“Paul, even with the Corinthians with whom he experienced excruciating conflict, began his second letter to them by identifying with them. Ten times in five verses he repeated a form of the Greek word for “comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3-7). Think about that. When you are in conflict with people, is your first thought (and your […]
We belong to one another
Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Whether it be a brief, single encounter or the daily fellowship of years, Christian community is only this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, p. 21)
This eternal world
“A spiritual kingdom lies all about us, enclosing us, embracing us, altogether within reach of our inner selves, waiting for us to recognize it. God Himself is here waiting our response to His Presence. This eternal world will come alive to us the moment we begin to reckon upon its reality” (A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit […]
Exercise God-Given Gifts
“Sunday meetings are obviously great times for God’s Word to be preached, but where and how will the Word be applied? Sunday meetings are great places for people to come together, but how will these people move from being mere acquaintances to becoming accountable to one another? Sunday meetings present great opportunities for the ministry […]
a deeper worship of Christ
“The end goal of Biblical counseling is worship—entrusting ourselves to God, exalting god, and enjoying Him (Matt. 22:34-40). The end goal is the process of launching a biblical counseling ministry should be the same—to shepherd Christians to a deeper worship of Christ. Launching a biblical counseling ministry isn’t a task to accomplish. It is a relationship—with God […]
Encouragement
“Encouragement gives struggling people the eyes to see an unseen Christ” (Paul Tripp and Tim Lane, Relationships a Mess Worth Making, p 113)
the bodily presence of a brother
“The believer therefore lauds the Creator, the Redeemer, God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for the bodily presence of a brother. The prisoner, the sick person, the Christian in exile sees in the companionship of a fellow Christian a physical sign of the gracious presence of the triune God. Visitor and visited in loneliness recognize […]
Didn’t Give Up
“There is no other way to grow in anything apart from constant practice and risking. The only good athlete you will ever see is a bad one who didn’t give up. The only good disciple you will ever see is a bad one who didn’t give up…If we don’t risk, our gift will not grow, and if our gift […]
Keep the mission in mind
“I find it sobering that my small group is the size of most church-planting teams…or bigger. When I hear of a church-planting team being sent out, I fully expect it to multiply until it has made a lasting impact on the city it has targeted. Do I have similar expectations of my small group? The […]