Category: Church Life
Church Going Downhill?
Was your church meeting disappointing this week? Do you find that there seems to be little life in the church? Are there troubles stirring? Are there way too many parking lot conversations? What can you do as a member to make things better? Here are a...
Churches on Fire: What Goes Up and What Comes Down
“I’m of John Piper!” “I’m of John MacArthur!” “I’m of R. C. Sproul!” “I’m of Allistair Begg!” It wasn’t so bad that the Corinthian people appreciated the leaders that had come through their city (Apollos, Cephas, and even Paul himself), but that their affections moved their...
The Problem With “Panmillennialism”
“I’m not amillennial, postmillennial, or premillennial. I’m pan-millennial.” “Huh?” “Yep, I’m pan-millennial—I believe it will all pan out in the end!” I’ve occasionally heard this humorous remark made when the end times are discussed. Technically, if we believe in the biblical gospel, we should be panmillennialists....
You Talk About What You Love
Leading a retreat for men several years ago, I remember being aware of the spiritual immaturity of some men who had been part of their church for years. The first night I discovered that these men were capable of knowing a lot, including much detailed information....
What Pastors Must Do, and How to Help Them
I once heard a pastor who preaches weekly to thousands confess that he and his fellow pastors were failing the members of their church. Yes, he teaches the Bible faithfully every week. Yes, a large number of people in the church are regularly sent out for...
One Another Commands
Be at peace with one another. Mk. 9:50 Wash one another’s feet. Jn. 13:14 Love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Jn. 13:34 Love one another with brotherly affection. Rom. 12:10 Outdo one another in showing honor....
O Come, Let Us Ignore Him: Singing Carols About the Jesus You Won’t Love
There we are, sitting in the large public music hall listening to Handel’s “Messiah.” We’re feeling a bit claustrophobic before we start, our coats draped over our shoulders or chairs, and our bulky sweaters surrounding us like woolen nests. We’re heating up nicely as they sing,...
The Church on the Corner
They are everywhere. Some are picturesque brick or stone buildings with beautiful stained-glass windows. Others are white, wood-sided buildings with crosses on top of steeples. Many are big, but most are small. Some are in crowded cities, but most are in small towns. A sign out...
May I Participate in the Lord’s Supper?
Who should participate in Lord’s Supper when it is offered in the church meeting? Though there are some differences between churches on this question, many leaders agree on the following statements as requirements from the Bible on this important practice. Is not the cup of blessing...
Every Believer Not a Missionary
Several years ago, before Eastern European Communism was dismantled, I interviewed the leader for the Hungarian Baptists in his office in Budapest. He related the story of Johann Gerhard Oncken and his influence on workers in Hamburg after the great fire there in the 1800s. Oncken...
