“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching …” (Acts 2:42). This tells me two things about the early church: (1) members were hungry for teaching; and (2) leaders taught. We have a pretty good idea about what they taught. … Continue reading 5 reasons the church must teach the Bible
The condition of a church can be accurately determined by its prayer meetings. Charles Spurgeon called the prayer meeting a “grace-ometer” from which “we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people.” More recently, Vance Havner said that “the thermometer of a church … Continue reading Whatever happened to prayer meetings?
What sometimes passes for Christian fellowship is about as nourishing as the doughnut you ate in Sunday School last week. Though enjoyable, it brings little spiritual benefit. To fellowship is to share. That’s the basic meaning of koinonia—sharing. But it’s a sharing … Continue reading Beyond the coffee and doughnuts
“I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord’s people were divided.” Like D.L. Moody, neither have I. Instead, most of us probably have seen too often how disunity hinders the Spirit’s work in the church and damages the … Continue reading 5 ways to destroy church unity
If the kinds of people with whom Jesus associated came to your church, would they be welcomed? Consider carefully before you answer (1) the kinds of people with whom Jesus associated and (2) the meaning of welcomed. The People Who … Continue reading the [un]welcoming church
“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” — Winston Churchill It’s an unpleasant but inevitable fact of life that if you attempt to do anything of significance, you will be criticized. J. Oswald Sanders … Continue reading 5 keys to handling negative criticism
“Thought should be given to a more extensive use of the Word of God among us.” With that declaration, Philip Jacob Spener launched into a list of proposals he believed would reform the church. The book, Pia Desideria (“Pious Desires”), was published … Continue reading Small groups do big things
