This Advent I want to start longing for his bride again. You cannot have Christ without his bride, and you cannot love and serve Christ without loving and serving his bride.
All tagged Church
Appreciating Pastors
So during this month, commit to perpetually praying and striving for your pastors that “the authority of good pastors be established.” While good in intent, a month of focus on pastors will not hinder satan who is attempting to “undermine it by every means.”
Authority, Charisma, & Charism
Authority in the Church is lost only by those afraid of losing it. As the angels so often say, brothers, fear not.
Regarding Partiality
In practice, a person will never be able to address, help, or even be aware of all societal ills in the world. But when one of the ills is at your door you should care. God has placed each of us in certain regions, certain communities, and we can make an impact there.
Solidarity in Suffering
While there are many practical benefits of Byrd's work, I believe its effort to make solidarity in suffering a joint gender effort is among the most valuable.
Book Review: Why Can't We Be Friends? (Danielle Pollock)
I hope this book is able to help many people see male-female friendships as the God-given gift that they are.
Book Review: Why Can't We Be Friends? (Joshua Torrey)
The church is uniquely those called by the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ to be united with one another; but through over-sexualization, it has allowed its members to be severed one from another. By grounding her thesis in the humanity and unity found in Jesus Christ, Byrd provides the stable blocks for further discussion and application of deeper fellowship among the members of Christ's body.
Friendships that Look Forward
Far from merely stating that male and female relationships are permissible, this view for the future intimates that these friendships are essential to the vitality of the church and her mission.
Viewing One Another Holistically
One general premise of the book is that the church unwittingly has adopted secular perspectives on how men and women relate to each other and erred in discouraging cross-gender relationships.
notes from neverland
I hoped it would be easier this time - it's not. It's hard to trust; I wish it wasn't. Pray for me, I'll pray for you.
always in the blood
The body and blood I inhabit that are—in so many ways—not my own to do with what I please. Maybe it washes out in the water, maybe it's always in the blood. But I have been sacrificed for...and so I am given the strength to keep sacrificing my self.
Christmas Communion
The deconstruction of Christmas into an individualistic event is not something I am familiar with. Communion with Christ comes with communion with the church.
get me to the church on time
There is a comfort in hearing them from someone outside of your own head, someone impartial to your own internal noise.
Carrying Loads
"O how he springs up before your eyes, how he deafened your ears, how he forces his way even into your dreams and disturbs your thoughts and wastes your time! O how he gets on your nerves!" - Karl Barth
Why You Should Consider Living Where God Has Placed You
Ultimately, worshiping the Maker of Heaven and Earth is not about - or at - our convenience.
Not a False Irenicism
We need to heightening the amount of time we spend discussing our disagreements.
The Suffering Community
"The very covenant upon which the Christian faith is built centers in the sufferings of Jesus Christ." - Wayne Oates
Church As The Great Community
The solution to our hyper-individualism is a commanded community — the church. The greatest community in all of history is found in the Scripture — the church.
numbers game
Someone from my church recently complained to me that our congregation was diminishing.
how to be single
How do I take care of my own needs without becoming selfish? How do I serve others without making that an idol?