Category: Uncategorized
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Territorial Attitudes in the Church – Part 2
If you have not already, first read Territorial Attitudes in the Church – Part 1 – then come back! The best opportunity to begin remedying the territorial attitudes in the church lies with our youth. Studies suggest that young people have a higher degree of openness than adults do, a willingness to try something new.[1]… Read more
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Territorial Attitudes in the Church – Part 1
Perhaps the most pernicious problem I’ve encountered as a parachurch worker is the territorial attitude that plagues many congregations. First, imagine the ideal: churches of different denominations, as well as parachurch organizations, sharing the common goal of making disciples of Jesus Christ. They do not let minor doctrinal differences prevent them from working together to… Read more
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Out-of-Touch Oversight: Who Holds the Pastor Accountable?
The current institutional oversight in many denominations is too far removed from the goings-on in local congregations to provide proper accountability to the churches. I recently learned that, in the United Methodist denomination, the people to whom the pastor is accountable are the district superintendent and the bishop above him. There is a Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations… Read more
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The Biblically Illiterate Church
We Need More Expository Preaching. The church fathers, the apostles, and possibly even Jesus himself would be shocked and appalled by the lack of biblical literacy among Christians today. We carry around with us devices that contain the entirety of the scriptural canon – not to mention the myriad of commentaries, dictionaries, and other tools… Read more
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Have Sermons Become Obsolete?
We live in a world where attentive listening is almost extinct. Both attention and listening seem to be rarities, and that ought to alarm us. In 2015 Time magazine shared a study from Microsoft that indicated that the average time a person will spend on a webpage before going elsewhere is eight seconds. Many have… Read more
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Church Discipline: The Solution to Church Hurt
As I’ve read and reread the New Testament, I am increasingly struck by the glaring lack of discipline today as compared to the early church. I cannot recall a sermon or teaching in my entire Christian life on the Matthew 18 process of confronting a believer who has sinned against you. In case you haven’t… Read more
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The Church has a Pacing Problem
This summer I will begin my eighth season of coaching cross country at the local high school. One of the most common mistakes of new runners is the problem of pacing. If you go out too fast, you burn out. If you go too slow, your poor performance costs the whole team. Paul was wise… Read more
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We Need to Church Better
Fewer Programs and Events, More Discipleship Relationships I no longer serve on committees at church. The last one I was on was the discipleship committee. I thought it would be right up my alley: I am the Area Director for a disciple-making parachurch youth ministry, and I have a passion for lifelong discipleship through the… Read more