As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Depth in this context means that the church is rooted in the truth of Scripture, not swayed by the latest trends or popular opinions…. While depth is critical, a church that is only deep but not wide may fail to engage with the world around it.” - Brian Cederquist
“Those who have been cast out of their biological families for following Christ now have God’s family to welcome them. Even if they don’t own their own houses, they have hundreds of houses to stay in, where they’ll be warmly welcomed. Jesus promises not only eternal happiness but a hundred times more happiness here and now.” - Randy Alcorn
“Part of Christian parlance is to speak of ‘the ministry’ or ‘the minister’ to refer to a set of professional religious activities….That’s a rather unfortunate happenstance of how religious terms develop, because ministry refers to everything Christians do to build up the body of Christ” - P&D
The elderly prophet Daniel confessed to the angel before him that he was utterly spent. He had no strength to receive the vision the angel came to give him in answer to his prayers. He was in pain, overwhelmed, maybe very troubled in his spirit. And he was strengthened. We read of this account in Daniel 10:15-19.
“Church membership makes sense of a Christian’s obligation to other Christians…. Church membership makes sense of a Christian’s obligation to his spiritual leaders…. Church membership makes sense of a pastor’s obligation to his church.” - Challies
“I demanded answers. This pastor needed to explain himself. Thankfully, he was happy to oblige and began to unpack his statement, and I was eager to listen.” - 9 Marks
“…what the church really said was, ‘Pastor, we’re dying on the vine. We need somebody who is old and can help us make changes without blowing it apart.’” - GARBC
“At least once a month, walk through your buildings, review your worship and educational services, consider different elements of church life and ask yourself: ‘How would this hit me if I were a guest?’” - The Baptist Paper
“1. Don’t discount women…. 2. Pray for men to step up…. 3. Identify men whom you can challenge toward leadership…. 4. Equip men to lead.” - GARBC
“It is to observe quietly and humbly and then, when appropriate, to ask clarifying questions. And more often than not, I have been encouraged and even challenged by these clarifications. ” - Challies
Discussion