Begin in mercy
O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. 0 God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I […]
prepare God’s people
“Instead, we listen to the modern church culture that screams, ‘The pastor is the preacher, caregiver, and CEO!’ It’s time to listen to the Head of the church. ‘It was he who gave some to be… pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service’ (Eph 4:11-12). Christ’s grand plan for His church […]
deepest possible level
What is fellowship as defined in the New Testament? Just this: participating together in the life and truth made possible by the Holy Spirit through our union with Christ. Fellowship is sharing something in common on the deepest possible level of human relationship—our experience of God himself. (John Loftness in C.J. Mahaney Ed., Why Small […]
Fellowship
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Act 2:42) So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, (Phi 2:1) …and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become […]
Obtain Guidance
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, (Pro 1:5)
We Participate
This is why we are committed to small groups [Parish Bible Studies]. By his grace, together we are being changed into the image of Jesus Christ through progressive sanctification. Together we are experiencing mutual care, genuine fellowship, a gospel centered focus and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We no longer just see—we observe and […]
They Already Are
The local church is a-counseling ministry. The question is not, “Should Christians counsel each other?” because they already are. Most Christians are ministering to one another on a personal basis. So the question is, “What kind of counseling is offered? How effective is the ministry? Do people have confidence that the Word of God has […]
Only God Himself
We need not fear that in seeking God only we may narrow our lives or restrict the motions of our expanding hearts. The opposite is true. We can well afford to make God our All, to concentrate, to sacrifice the many for the One. The author of the quaint old English classic, The Cloud of […]