Romans 15:7
“Accept one another, then, for the glory of God, as Christ has accepted you.” (Romans 15:7)Here’s another interesting insight I picked up at the Pepperdine Lectureship (which, Laymond, I won’t call...
View ArticleA church we would recognize
Since I’m teaching a course at ACU this semester, I attended a pre-session for the College of Biblical Studies. Jack Reese, dean of the college, mentioned that one board member asked him if twenty-five...
View ArticleThe war that almost was
Joshua 22 tells an interesting story of how civil war almost struck the nation of Israel at the time of its very founding. The tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had chosen land...
View ArticleResponse to the latest Knowlesletter
The hubbub (or is it a brouhaha? I get those confused) continues over the new directory of Churches of Christ that came out recently. One of the latest to condemn the directory was Victor Knowles,...
View ArticleWhat if everyone were just like me?
What kind of church would my church be if all its members were just like me? Stop and think about it. What would your congregation be like if everyone were just like you? What would be done better?...
View ArticleThe Black List
He drew a circle that shut me out– Heretic, a rebel, a thing to flout. But Love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle that took him in! Edwin Markham I grow weary of those that would place...
View ArticleLiberals and conservatives: a simple definition
In one of the comments on yesterday’s post, Bobby Ross talked about being called on to define the terms liberal and conservative as regards the church. I’m sorry I wasn’t there, because I could have...
View ArticleThe crabs and the ants
In Cuba last week, I shared an old sermon illustration about how to keep crabs in a bucket. They say that if you put one crab in a bucket, you’d better have a good lid, because the crab can easily...
View ArticleUnity, Not Uniformity
A while back I wrote about the diversity in the church in the first century. I was reading Acts 21 yesterday and was struck again by this story. There’s an idea out there that the early church was...
View ArticlePeople pleasing
I’m a people pleaser. Much more than I should be. I want everyone to like me. I want everyone to think well of me. Even though I consciously know that’s not possible, I still seek to have the approval...
View ArticleCaged hunting dogs
I was talking with a coworker yesterday, recalling an illustration by Joseph Aldrich, author of Lifestyle Evangelism. He said that many in the church are like caged hunting dogs. With no birds to hunt,...
View ArticleUnity for Christ’s sake
Once again, the comments section on this blog is proving to be the most enlightening part. If you haven’t had a chance to do so, read over the comments from Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s posts. Lots of...
View ArticleCan we support those with whom we don’t agree?
Beheading of Anabaptist Martyrs (Rembrandt) Goshen College has been in the news a lot this year. This small school in Indiana was founded by believers steeped in the Anabaptist tradition, specifically...
View ArticleUs and Them in the church
I wanted to continue the discussion about “us” and “them” in the church. I think one of the greatest challenges that Christians continually face is this question of groups/factions/cliques/parties...
View ArticleTearing Down the Walls
Photo by Benoit RochonThis Sunday, I get to share some thoughts about Ephesians 2:11–22. It’s a passage with powerful imagery about Jesus tearing down the wall between Jews and Gentiles. It’s hard for...
View ArticleBringing Down The Walls
Photo by Benoit RochonThe Lord’s Supper is a perfect coming-together time for the church. Yesterday, I talked about some thoughts I’ll be sharing on how Jesus tears down walls. These thoughts will be...
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