The Heart of Family Reformation

By / Sep 1

When our children were younger we began the day with the hymn we are currently memorizing. When Laura was five, she sang for all of us the second verse of “I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord” by the Yale president of the late 1700s, Timothy Dwight. With a determined look, she sang out,

I love Thy church, O God.
Her walls before Thee stand.
Dear as the apple of Thine eye,
And gravy on Thy hand.

My boys collapsed on the floor with laughter. The word is “graven!”

I value family worship, not only because it is sometimes humorous, but because it is glue that holds families together, stimulus for some of the family’s best discussions, and provides real strength for family member’s lives — it can become the heart, in fact, of family reformation.

The Puritans, long misunderstood, had an exceptional view of the family. We can learn from them even though we might not accept all they had to say. They often talked of the home as the “little church,” and the father as the pastor of his little flock. Lewis Bayly said, “What the preacher is in the pulpit, the same the Christian householder is in his house.” Family worship is the natural outcome of such a view. In homes without a believing father, the mother may fulfill this oversight role for children.

The practice of family worship (with or without children at home) is as forgotten to the church today as the dust in our attic, but this simple and effective method of restoring family spirituality is the most potent tool we have available to us—and every one of us can do it!

WHY IS FAMILY WORSHIP CRITICAL?

First, family worship is critical because the placing of the Word of God in the hearts of our family members is indispensable to their conversion.

Paul reminded Timothy that, “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3: 15).

Peter said that we are “born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible through the Word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Pet. 1:23). This incorruptible seed of saving life (corresponding to the natural biological seed) is inseminated in the dead soul via the Word of God alone.

The Puritans believed this with a passion. This was the rationale for their long sermons, the catechizing of children, the morning messages in those cold church buildings prior to the work day, the daily meditating on the Word in private, and especially the practice of family worship. For the Puritan, family worship took place two times a day, as the “morning and evening sacrifice.” It was through this means that his children and wife, and any other guests or helpers in the home, might receive life!

Richard Baxter, one of the most famous of the Puritans, saw his village of Kidderminster, England transformed through this method. He stated:

I do verily believe that if parents did their duty as they ought, the Word publicly preached would not be the ordinary means of regeneration in the church, but only without the church, among practical heathens and infidels.

Second, it is critical because the Word alone enables your family to withstand the prevailing currents of an evil culture.

In the 2 Timothy 3 passage we find a torrent of base culture descending on young Timothy. “. . . In the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers… disobedient to parents…without self-control. . . headstrong . . . lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (vss.1-4).

How will you be able to rescue your family from the effects of such a culture? Only through the Word of God, according to Paul. The Word makes Timothy as the “man of God,” “thoroughly equipped for every good work” necessary to strengthen the church. His toolbox is complete and “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (vs. 16) so that the people under his charge can withstand the flood of culture described in the previous verses.

In the same way, the shepherding father of the home (or the mother in homes without a father, which was Timothy’s situation) is made adequate to help his or her family. Paul tells Timothy, therefore, to “preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season” (4:2).

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth… (4: 3-4).

When culture rushes down on your family and the professing church is trying to imitate the world itself, how will your family keep from being swept away in its path? Only through the Word of God! Family worship, on a daily basis, is your hope that they will stand like steel piers against the prevailing tide.

When speaking in Basel, Switzerland years ago I saw a ferry which crossed the swift Rhone river. It had no engine but operated by means of its resistance to the current, guided from one side to the other along a taut steel line. Unless we attach those tender hearts of our family members to the steel line of truth, there will be little hope of their withstanding the forces pressing against them.

In India, there was a custom of throwing babies into the Ganges river as a sacrifice to the gods. If we are unwilling to do any more than merely take our children to church, we might as well be throwing them into the river of the culture. This is an explanation why many children of Christian parents are so often no different than the world’s. They have been given to the gods by their parents — thrown in with hands of neglect.

WHAT ARE THE BASICS?

There are three aspects of family worship that I find important: singing, the reading of the Word, and prayer, or as one friend puts it Song, Scripture, and Supplication.

