More Than Words...

Many Christians today read Galatians as if it were primarily about personal salvation:  salvation is by faith, not by works. That is certainly part of Paul’s message.  But it is not the whole story. Paul’s deeper concern in Galatians is whether churches themselves are aligned with the true gospel and living in step with it as a community . The issue is not just how individuals are saved. It is whether churches are  walking the straight line of the gospel . Paul states the problem bluntly at the beginning of the letter: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.” (Galatians 1:6–7) Throughout the letter, he returns to this concern, especially in Galatians 2:14, 5:2–12, and 6:12–16 . Something had shifted in the Galatian churches. The gospel had begun to be subtly redefined. “Not in Step With the Truth of the Gospel” One of the most revealing moments comes when Paul confr...

  As I think about the things God has been teaching me over the past year, one moment stands out with surprising clarity. It was the experience of tasting what has come to be known—at least in our family—as a two-million-dollar bottle of wine . Shortly after Sue and I arrived at my father-in-law’s house, he pulled me aside and said, “I was saving this bottle of wine for when the hospital was complete. I’d like to share it with you and Sue over dinner sometime this week.” Several years earlier, he had purchased a rare bottle of wine with a very specific purpose in mind. He was deeply invested—financially and personally—in the construction of a children’s hospital. The project wasn’t just a business venture; it was a labor of love. He had poured his expertise into it, along with nearly all of his savings. Other family members had invested as well. If the project had succeeded, his payout would have been approximately two million dollars. But through a series of unfortunate events...

I recommend church leaders read this book .   McHugh offers numerous practical insights on how introverts can leverage their personality type to lead effectively.    He discusses the importance of paying attention to natural rhythms and managing energy, offering practical strategies and advice in Chapter 7.      He doesn't let introversion be an excuse for withdrawing from relationships or from loving people.   The role of community is described as 'healing' for the introvert, and he talks about two critical movements for the introverted leader:   Inward movement of accepting and working with the way we are wired   Outward movement towards community This book challenged my assumptions about the relationship between personality and leadership.  It helped me discover some of my strengths and how I can leverage them in my leadership role.  It also gave me some insight into some of my struggles as a...

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus’ ministry is often described as being centered around meals. As Robert Karris famously put it, "In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal." This simple observation uncovers a profound truth: Jesus chose the table as a primary context for kingdom ministry. His mission strategy wasn’t built around events, buildings, or platforms. It was built around meals. Jesus spent a lot of his time eating and drinking with people. His evangelism and discipleship were built around long conversations over grilled fish, loaves of bread, and wine. The rhythm of his ministry was deeply relational, immersive, and hospitable.  It was a strategy of presence, not performance. Consider the stories in Luke alone: Luke 5: Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners at the home of Levi. Luke 7: Jesus is anointed at the home of Simon the Pharisee during a meal. Luke 9: Jesus feeds the five thousand. Luke 10: Jesus eats in the home of M...

Jesus knew that the kingdom He was establishing would be so different from what people were accustomed to that He spent much of His ministry teaching about the Kingdom of God.  At times, He directly contrasted His kingdom with the ways of earthly kingdoms, as He does in Matthew 20:25-28. In this passage, Jesus explains to His disciples that the way authority is exercised in God’s kingdom is very different from the ways of earthly kingdoms.  Leadership in His kingdom is not about power and control but humility and service. The kingdoms of this world rely on power, force, wealth, and hierarchy. Success and greatness in leadership are seen as climbing up the ladder to a position of status where one can give executive orders from the top and enforce change on those below to control outcomes and make things happen. But Jesus tells His followers, “Not so with you.” God’s kingdom operates differently, and He points to Himself as the example.   So, how does Jesus exerci...

  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.   2Timothy 2:15   We live in confusing times.  In our society, we are daily bombarded with information that claims to be accurate through television, radio, the internet, billboards, newspapers, magazines and more.  Throw in some misinformation and a few conspiracy theories and the 'information overload' is not only overwhelming but down right confusing.  The popular notion that truth is subjective, fluid, and ever-changing from situation to situation is an attractive concept when we are faced with so many claims of 'truth'.   Simply put, most people choose their truth from a buffet of 'true' claims that are often in stark contradiction of each other.  It is in the middle of this chaos that the followers of Jesus preach Jesus' claim that he is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:...

