Pure Church
Latest Items
For the past couple of days, I've been working on a pastoral situation where it seems nothing has gone right. I've been heavy in spirit--discouraged really.Then last night in Bible study, two members of the church approached me separately with small gifts. Both thanked me for what they see as faithful shepherding in their lives.I can't count the number of times I've been downcast in soul and God kindly sent someone to me to point out evidence of His gracious work in and/or around me. When my soul falls He is ever there to pick it up. I'm thankful for the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:26).I'... [read more]
add to discussion
JT posted the following excerpt from Tripp's new book, Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy. I, too, found it convicting and helpful and liberating. Visit JT's post and also find a video of Tripp reading from and discussing the book.It wasn’t a big deal in one way. Just a small conversation that had turned a bit ugly. It wasn’t a dramatic life-altering moment. It was in the privacy of my home with one of my family members. But maybe that’s the point. Perhaps it’s very important because that’s where I live everyday. You see, you and I don’t live in a series of big, dr... [read more]
add to discussionI've just started John Ensor's book, The Great Work of the Gospel. I've only read a couple chapters and already it's been a very helpful, edifying, and God-glorifying read. This morning Ensor offered a really insightful couple of paragraphs on forgiveness:Ask a hundred people if they want forgiveness, and a hundred people will say, "Yeah, sure. And can I have fries with that, and a large Pepsi?" They have no great sense of needing God's forgiveness but believe it would not hurt to have it in their pocket just in case. Religion is, I fear, most often practiced to buy off God's anger, to... [read more]
add to discussionI'm reading through John Hammett's Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology. In chapter 1, Hammett surveys the Scripture's popular imagery of the church as the people of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Spirit. As I was reading the section on the temple of the Spirit this morning, this paragraph struck a real chord:There is another reason why many churches have a problem holding their living stones together. We call the church the temple of the Spirit because the Spirit is the mortar that holds the stones together. The church is not to be held... [read more]
add to discussionI'm thankful to a couple of brothers who kindly asked if I might do an interview re: What Is A Healthy Member?Z asked some insightful questions here.And Jay asked some great questions here.
add to discussionWhat Is A Healthy Church Member? is available today! Read more about the book here.ORDER Healthy Member ONLINEAmazon: Amazon.comBerean Christian Stores: Berean.comChristian Books: Christianbook.comCrossway: Crossway.orgLifeWay Stores: LifeWayStores.com Reformation Heritage: Reformation Heritage BooksWestminster: wtsbooks.com
add to discussionFrom Don Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life: To use time wisely "because the days are evil" is a curious phrase embedded in the inspired language of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:15-16: "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil" (NASB). Paul may have exhorted the Christians at Ephesus to make the most of their time because he and/or the Ephesians were experiencing persecution or opposition (such as in Acts 19:23-20:1). In any event, we need to use every moment with wisdom "because the ... [read more]
add to discussionDavid Helm kindly gave me a copy of Preach the Word. I've enjoyed working through the first couple of chapters thus far. In chapter 1, "The Hermeneutical Distinctives of Expository Preaching," David Jackman penned these helpful words:Learning to listen by opening our eyes is one of the key skills for the biblical preacher to develop. We need to see what is really there and what is not. Like a person with hearing difficulties, we need to strain to catch every detail of vocabulary and nuance of tone in our Lord's conversation with us in the unique and specific parts of Scripture. But the... [read more]
add to discussion