Singing. Not every home is musical, but every attempt should be made to incorporate singing into the daily worship experience. We have been concerned that a whole generation of children are growing up without Christian hymnody. Therefore, we taught our children the best hymns of the faith. In fact, I used to give my children three dollars for every hymn they learn!

We preferred the hymns written by the theologians and pastors of earlier days (Watts, Wesley, Newton, Doddridge, etc.) since the theology is better. Some new authors are providing hymns and spiritual songs that are also valuable. A mixture is best. The “gospel hall songs,” however, written by the crusade musicians of the 19th century are often trite and less God-exalting, even though some believers are romantically attached to them.

I got the idea of paying money for learning hymns from Charles Spurgeon, the 19th-century pastor of London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle.

My grandfather was very fond of Dr. Watt’s hymns, and my grandmother, wishing to get me to learn them, promised me a penny for each one that I should say to her perfectly. I found it an easy and pleasant method of earning money, and learned them so fast that grandmother said she must reduce the price to a halfpenny each, and afterwards to a farthing, if she did not mean to be quite ruined by her extravagance. There is no telling how low the amount per hymn might have sunk, but grandfather said that he was getting overrun with rats, and offered me a shilling a dozen for all I could kill. I found, at the time, that the occupation of rat-catching paid me better than learning hymns, but I know which employment has been the more permanently profitable to me. No matter on what topic I am preaching, I can even now, in the middle of any sermon, quote some verse of a hymn in harmony with the subject. The hymns have remained with me, while those old rats for years have passed away, and the shillings I earned by killing them have been spent long ago.

Reading the Word. Though there are uses for devotional books of various types, they are best as a supplement and not a substitute for the Bible. My preference was to stick with reading the Bible as our main diet during family worship. Occasionally you may wish to add a chapter day by day of a Christian biography, while still giving the Bible the center stage. Use other helps at bedtime, or as a supplement, if helpful, but drink the “pure milk of the Word” during family worship. We found that reading a chapter each day was best, and always completing the book we began.

You will find the Bible engaging enough on its own, and often a launching place for discussion about many things. For instance, what better place can you find to learn about sexuality than from Scripture? Don’t be afraid of the less-than-perfect characters you will meet in the Bible. They are included for our instruction. Use the examples, good and bad, to talk about those forgotten virtues of integrity, honesty, faithfulness, etc. Bring out the nature of sin and the beauties of the gospel, heaven and hell.

When the children are young, or the family is new to the faith, go over and over the story portions of the Bible. Begin with Mark, and then read the other gospels, Genesis, Exodus, the two Samuels, Kings and Chronicles, Ruth, Esther, Acts, etc. This will give them the history of the Bible as a great redemption drama. Later they can handle the teaching portions better.

Though the morning is by far the best time for family worship, you may not find it workable. You may wish to take the mealtime most attended by all your family. Have the Bible set beside the father’s place as part of the table setting. Then, after the meal, but before any dishes are moved off the table, worship together. Do it faithfully, even when someone must be absent.

Family prayers. Are your children unused to seeing prayers answered. Why? It is often because we don’t pray very specifically. Also, when we see the answer come in, it is important to make something of it.

I preferred to talk with the family about some of our needs and then assign each of us something to pray about. I usually accompanied this with an encouragement that God has been answering our prayers and that we all should pray silently while another is wording our request. There is nothing more beautiful than the sincere request of children.

Keeping this time fresh will be your hardest task. Sometimes you may wish to put requests into a basket and let each person draw one out. Seek ways to make this time better. When the children are young, however, family worship should not be long and tedious for them. They will learn best by degrees.

Some families will keep up the tradition of family worship throughout the family’s life together. Others will find other ways to encourage the intake of the Bible and prayer as the family matures. How we do it is a matter of personal choice. God has not commanded daily family worship as I have outlined it, but He does intend for each believing member of the home to grow by means of the Bible and to pray. It is the parent’s job to encourage this practice and to be the primary example for their children. When children are younger and do not understand the Bible on their own, family worship seems almost indispensable as a method.