  The Gospel has two shoes.  The church reformers of the sixteenth century were right when they insisted that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.   Yet the good news of the gospel is not only that we are saved by grace, but also that we are called by grace into Christ's plan for his church.  The pattern of teaching throughout the New Testament often referred to as 'the faith' or 'sound doctrine', lays out the basics for both our salvation and  for fulfilling our calling.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV) Christian faith is not merely mental assent to the facts about Jesus.   Just agreeing with the great truths of the gospel; is som...

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul,  and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own,  but they had everything in common.   - Acts 4:32 (ESV) While many Christians miss getting together in a church service the ‘church service fellowship’ we miss and enjoy is barely a taste of what true fellowship in the Gospel really is.    It only scratches the surface of the depth, blessing, and power of what God really desires for us.   Many Christians today attend church services week in and week out but never experience the fellowship and unity God wants for us.   God, in His sovereignty, has allowed the church service to be taken away for a while.  Ironically it is during this time we are seeing some Christians enter into fellowship more than when they met regularly for church services!    Some have gone out of their way to make phone calls, to offer assistance, to share r...

As we rethink church in light of this pandemic, God is giving us an opportunity to take a fresh look at the scriptures and get back to the heart of being his church.   The New Testament scriptures do not teach anywhere that we must meet in a special building and hold a church service to have real church!  The early church didn’t meet in front of a pulpit, they met around the table.  So what according to the bible constitutes a real church meeting? So far we know the following…   Hebrews 10:23-25 - A church meeting is for encouraging us to be a true family, God's people in this world.   We meet to hold on to the Gospel and spur one another on to love and good works.    There is no mention of how often or any specific location only that we should meet regularly. 1Cor 11:23-26  - A church meeting remembers and proclaims Jesus. It is centred on Jesus and shaped by the Gospel.  Using the Lord’s Supper as a framework for g...

The purpose of meeting together as a church is not to ‘perform a service’, but to encourage and challenge one another to stay true to the faith and to be his family in a world that challenges our faith at every turn (see part 1). This global pandemic is forcing us to rethink church.  I believe this is an opportunity to take a fresh look at the scriptures and rethink church in light of New Testament principles.   As restrictions change many are beginning to talk about going back to church.   But I wonder... if all we had was the New Testament, no church tradition or experience to follow but just the New Testament teaching, what would our gatherings be like?    The modern church often overlooks the significance of the instructions Jesus left us before his death and resurrection about meeting together as a church.  "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread...

It is pretty clear now that the impact of the 2020 global pandemic will be felt for a long time.  As restrictions change we are beginning to think about going back to meeting in person but things will still be quite different for some time.   We need to ask what is God teaching us through all of this? For months now, God has allowed church buildings and services to be shut down, forcing us to find different ways to gather and minister.   I believe God is giving us an opportunity to take a fresh look at the scriptures and rethink church in light of New Testament principles. If all we had was the New Testament, no church tradition or experience, what would our gatherings be like?  How would we go about being the church? The writer of Hebrews gives us the reasoning behind the church gathering together regularly:  "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how to s...

For a number of years now I have been shining a spotlight on what Roland Allen called ‘The Way of Christ and His Apostles”.   In other words, the ministry model that emerges from a fresh study of the New Testament church.  By a fresh study, I mean doing your best to set aside the ministry models and traditions we’ve come from and limit your sight to the scriptures themselves and knowledge of the historical context in which the NT was written.  The ministry model that emerges from a fresh study of Acts and the Epistles differs on many points from the typical ministry models of today which are heavily influenced by Western institutionalism and culture.   The contrast is strong enough that sometimes people give me confused or concerned looks when I point them out! However, the model that emerges in the pages of Acts and reinforced by the New Testament letters contains timeless principles that are relevant in any era.   As I consider the challe...