Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) I frequently talk with people in other cities, states, and countries who are struggling to find a good church. While this, unfortunately, seems to be the norm these days, it brings up a vital question: What, exactly, makes a church good? The same question also applies to ministries, pastors, and other church Continue Reading
Are All Sins Equal?
“Sin is sin.” “All sins are equal.” “There is no sin that is worse than another, at least in God’s eyes.” Perhaps all of us have heard one or more of these assertions in their various forms. And most people I ask about this believe these ideas are biblical. However, “so that no one will deceive" us “with persuasive arguments” (Col 2:4)—and in order to walk in the truth and love others with the truth (1 Jn 3:18; 2 Jn 1:4; 3 Jn 1:4)—as well as not harm others with erroneous ideas, we Continue Reading
Our Greatest Danger
What is the greatest threat we face today? In other words, what potentially produces the most trouble and torment—and even death—both now and in eternity? Whatever it is, shouldn’t it already be firmly at the top of everyone’s list of concerns? Should we not be fully aware of what it is, and highly motivated and fully equipped to deal with whatever is of utmost danger to all of us? Also, when it comes to those who want to love—especially those who claim to care the most—should they not Continue Reading
Problems In The Church
We are witnessing a somewhat recent—yet long overdue—movement within the Church, a movement that seeks to address and expose the egregious problem of abuse. More specifically, this abuse is often understood to mean the taking advantage of and harming of individuals who are generally more vulnerable (usually women and children, although abuse can happen to anyone). This focus on the primary problem (the actual abuse) has also shed light on the problems associated with it: namely, how the sin and Continue Reading