As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
Read the series.
It’s time to look a little more closely at what we’re actually doing as we minister our gifts to one another in the church.
A passage I find helpful in this regard is the opening paragraph of Ephesians 5, which is just one sentence with two main verbs that point us to how we conduct our relationships in the church.
“The implication of the word ‘learned’ is that it was not always like this for Paul. He grew in contentment over time. It did not come quickly and it did not come easily, but there was growth and there was progress for him, and the same can be true for us today.” - Colin Smith
Read the series.
This article represents the arguments of those that urge abstinence from potentially intoxicating beverages. What is the case for refraining from alcohol?
“Something is seriously wrong when Christians crave cultural popularity and acceptance. That’s why I greatly appreciated the points made in this article by Brett McCracken” - Randy Alcorn
Last time we noted that from the beginning we’ve been designed for fellowship, for interpersonal relationships—and that for our time in history, the church is a significant part of God’s plan for that. He even commands us to keep at it.
OK, if God says I’m supposed to fellowship, then I will.
“Jesus is saying, ‘You judge people according to the flesh. But I don’t do that!’ Jesus does not form an opinion about you according to the flesh. He does not base a judgment about you on your appearance, ability, age, friends, race, gender, work, home, family, or experience.” - Colin Smith
“If you are unable to participate in Halloween with a clear conscience, there are plenty of other things to celebrate this time of year, from Reformation Day to All Saints Day, to the beauty of fall’s changing colors, to, as always, the sovereignty of God and the victory of Christ over everything.” - Breakpoint
“Spiritual mourning is laden with blessing, and we are to go after it and get as much of it in our lives as we possibly can. The more you know of this mourning, the more joy you will experience in your life.” - Colin Smith
As this year began I started a series on spiritual growth, which I called “On Building Spiritual Muscle.” The series focused on the key spiritual exercises that the Bible prescribes for spiritual health, exercises that Christians have generally called “the means of grace”: Scripture, prayer, and fellowship. The next series, “On Devotions,” focused on the first two of those means of grace, and particularly on our private practice of them.
“Willful gullibility neglects our God-given responsibility to acquire the skills necessary to evaluate truth claims. This doesn’t mean we must be experts in every subject, but it does mean we practice strategic hesitation…” - TGC
Discussion