Tag: Church

Reflections on Church History

On By BrianIn Biography/History

My youth/adult Sunday School class recently finished a 20 week study of church history. Looking back, here are a few thoughts:

  • The giants of church history were yet sinners saved by grace. Time and again as we looked at various heroes of the church, we saw not only great godly achievements, but also sinful failure. How could such a great man or woman of God do that? But God uses sinful people to accomplish his purposes so that we might glory not in the people but in their God. All have sinned and need a Savior.
  • God is still at work in his world. God wasn’t just active in Bible times, as it is easy to conclude when we ignore the last 2000 years. He has been at work in his church and world during the last two millennium, and he is still at work today.
  • The church today needs to study church history. It is important for us to know where we came from. It is essential for us to understand how the church came to understand Biblical truths so we can better discern truth from error today. It is helpful for us to look at life through the eyes of those who have gone before so that we might overcome some of the blind spots of our times. And it is a great benefit for us to learn from and be encouraged by the lives and writings of those who have gone before us.

If you have never studied church history, I encourage you to jump in!

Current

On By BrianIn Current Collection

A weekly collection of current news and issues in the church, country, and world.

Here are some stories related to Ukraine you may not have heard, plus a link to the latest news there:

Ukraine Names Baptist Pastor as Acting President – Timothy Morgan (CT)

The Ukrainian Church Is Not Silent – SEND Missionary Blog

Ukraine Crisis – BBC News

Also an update on the Romeike family:

German Homeschoolers, Romeike Family, Will Not Be Deported, DHS Says – Christian Post

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

The Answer to Every Christian’s Identity Struggle – Paul Tautges

Good Works and Sanctification – Jason Helopoulos

How Many Motivations Are There for Godliness – Kevin DeYoung

9 Ways to Pray for Churches and Pastors – 9Marks (via Justin Taylor)

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

Your Most Courageous Resolution for 2014 – Jon Bloom (Desiring God)
Let this be the year that we pursue love. Let this be the year that we stop talking about love, that we do less regretful moaning about how little we love and how much we need to grow in love and actually be determined to love more the way Jesus loved…

True Freedom is Freedom to Be My True Self – John Stott (via Trevin Wax)
True freedom is freedom to be my true self, as God made me and meant me to be. And God made me for loving. But loving is giving, self-giving. Therefore, in order to be myself, I have to deny myself and give myself….

Why Real Christians Are So Odd – A. W. Tozer (via Justin Taylor)
A real Christian is an odd number, anyway.
He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen;
talks familiarly everyday to someone he cannot see;
expects to go to heaven on the virtue of another….

The Centerpiece of Sunday Worship – Marshall Segal (Desiring God)
Even in corporate worship, with sermons every week, we can too easily wander from our wonder at all that we have in Scripture. What if we came to church hungry, even starving, for the word of God (Matthew 4:4)? What if we expected God to inspire, change, and commission us in the sacred moments we spend together over these pages? What if we thought we’d become more like him — undeserving sinners wading into the divine nature — when his words wash over us as the Bible is read and explained (2 Peter 1:3–4)?

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day being incredibly odd as you love your brothers and sisters in Christ and hungrily dig into His Word!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for you weekend reading.  They are also very important posts to consider – the wisdom within them could save all of us much grief.

The Road to Apostasy – Ordinary Pastor
First let me give you a bottom line proposition: The road to apostasy is paved by bricks of apathy towards Christ. If you want to persevere, then give attention to your affections. This is a summary. Let’s work it out.

The Scandal of the Semi-Churched – Kevin DeYoung
I’m not talking about nominal Christians who wander into church once or twice a year. I’m talking about people who went through the trouble of joining a church, like their church, have no particular beef with the church, and still only darken its doors once or twice a month.

A Better Country for Old Men – David Mathis (Desiring God)
This is a plea from the younger generation to the older. We desperately need you.

Nothing Else Does Nor Shall Delight Me – Thomas a’ Kempis (via Trevin Wax)
…let others seek what they please instead of You,
but as for me, nothing else does nor shall delight me,
but You only, my God, my hope, my eternal salvation.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day delighting in our great God with your local church!

Missions Moment

On By BrianIn Missions Collection

Here are some good posts on the relationship between missionaries and supporting churches:

What I Want for All Missionaries – Mike Pettengill (GC)
But we want to be loved, and we want to know people are thinking and praying for us. If my team members were reminded that others care and pray for them, they would have strength to endure the hard days.

Missionaries Should Communicate – And Churches Should Demand It – Mike Pettengill (GC) Missions is a partnership. Missionaries and prayers and givers have all been called by God to join together in the expansion of his glory. Your mission team has many members who combine their talents to glorify God in the world. When missionaries communicate what God is doing through the combined efforts of our team, the One who called us all gets the glory.

6 Ways You Can Support Missionaries – Jennifer Su McIntyre
Writing quick emails to your missionary to tell them you’re praying for specific requests assures them that, no matter how isolated they might be, their ministry is being covered in prayer. Being specific about your prayers will help them know you are looking over their requests carefully.