JUDGMENT DAY

Puritan Richard Mather (1596-1669), grandfather of Increase, and great grandfather of Cotton Mather, once imagined children on judgment day, speaking to their parents. His words will serve as a final sober warning that we must be more diligent to care for the souls of our children:

All this that we here suffer is through you. You should have taught us the things of God, and did not. You should have restrained us from sin and corrected us, and you did not. You were the means of our original corruption and guiltiness, and yet you never showed any competent care that we might be delivered from it. Woe unto us that we had such carnal and careless parents; and woe unto you that had no more compassion and pity to prevent the everlasting misery of your own children.

Editor’s Note: This originally published at Christian Communicators Worldwide.



A Step of Faith

By / Sep 1

This post is an excerpt from Succeeding at Seminary: 12 Keys to Getting the Most Out of Your Theological Education by Jason K. Allen. The book is out now from Moody Publishers and wherever Christian books are sold.

TRUST YOUR CALLING

If you believe and see these internal and external confirmations that God has called you to ministry, then seminary training is the next logical step. (If you remain unsettled in your calling, let me point you to my book Discerning Your Call to Ministry, which will help you gain clarity.)

If you are certain, rest in that calling. Know that God has set you apart to serve His church and to advance His gospel. He has a special ministerial plan for your life. The journey will be hard, but it will be spiritually rich and eternally consequential. You can trust your calling, friend, because you know and trust the One who issued it.

TRUST YOUR CHURCH

No call to ministry is an individual undertaking. The Holy Spirit implants the desire, but the local church assesses and affirms the calling. As Brian Croft puts it, “It is the local church that God has appointed to be the agent to test, train, affirm and send those who are called.” If your church knows you, has observed you, and has affirmed your character and gifting, you should gain confidence in your calling by remembering their confidence in your calling.

Your pastor or elders will be doubly important in this process. As you gather their support for your ministry pursuit and their affirmation for your seminary studies, it should profoundly reassure you. Trust your church, and especially those who lead it.

TRUST YOUR SPOUSE

If you’re married, the most important person in your life is your spouse. You cannot undertake ministry—or seminary training—without their support, and you should not try. Yes, it may take time, prayer, conversation, and deliberation for them to warm to the idea. This will especially be the case if God calls you midlife and your spouse is accustomed to different living circumstances.

Seminary will not just cost you money and time; it will also cost your spouse money and time. Spiritually, then, you must have spousal support. Practically, I couldn’t imagine undertaking seminary without it. Conversely, as you have his or her support, and as he or she believes in your calling and is willing to sacrifice for your ministry preparation, it should embolden you. Trust your spouse.

TRUST GOD’S WORD

From cover to cover, your Bible is true and trustworthy. It is pregnant with promises, many of which pertain to submitting to God’s will, following His call, surrendering to His plan, and pursuing His directives. Along with those promises, it should be added, come warnings for those who resist His leadership.

I encourage you to trace God’s scriptural promises related to ministry service, His care for prophets and preachers, and His assurances of blessing for those who sacrifice for Him. Do not enter seminary doubting God. Gain conviction and confidence in Him from Holy Scripture. His Word is good, and you can trust it.

TRUST YOUR SEMINARY

One sign you’re considering the right institution is that you can trust it. (If you cannot, find one you can.) You should be able to trust it at every level, especially theologically. You should also be able to trust its admissions officers, guidance counselors, financial-aid advisors, and other seminary personnel.

Of course, seminary personnel believe in their institution and are persuasive in promoting it. Admissions officers aren’t paid to talk people out of coming, after all. But upright institu- tions do not coerce. At Midwestern Seminary, we often deny or delay admission to students for spiritual, academic, or otherwise reasons. Though not the ultimate arbiters, your pursuit of seminary can be reinforced by an institution that finds you worthy of admission. Find a seminary you can trust.

TRUST THE LORD!

Finally, and most importantly, trust the Lord who called you. He promised to build His church, and He’s done so for two thousand years. He promised to raise up ministers and missionaries for His church, and He’s done so for two thousand years. The Lord’s church is unstoppable. His commitment to calling out ministers is undeterred.

