What Makes a Healthy Church
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 : By Eric Farr
We had a recent graceTALK question…
I recently visited another church with a friend who wanted to start going to church again. They (husband and wife) wanted a church that was big so that they could “ease” into the whole church thing. So, I went along to encourage them. We went to a “mega” church in the area and I was blown away. It was like a rock concert! The message was good (in a creative sense) but seemed very shallow. I didn’t even need to use my Bible. So, now I am in a pickle. I want my friend to go to church, but I fear that they will see Christianity is a warped way by going to this …
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This Should NEVER Be Allowed to Happen Again!
Friday, September 12th, 2008 : By Dan Miller
This is the single most powerful argument I have seen to date on why there should not be dancing in church! I would even support that this dance routine never happen again on the planet earth. It’s like the Bible meets Disco with a splash of Tony Orlando and Dawn!
For those of you who like to watch traffic accidents…
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ChurchWorks: How You Function, Part 11
Sunday, August 24th, 2008 : By Dan Miller
In segment one of this series we examined the marks of a God-owned Church. Since then we have been seeing how every Christian is gifted by the Holy Spirit to display the character and priorities of Jesus Christ in a particular way to strengthen His Church. Today we will look at the gifts of administration, tongues, and interpretation. MP3 download.
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ChurchWorks: How You Function, Part 10
Sunday, August 17th, 2008 : By Dan Miller
In segment one of this series we examined the marks of a God-owned Church. Since then we have been seeing how every Christian is gifted by the Holy Spirit to display the character and priorities of Jesus Christ in a particular way to strengthen His Church. Today we will look at the gifts of miracles, healings, and helping. MP3 download.
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A Vision for Christian Education
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 : By Eric Farr
I was going to forward this talk on to the Adult Ministry Team (AMT), but I think this would be a good listen for anyone interested in why we teach within the church. It features Pastor Rob Paris, of Wellspring Anglican Church, preaching a message on a Christian view of education in the church. I found it helpful and encouraging.
He closes with what seems to be Wellspring’s vision for education….
We envision multitudes of children and adults delighting themselves in God’s Word and God’s world because they have discovered the life-giving power of His truth and grace. We long to be a learning culture where people study hard to excel in all that they do for the glory of God,
…
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Sin’s Masquerade
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 : By Eric Farr
I’m not usually fond of blogs that quote a blog quoting a book, but Justin Taylor has been reading Paul Tripp’s Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy and posted an excerpt that I find extremely insightful and personally convicting…
Sin lives in a costume, that’s why it’s so hard to recognize. The fact that sin looks so good is one of the things that make it so bad. In order for it to do its evil work, it must present itself as something that is anything but evil. Life in a fallen world is like attending the ultimate masquerade party.
Impatient yelling wears the costume of a zeal for truth.
Lust can masquerade as a love for beauty.
Gossip
…
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ChurchWorks: How You Function, Part 2
Sunday, June 8th, 2008 : By Dan Miller
In Segment one of this series, we took three weeks to examine the marks of a God-owned Church (Knowing Who You Are). Last week we began segment two (Knowing How You Function), and addressed how our oneness as a church is expressed through our distinctness in our spiritual gifting. Today we will continue to see, based on account of what Christ has done in the atonement, how we can now shape each other with such effectiveness as to actually contribute to the spiritual health of one another. MP3 download.
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ChurchWorks: Who You Are, Part 3
Sunday, May 25th, 2008 : By Dan Miller
What do you picture when I say the word “identity?” Most often we think about a person in terms of their characteristics, a type of mental snapshot like tall, short, loud, quiet, harsh, gentle, etc. There are times we lump the identity of people together, and they form a type of group identity. Over the last two weeks, we have been working through characteristics that form the identity of a true Church. Today, we will discuss two more features in a God-owned church from I Thessalonians 1:8-10.
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ChurchWorks: Who You Are, Part 2
Sunday, May 18th, 2008 : By Dan Miller
We are in week 2 of our “Church Works” series. Last week we uncovered the dynamic that when we know who we are as a church we can live the way we were meant to live as a church. Today, we continue in considering what it means to be an authentic and, therefore, recognizable church. Are there signs of life that every church gives off? What are those bottom-line signs of life that any and every true church will display?
Today, we will point out these signs of life and in the process we will gain a greater understanding what it means to be a church.
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What is “Black Liberation Theology?”
Friday, March 21st, 2008 : By Dan Miller
In recent days the term, “Black Liberation Theology” has washed over anyone who listens to the news. But what exactly does this term mean and from what strain of theology did it come from? Christianity Today carried an insightful article outlining various aspects of black church culture as well as the roots of this particular brand of theology. What is Black Liberation Theology?
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