” Never were there good times when the Church and the world were joined in marriage with one another.…The more the Church is distinct from the world in her acts and in her maxims, the more true is her testimony for Christ, and the more potent is her […]

Why we go to the Shepherds’ Conference

Probably my favorite statement about Biblical manhood comes from John Piper’s classic book, Desiring God: A famous cigarette billboard pictures a curly-headed, bronze-faced, muscular macho with a cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth. The sign says, “Where a man belongs.” That is a lie. Where a man belongs is at the bedside of […]

Today’s Quote (9/21/08)

Thabiti Anyabwile, What is a Healthy Church Member?: …it may be the case that the most chronic problem facing churches and Christians is the lack of consistent spiritual growth and progress in discipleship. …we must clarify what growth is and is not. Ours is a superficial culture that lays emphasis on the outward signs and […]

Book review: What is a Healthy Church Member?

I have preached entirely through the books of 1 and 2 Timothy, books devoted to the explanation of the function of the church. I have preached multiple brief sermon series (2-4 sermons) on various aspects of church ministry. Though I didn’t do it this fall, very often in September I will preach at least one […]