If He is calling you, therefore, know you have the authority of Christ behind you, the power of Christ within you, and the message of Christ upon you. The risen Lord has never failed His church or His ministers—and He is not going to start with you.

Let me end this by dispelling a common notion that hinders many from attending seminary now. It is so easy to think the next season of life will prove simpler, less complicated, or more conducive to seminary training. For most all of us, however, that is just not the case.

Editor’s Note: This originally published at JasonKAllen.com



The Parachurch in Light of the Church

By / Aug 30

The phone conversation was going well until I asked a surprising question. I had been speaking to a missionary from an outreach organization who was soliciting a commitment of financial support from our church for his efforts, and I guess I asked something he hadn’t been asked before. Or, maybe he had been asked before and was tired of the question. In any event, I didn’t think I was coming out of left field when I asked: “In what way does your evangelistic work serve the local church?”

He could not answer right away. This fellow knew his work was valuable to the kingdom of God because it involved spreading the gospel in difficult places. But I wanted to know if those won to Christ were also won to local churches in which to be discipled. I wanted to know if converts were baptized not just into the life of Christ but into the life of the covenant community of Christ’s body. I wanted to know the church where he held his membership and the pastor or elders to whom he was in submission.

My new friend fumbled around for an answer. It turned out he was more of a “freelancer.” He had a very clear idea about how his work would benefit the Church with a capital C, the universal church. But he was less clear on how it served any particular body.

And therein lies an important matter for the future viability of many parachurch models and the churches they aim to support. But before we get too far into some potential parachurch pitfalls, we should make some clear distinctions.

The Meaning of Parachurch

While we do not clearly see the presence of what we today call the “parachurch” in the Bible, we can see some historic precedents for the parachurch in religious orders and organizations operating alongside and in service to local churches, fulfilling particular ministry endeavors and spiritual enterprises. From Christian organizations mobilized to feed the hungry to nonprofit publishing ventures, so long as there has been the church, there has seemed to be some form of the parachurch.

A parachurch organization is exactly that—an organization that operates alongside (para) the church. Parachurch organizations are groups of Christians, members of the universal church, who engage in specific areas of ministry that serve or supplement the ministry of local churches.

Really, there seem to be as many kinds of parachurch ministries as there are Christian callings. A parachurch focuses on one particular biblical ministry or vocation of the universal church, ideally to serve the local church in its primary focus to proclaim the gospel and make disciples. “Thus,” Jonathan Thigpen writes, “we could say the purpose of the parachurch is to support and enhance the work of the local church, not to replace it.”

And yet this purpose is constantly in danger of being muddied.

The Work of the Parachurch

I was sitting in the back row of a plane from Atlanta to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. A few others from my fellowship and I were on our church’s annual mission trip. It looked as though many others on the plane were on a similar mission. There must have been forty to fifty young people, mostly college students, all wearing matching T-shirts, on their way to do works of service and ministry.

Sitting near a few of these team members, I asked them where they were going and what they would be doing. It turns out that very few of them knew each other. Most of them were Christians, but some of them were probably not, my new friend told me, and they were going on the trip for reasons ranging from earning college credit to résumé padding.

It turns out that the trip was organized by a Christian parachurch organization that wasn’t very selective about who participated in its mission. The aims of the group were noble; it organized regular trips throughout the summer that focused on community service projects—relief work, mostly. But there wasn’t a concentrated gospel focus, and there was no connection at all to any local churches in Honduras. Sometimes the group worked out of a church; sometimes it didn’t. It sounded a lot like what many negatively call “missions tourism.”

Setting aside for the moment the controversial issue of the value of short-term mission trips, I was reminded of what a privilege it was to be traveling with brothers and sisters from my local church body to visit and serve another local church body in Honduras with whom we had an established, long-term relationship. We were representatives of one local church serving another local church, and this comes close to the biblical picture of missionary work.

