The Lord be with you and bless you today.
Westminster Books has a deal on the new book by Mark Jones, Knowing Sin.
(Yesterday on the blog: A Family Update and a Some Thoughts on Those Canadian Truckers)
The Necessity and Danger of Mercy Ministry
Mez McConnell: “While a church may do a lot of different things in the service of [its] mission, everything that it does should be aimed at those final goals: proclaiming the gospel and helping people to grow in their obedience to God. Starbucks sells coffee, Listerine makes mouthwash, and the church holds out the gospel and trains people to obey by doing the work of ministry. If we don’t do it, no one will. If we do anything else, we are getting off track.”
The Remedy for the Church’s Post-COVID Malaise
Trevin Wax offers some thoughts about remedying the church’s post-COVID malaise. “It’s been almost two years since COVID altered our lives. I hear pastors and church leaders talk about surviving the pandemic spiritually and emotionally, and then enduring the fallout in their congregations. Many harbor grave concerns about ministry right now and about the long-term sustainability of those who have been tasked with leading the church.”
Why We Need the Local Church
Speaking of the local church, “the culture continues to be hostile to the Christian worldview. Social media outlets are becoming more aggressive towards us, and cancelations by the culture of confusion continue to increase. Where do we turn? The answer isn’t clever or new. We turn to the local church. Here’s why.”
The Necessity of Sound Doctrine
“Sound doctrine is fundamental ‘so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes’ (Eph. 4:14). Paul isn’t mincing words here but distinctly points out that without sound doctrine, the church is susceptible to being carried away by cultural ideologies, false teaching, and deceptive methodologies.”
The Nearness of God is Not Always Good News
“A good portion of modern Christian praise songs emphasize nearness to God.” Well and good, but God’s nearness isn’t always good news…
Should I or Shouldn’t I?
Here’s a bit of a guide to determining whether or not to engage in a conversation.
He never began to love us for anything in ourselves, nor will he cease to love us because of what he discovers us to be. The love of God, which is in Jesus Christ our Lord, is unassailable by change or shock.
—F.B. Meyer
