"I love the American flag. I love the Fourth of July. I even still love that cheesy Lee Greenwood song 'God Bless the USA.' I just don’t think celebrations of the American nation have a place in the embassy of the kingdom of God." - TGC
"First-generation believers often feel out of place in the church. They shouldn’t, but they do. They look at children’s and youth ministries, kids growing up in Christian homes, and the beauty of multi-generational families in church and feel like they are missing something." - P & D
"...an under-shepherd knows he doesn’t tend sheep because tending sheep is fun; rather, he tends sheep because his master, the True Shepherd, has called him to. He knows he has not been called to a life of ease, but a life of service, even to those who sometimes make that service a trial." - Challies
"[H]ow can we practically serve God during this season dominated by Covid-19? Three main ways: 1. Diligently praise God for His sovereignty. 2. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, do not give in to fear. 3. By God’s grace, serve those in our communities who are the most at risk of being adversely affected by Covid-19." - John Ellis
"As the coronavirus spreads in the U.S., congregations are facing a situation many have never considered. In response, the LifeWay Leadership team has developed pandemic response resources that are being made available for free to assist pastors and church leaders at MinistryGrid.com/coronavirus." - BPNews
"Often churches wonder what other churches are doing -- here's a sampling." - CToday
This is an adaptation of a sermon I preached this past Sunday. Like many churches, ours struggles with feelings of “failure” because we aren’t a large church. I often preach a sermon like this every year or so to remind the congregation about biblical metrcis for understanding what a “healthy church” really is.
What is a “healthy church?” There are plenty of bad answers to answer this question. They’re usually driven by either (1) un-biblical ideas how salvation works, or (2) a pampered, consumer mindset that Jesus knows nothing about.
I recently had a conversation with two 19-year olds who grew up in our church. I wanted to encourage them to become members and encourage them to serve. Instead, they told me how disappointed they were about the church.
It isn’t a large church, so they told me “it feels like church is dying.” It isn’t a particularly hip church, so they told me “church should be a place where all people feel welcome.” These are common sentiments from many churchgoers in America.
"We need to believe that God really does work and that he really does work over time. Too often we overestimate the growth we can gain in a week, but underestimate the growth we can gain in a year." - Challies