What I learned about the other group’s approach to missionary work seems representative of so many philosophical perils in the parachurch model in general. Many times, in seeking to serve the larger church alongside her, parachurch organizations have tended to drift away from the church, even seeking to replace or neglect her. As Mack Stiles says: “The standard cliché for parachurch is that it’s not the church, but an arm of the church. Yet historically, that arm has shown a tendency to develop a mind of its own and crawl away from the body, which creates a mess.”

I have a friend who feels disillusioned with the local church. He just wants to “be the church,” he says, by going out and helping and serving. Helping and serving are unquestionably good things, and they are things the church is called to do. Loving service of our neighbors is a nonnegotiable of discipleship. But involvement in a local body of believers is also nonnegotiable. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my service-minded-but-church-neglecting friend often struggles with doubts about his faith and holds to a very superficial theology.

The parachurch is best when it serves its ministerial function in a way that honors the primary place of the local church. It’s the biggest reason I’m grateful to work at Midwestern Seminary — because “for the church” isn’t simply a slogan but our raison d’etre. When parachurch ministries seek to replace the church, however, they go off the rails and make a mess of discipleship.

For instance, some parachurch ministries on university campuses have a reputation for making converts and then winning these converts to the spiritual life of the campus ministry. This may work for a time, while the new believer is in college. But disconnected from the life of a church, discipleship often stalls out upon graduation. Sometimes the narrow focus on certain demographics cultivates an undervaluing of the multigenerational and otherwise diverse local church.

Similarly, some parachurch ministries become not just vocationally focused on a particular ministry endeavor but theologically focused so that the gospel itself can become distorted or obscured. There are plenty of examples of parachurch organizations dabbling in political engagement and “moral values” that eventually begin to equate particular political party platforms or particular moral efforts with the gospel itself, creating confusion as to what the gospel actually is.

Some parachurch organizations pride themselves on doing ministry work “so the church doesn’t have to,” or—more ruefully—”because the church isn’t doing it.” Such attitudes over time can have a detrimental effect on parachurch members, putting them at odds with or at a distance from ministry in their local church.

Conversely, many local churches have tragically seemed to adopt the singular activism of some parachurch ministries, blurring their own ecclesiological boundary lines, making themselves less a church than a parachurch. This happens when a local church becomes preoccupied with a charitable service or even evangelistic outreach in a way that distorts the biblical parameters for a local church body while at the same time obscuring more biblical markers of a healthy church such as the sacraments, biblical exposition, or biblical offices in governance.

The Future of the Parachurch

Moving forward, it would be wise for parachurch organizations to reconsider and reevaluate their relationships with and service to the local churches from which these organizations and ministries receive their workers and constituents. Recent examples demonstrate that when a parachurch pushes the gospel and its ecclesiological context from the center, it will get spiritually wobbly. When a Christian movement untethers from the local church, in other words, it often untethers from the “good deposit” with which the church is entrusted (2 Tim. 1:14).

The best parachurch organizations will continue serving the ministry of the church by supplementing her in the spread of the gospel, not just the doing of good works or the promotion of good values. The mission of the church is to make disciples of Christ, to plant and grow local churches—not local utopias. When a parachurch ministry understands this purpose and sets its efforts alongside it—in development of and in deference to the local church—the work that the ministry does will endure into eternity with the good pleasure of our heavenly Father.

The terms of the parachurch’s future must be defined by the historic and orthodox church’s gospel, not simply by its own good ideas.

(A version of this article originally appeared in Tabletalk.)



An Encouragement for Your Theological Journey from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations

By / Aug 30

Some of literature’s most loveable characters were born from Charles Dickens’ pen. From Tiny Tim to David Copperfield, Dickens has a way of developing characters that live on even when the book is closed. If ever there was a writer who embodied the ability to make readers fall in love with, feel real emotions for, and truly befriend those men and women who are not really there, it is “the Inimitable Boz.”

One such character that demands reader’s affection is Phillip Pirrip, or as he is better known, Pip, from Great Expectations.

