MINISTRY
How to get your people to serve evangelistically? (Stephen Kneale at Building Jerusalem): I am sometimes asked how our little church manages to do as much as it does. Speaking honestly, I do think we punch well above our weight in the evangelistic output stakes. But the question usually concerns how such a little church can manage to do (what is perceived to be) quite so much? Here are some things that we do – that might well be replicable – that may help you as you seek to encourage your church into service.
We are defined not by our failures but Christ’s victory (Jen Oshman): Friends, the enemy seeks to rob us of our joy as we press on in service to Jesus. My invitation to you this week is to reconnect to Jesus and his victory. Connect with Christ once again. Drink of the living water. Eat the bread that satisfies. Remember that you are hidden in Christ. He says to you and me, again and again, no matter what we’ve done, Follow me. Even in spite of our failures, and betrayals, and sins, and finitude, Jesus repeats “Feed my sheep.” Like Peter, you and I are not defined by our failure, we are defined by our Savior and his victory.
SPIRITUAL LIFE
We travel to a world unseen (Greg Morse at Desiring God): Here is probably the most important question you will be asked today: What is most real to you — this world or the next? What holds greater reality — the seen or the unseen? What is more ultimate — this physical realm or the spiritual?
CHURCH
God of ages past: The awakening we need today (Greg Morse at Desiring God): I am tempted to believe that the God of today is less immense, less relevant, and generally more nonintrusive than in former years. Like a president who has served his terms, he retired to his heavenly estate to enjoy the quiet life. We preach of God, but how often do we meet him? We teach classes on the Great Commission, but how often do we baptize? But what makes my soul bleed is this: How often have I even noticed the scarcity — or cared?
WORSHIP
Beneath the mountain of smoke: Recovering the awe of worship (Greg Morse at Desiring God): My contention (and sad experience) is that the drama of meeting with God every week can be so hijacked by carelessness, worldliness, and unbelief. Too often we saunter into church drowsily and distractedly and leave as we came.
LEADERSHIP
The clay-pot conspiracy: Hope for leaders losing heart (Dave Harvey at Desiring God): Make no mistake: ministry is hard. We come aboard assuming God tapped us for our strengths. But God’s program incorporates many of our weaknesses. In a broken world, ministry is often conveyed through broken vessels.
Do “outsiders” still matter? (David Mathis at Desiring God): In 1 Timothy 3:7, as the culminating qualification for the church’s lead office, we hear that pastor-elders must be well thought of by outsiders. Of the apostolic voices, Paul has the most to say about outsiders. Let’s try to capture how he would have us orient on outsiders, in four parts, and the fourth will bring us back to 1 Timothy 3:7.
7 words of encouragement for weary church leaders (Chuck Lawless): Seven Scriptures to encourage our hearts as leaders.
SPIRITUAL LIFE
Potential dangers of applying Scripture to my life (Ty Kieser at The Gospel Coalition): My main concern with the language of “application” is that it can carry faulty—and harmful—assumptions about how we approach Scripture. Here are three.
Store up today for tomorrow’s crisis (Trevin Wax at The Gospel Coalition): Store up gunpowder and you’ll blow up when something lights the fuse. Store up bitterness and your words will ooze with resentment when someone crosses you. Store up pride and your speech will drip with mockery and condescension. Store up envy and you’ll find yourself giving voice to biting remarks that chip away at another’s character or credibility. Store up judgment and another’s failures will trigger harsh and overly critical words. But store up grace and you’ll return good for evil.
CHURCH
Younger Christians are looking for older saints (Darryl Dash at Dashhouse): To our shame, there was a period in which the aged were seen as unimportant in many churches. In direct contradiction of Scripture (Proverbs 16:31, 20:29; 1 Timothy 5:1), we valued youth. Through our actions, we told older men and women that they no longer mattered and that it was time for the youth to lead now. No longer. I sense the opposite in the church today: a desire for older men and women to emulate.
BIBLE INSIGHT
With the wild animals: Jesus in the wilderness in Mark 1:12-13 (Mitch Chase): Why would the presence of “wild animals” be worth mentioning? Chase offers some reasons why this was included and its significance.
Where does Mark end? (Peter Orr at Desiring God): The author gives his take on why the gospel of Mark ends at 16:8.
How to read wisdom literature (Max Rogland at Ligonier Ministries): Scripture says that wisdom will be given to those who ask for it (James 1:5). In particular, the Holy Spirit has inspired diverse books of wisdom such as Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes precisely for this purpose. How should a Christian read the Wisdom Literature profitably?
Did Jephthah kill his daughter to fulfill a vow? (Robbie Lashua at Stand to Reason): There are three clues within the text that suggest that Jephthah’s daughter was not put to death.