Here are some good posts to consider before you even think about leaving your church:
When It’s Time to Leave a Church – H.B. Charles Jr.
How To Leave Your Old Church – Kevin DeYoung
5 Things To Do Before Leaving Your Church – Thabiti Anyabwile
Not So Fast – Trevin Wax (Ligonier)
Here are some good posts on church membership that I wish every Christian would read:
What Is Church Membership? – Jonathan Leeman (9Marks)
Is Church Membership Really Required – Ricky Jones (TGC)
6 Reasons to Be a Faithful Member of a Local Church – Paul Tautges
Twelve Reasons Why Membership Matters – Jonathan Leeman (9Marks)
Here are some good posts on ministry:
Pastor’s Forum: Evangelism and Discipleship in the Local Church – 9 Marks
How to Lead a Good Prayer Meeting – Kevin DeYoung
Comforting a Grieving Family – Thom Rainer
Here are some good posts on ministry:
Thoughts on a Call to Worship – Bob Kauflin
5 Steps to Creating a Culture of Evangelism in Your Church – Brandon Hilgemann
Electing Elders Is An Evangelistic Act – David Murray
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
Teaching Children the Ten Commandments – Michael Snow
Michael shares the Ten Commandments in rhyme from the McGuffey readers. Looks like a good way to teach young children – maybe it could be put to music.
Gentleness Is Not an Option – Dane Ortlund (via Jared Wilson)
[G]entleness is essential to Christian living. It is not an add-on. It is . . . one of the few indisputable evidences of the Holy Spirit alive and well within someone.
Sobering Up: The Prerequisite to a Good Prayer Life – Darryl Dash
Sobering up means that we see reality as it really is; that we recognize that time is short; that we give up any thoughts of trying to live or serve apart from the enablement that only God can offer.
The Tone Deaf Singer – Tim Challies
We sing best when that gospel is dwelling richly within us. God is not looking at the quality of our tone or the perfection of our pitch. He is looking at the heart.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day praising our Lord from your heart with your local church!
It is one of the remarkable features of contemporary church life that so many are attempting to heal the church by tinkering with its structures, its services, its public face. This is clear evidence that modernity has successfully palmed off one of its great deceits on us, convincing us that God himself is secondary to organization and image, that the church’s health lies in its flow charts, its convenience, and its offerings rather than in its inner life, its spiritual authenticity, the toughness of its moral intentions, its understanding of what it means to have God’s Word in this world.
– David Wells in God in the Wasteland
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
5 Great Reasons To Memorize Scripture Today – Tim Challies (from Donald Whitney)
There are few areas of the Christian life where there is a wider gap between what Christians want to do and what Christians actually do than in this area: memorizing Scripture.
A Simple Method To Organize Your Prayers – Tim Challies
Christians have created many patterns and systems to help them as they pray. One of my favorites is John Piper’s model of praying…
Spiritual Disciplines, Legalism, and Laziness – Trevin Wax (with Donald Whitney)
When I consider my own spiritual life, I can’t help but think about certain practices and disciplines that the Lord has used to shaped me over the years.
A Gospeled Church – Jared Wilson
You cannot grow in holiness and holier-than-thou-ness at the same time. So a church that makes its main thing the gospel, and when faced with sin in its ranks doesn’t simply crack the whip of the law but says “remember the gospel,” should gradually be seeing grace coming to bear.
You see above two posts interacting with Donald Whitney whose revised version of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life just came out. Highly recommended!
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church!
Here are some good posts for Pastors/Elders:
What Makes for a Good Elder? – Jason Helopoulos
The Elder’s Qualifications – Kevin DeYoung
Why Pastor’s Need the Body of Christ – Paul Tripp (TGC)
Here are some good posts on ministry:
Tools for Spiritual Cardiology – Josh Vincent (TGC)
Very helpful questions to address doubt.
4 Reasons Why Some Preachers Get Better and Others Don’t – Hershael York (Sermon Central)
Instead of Building Your Platform, Build Your Character – Derwin Gray
Here are some really good posts for your weekend reading:
15 Beautiful Benefits of the Word of God – Kristen Wetherell (Unlocking the Bible)
If you’re wondering how to come to the Word today, consider these 15 beautiful benefits of Scripture…
Five Specific Prayers for the Unsaved People in Your Life – Todd Benkert
There are people all around you who need Jesus. He wants to use you to reach them. Here are some of the specific ways you too can pray for people the in your life who need Christ…
The Repentant Heart is a Renouncing Heart – Trevin Wax
The repentant heart renounces any attempt to justify its sin; it humbly acknowledges sin’s existence and its sentence. The repentant heart renounces self-sufficiency; it knows its beating is a gracious gift of God…
Disillusionment with the Church – Jason Helopoulos
I would contend that many of our disillusions with the church are based upon a wrong ethic. We misunderstand the true nature of fellowship in the gospel community. And therefore, we wrongly apply the ethic of other communities to the church.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!
Brian J. Mikul 