Like many of Dickens’ protagonists, Pip is an orphaned boy who lives with his overbearing sister. Growing up in hard conditions, often alone, often mistreated, and spending his days on the marches or in a graveyard near his home, Pip dreamed of one day receiving a true education and the chance to become a “gentleman.” In today’s parlance, being a gentleman is not much to speak of—be kind to others, courteous, and maybe hold the door open for someone now and again. In Dickens’ day, however, this wasn’t the case. The word was used to describe someone who was educated, wealthy, and distinguished in society. In short, Pip wanted to trade his simple, common ways for the finer linen of a higher society.

Part of Pip’s journey towards becoming a gentleman was education. In his first few lessons, he began to read and write for the first time. This leads to an important scene towards the beginning of the novel in which Pip practices his penmanship by constructing a letter to his loving brother-in-law, and adopted father, Joe Gargery. Joe, an illiterate and uneducated blacksmith, can only read his name in the letter and becomes overjoyed at Pip’s educational development which gives way to praising the young student: “You’re a oncommon scholar,” says Joe, “oncommon” being Joe’s mispronunciation of “uncommon” and his declaration that Pip is of superb intellectual quality.

Pip, embarrassed and discontent with his state, downplays the compliment and retorts, “No, I am ignorant and backward, Joe…I have learnt next to nothing. You think much of me. It’s only that.”

It is at this juncture in the conversation that Mr. Joe Gargery espouses wisdom that is rich enough to not only encourage the fictional Pip, but all readers of Great Expectations for a hundred years to come, including me and you. Joe replies:

Well, Pip, be it so, or be it son’t, you must be a common scholar afore you can be a oncommone one, I should hope! The king upon his throne, with his crown upon his ‘ed, can’t sit and write his acts of Parliament in print, without having begun, when he were a unpromoted Prince, with the alphabet–Ah! And begun at A too, and worked his way to Z.

The advice lands on the distraught student and Pip reflects, “There was some hope in this piece of wisdom, and it rather encouraged me.”

Pip is not alone in his newfound encouragement in Joe’s advice. Sitting in a coffee shop, with Great Expectations in hand, I too found comfort in Joe’s words of wisdom. There’s a balm in Joe’s advice for the anxious soul, especially as it relates to our knowledge of the Lord.

When it comes to our knowledge of the things of God, most of us have an aspiration to advance in wisdom. We want to know our Bibles better, we want to know theology better, and most importantly, we want to know our God better. This itch we feel for advancing in theological wisdom is often agitated and compounded when comparison sets in. Our friends and peers, those who know more than we do or who have it easier in understanding Biblical or theological realities, can serve as consistent reminders of our intellectual shortcomings.

There’s always another study to do, another book to read, another lecture to attend, and the untouched and unread resources add up as evidence that you’re not smart enough, not disciplined enough, or just don’t want it bad enough. True understanding of theology always seems just out of reach and never comes within arm’s distance.

It is into this whirlwind of intellectual defeat that Mr. Gargery’s words interrupt with grace. No king on Earth ever composed a royal decree without first learning his alphabet. Likewise, no theologian ever constructed brilliant gospel-illuminating propositions without first learning Biblical building blocks.

Theology is a journey and what many of us need to hear is that where you begin on this journey is okay. Take heart, Christian, you’re not responsible for understanding all the depths of theology today; you’re called to simply be intellectually faithful. The life of the mind for the Christian is not jumping from one to ten at conversion, it is working hard to move from one to two. Your educated friends and those unfinished books on your shelf need not be signposts of your theological inadequacy. Instead, know that you’re justified by the person and work of Jesus, not how much you know about the person and work of Jesus. Out of that position of grace, with a posture of humility, you are free to begin the necessary steps of Christian intellectual faithfulness.

There is much joy to be had in the process of understanding the pages of the Bible or grasping theological concepts. We must not wish it away or miss the gift of grace along the way in our discontentment with where we are currently. God has revealed himself in such a way in which he desires to be known, and it is the great joy of the Christian to wade deeper into the waters of theological understanding.

May the encouragement of the ever-lovable Joe Gargery motivate us to abandon our intellectual embarrassment and enable us, wherever we may be on our theological journey, to take up and read.



