Over my years as pastor, I have come to notice that certain conversations circle back around among staff and elders. One of those has surfaced again recently: the dreaded topic of announcements at our weekly corporate worship service. For some reason, this quirky space in our service has almost become a rite of passage into ministry. I did it for 8 years, Tim Wilson is in his 7th year of doing it,...  Read More

If Matthew chapters 8-10 teach us how to live with Jesus, chapters 5-7 teach us how to learn from Jesus. More specifically, Jesus invites us to experience him in seven key ways:1. Being transformed by him from the inside out (5:1-16)2. Being made righteous by him in order to live obedient lives (5:17-20)3. Being obedient to him from the heart (5:21-48)4. Showing us how to relate properly to God an...  Read More

1. Love one another2. Be unified with one another3. Teach one another4. Greet one another5. Comfort one another6. Put up with each other7. Encourage one another8. Submit to one another9. Forgive one another10. Think how to motivate one another11. Honor one another12. Meet with one another13. Confess your sins to one another14. Be hospitable to one another15. Serve one another16. Be humble toward o...  Read More

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”  (Eph. 6:11, ESV)When I think of this verse the image that comes to mind is of a Roman soldier in biblical times dressed for battle, kind of like this warrior.13  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will sti...  Read More

In his book Church Membership Jonathan Leeman offers some symptoms that might suggest that we are living with some measure of dismissiveness toward church. In this context we are using the word “church” to refer to a local congregation of Christians under the spiritual authority of elders. Take some time to reflect on five of the symptoms from Leeman’s list to see if they may characterize you:1. T...  Read More

In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus tells a parable about giving that illustrates many of the principles about giving in Exodus 35-36. It is known as the “parable of the talents” and it tells the story of three servants who are given money to use wisely while their master is away on a journey. One servant receives five talents, another two talents, and another one talent. The first two use their money wisel...  Read More