As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“We have responses from tens of thousands of church members across the nation. The data below is from the last five years and represents multiple denominations.” - Church Answers
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.
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.
“What I want to do in this post, though, is encourage you to reconsider this past weekend’s church events and find some joy and blessing in all that took place—even if church wasn’t great.” - Chuck Lawless
“Church should be the place we sprint to when things are at their worst, not the place we avoid until we’ve got our Instagram-worthy Christianity back in place.” - TGC
“I’m posting it this year in September so you and your church can consider ways to show your gratitude to your pastor during next month’s Pastor Appreciation Month” - Chuck Lawless
“First, realize people need to talk to process…. Second, gossip is defined more by intent than content…. Third, it’s the leader’s responsibility to provide clarity.” - Church Answers
Read the series.
The fifth biblical command for us in caring for our pastor leads me, as they say, to go from preachin’ to meddlin’.
The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching (1Ti 5.17).
Read the series.
We began this series in Hebrews 13, and we return there for this next step. Hebrews 13.17 reads,
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
Read the series.
Earlier in the same epistle that tells us to respect our pastor, Paul writes,
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe (1Th 2.13).
Discussion