While knowledge of the truth is very important, it is possible to put so much emphasis on the letter of it that the application is forgotten. Paul reminds us that knowledge alone just puffs a person up, while knowledge according to love actually builds up. So here is a thought for pastors, especially, and by implication the people in the pew as well.
Church
Exhort Each Other Daily
Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). I was thinking recently about cases where a person who has been a professed believer, maybe even a well-known Christian leader, falls into public sin or even apostasy, and walks away from the Christian faith. Sadly, there have been many such cases in the news lately. We often think, and maybe even say, afterward that in hindsight there were some tendencies we could see in that person’s life that led to their eventual demise:
What Should I Be Giving To Financially?
Our first and primary obligation is certainly to the local church. The Bible is very clear on the fact that we are to financially support those pastors who minister to us spiritual things, by ministering to their physical needs (1 Corinthians 9:7-11; 1 Timothy 5:17-18). The Scripture is equally plain regarding our obligation to support the poor and needy within the body of Christ (1 Timothy 5:16; 1 John 3:17).
Any Unchecked Sin Is Ruinous
Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). I was thinking this past week about cases where a person who has been a professed believer, maybe even a well-known Christian leader, falls into public sin or even apostasy, walking away from the Christian faith. Sadly, there have been many such cases in the news lately.
The Two Great Commands
Text: Matthew 22:37-40 The Big Idea: If we get these two things right, we get it all right. If we get these two wrong, we miss it all. God help us!
Wage the Good Warfare
Text: 1 Timothy 1:17-20 The Big Idea: Only a big view of God, and a big heart for God, will inspire you to faithfulness. 1) To the King goes the glory. Question to consider: Why would Paul include this song of praise (17) in his letter? 2) To the faithful goes the war. Question to consider: What would it look like for me to wage the good war faithfully? 3) To Satan goes the shipwrecked. Question to consider: Is there any area in my life where Satan has been exploiting a weakness?
Christ Jesus Is Our Hope
As Paul writes his first letter to Timothy, his opening words remind us that “Christ Jesus is our hope.” That’s what this letter is all about. That’s what the Christian message is all about. That’s what the Bible is all about. And so that’s what our lives should be all about.
I Have Bought It All
The rip-roaring romance between Ruth and Boaz is but a shadow of the mutual love between Christ and his church. Yet, it does contain many instructive lessons for anyone seeking a similarly beautiful and successful romance. Or healthy relationships of any kind.
5 Things to Look For In a Church
We live in a mobile, global society. I am reminded of this as a pastor, with people who constantly move into our city for school or work, and simultaneously others who move away for the same reasons. Yet, as a pastor, I feel an obligation to help those who are leaving our church in Ohio to find a healthy home for their soul in whatever new place they may be landing. Just in the past year, I have tried to help people transition to Japan, California, China, Florida, Texas, Germany, and South Korea.
How Can I Finish Well?
Having begun the Christian race, how can I finish well? Can I be assured of God’s continued work in and through me, as I seek to follow and honor him? Or will I peter out, fall spectacularly, or fail in the end? Thankfully, the Bible does promise us that God will continue and complete his saving work in us. Yet, God does use certain means to establish and strengthen us to that end.
You Are the Body of Christ
The body does not consist of one member but of many (1 Corinthians 12:14). As Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, it seems that some of their members, far from consciously affirming the diversity in their midst, were working against it. One group in the church was suggesting everyone should be just like them—have the same ministry, the same social status, the same convictions about idol-food, the same favorite preacher. Others, who felt inferior, were allowing themselves to drift into inactivity by embracing the lie that they were not useful to the church. Into this unhealthy atmosphere, Paul speaks,