The Apostle’s Creed: Humble Beginnings and the Rule of Faith

By / Aug 28

The Apostles’ Creed is a summary confession of vital Christian doctrines used liturgically throughout the Western church. It was once believed that the Creed originated with the apostles on or around Pentecost, but now most historians reject this view, seeing the Creed as containing the apostolic faith while not actually having been written by the apostles themselves.

The Background to the Apostles’ Creed

How did the Creed originate? First, it is important to recognize that creedal formulations are common in holy Scripture. The Hebrew shema of Deuteronomy 6:4 was itself a kind of confessional statement used daily by pious Hebrews. The language of 1 Corinthians 15 is creedal, where Paul mentions the transmission of the gospel message which he received and passed on to the Corinthians.[1] Brief summaries of the faith were used devotionally and liturgically under the old covenant, and later among the apostles. It makes sense then that the church would adopt this custom.

In the post-apostolic period, the need for clear and concise articulations of the faith was due in part to the rapid growth of the church throughout the first few centuries of her existence. It is widely believed that the Apostles’ Creed evolved as a kind of baptismal confession. The articles in the Creed were the elementary principles of the faith which the catechumenate – think ancient new members class – were instructed in prior to being baptized. After a period of learning, they would confess the Creed and then receive the sacrament.The foundational doctrines taught to new converts centered on Christ, repentance, faith toward God, instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Click To Tweet

Does this ancient Creed really contain the apostolic “ABC’s” which the first Christians taught initiates? Yes! Consider what the author to the Hebrews said,

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (Heb. 6:1-2)

From as early as Hebrews was written, the foundational doctrines taught to new converts centered on Christ, repentance, faith toward God, instruction about washings (perhaps an allusion to sacramental theology?), the laying on of hands (ordination and ecclesiology?), the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. These fundamental teachings (all of which are present in the Apostles’ Creed) made up what the Fathers referred to as the regula fidei, or Rule of Faith. Men like Irenaeus and Tertullian believed this Rule had come down from the apostles, and that they were passing the baton to subsequent generations. The holy deposit of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ”[2] matured into creeds like the Apostles’ Creed between the 4th and 6th centuries, although each article of the Creed traces its lineage to the earlier teachings of Scripture.

The Articles of the Apostles’ Creed

The Creed puts forward twelve articles of faith (at one point it was believed that each apostle had contributed an article), and there are three main sections in the Creed. The first section begins with God the Father, and the work of creation; the second with Jesus Christ, and the work of redemption; and the third with the Holy Spirit, and the work of sanctification.[3]

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

Throughout the history of the church, commentators on the Creed have begun by defining what it means to believe. Belief includes assent (i.e. agreeing with or approval of), but it isn’t exhausted by it. The Creed isn’t simply a set of propositions for us to say “amen” to, but the faith once for all delivered to the saints through which we experience communion with God and one another. In explaining what it means to believe, 16th century theologian Caspar Olevian wrote, “Faith is to acknowledge and rest in the unchangeable will of God, namely; that He will graciously give us the salvation promised through the prophets and presented in reality through Christ, as the Articles of the Faith testify.”[4] Biblical belief lays hold of faith’s content and makes it ones own.Belief includes assent (i.e. agreeing with or approval of), but it isn’t exhausted by it. Click To Tweet

The first object of our faith in the Creed is God the Almighty Father. He is a Father in two senses, first, by his personal relationship to the Word, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Because the Word is eternally begotten, the Father is always Father. Second, as to our adoption through Christ, he is the Father of all the faithful. Christ who is by nature the Son of the Father, makes us sons and daughters by grace (Jn. 20:17; Gal. 4:4-5; Eph. 1:5).

The emphasis on God’s creative majesty echoes the opening line of Genesis, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” We confess God as Cosmic-King without rival who made everything from nothing. This is hinted at by the identification of God as almighty. St. Augustine noted that the creation of the world ex nihilo (from nothing) reveals to us the absolute independence of God. “For granting that he is almighty, there cannot exist anything of which he should not be the Creator.”[5]

Embedded in this identification of God as Creator is also his providential rule over creation. The One God and Father who made all things is also intimately involved with the world he made, down to the seemingly insignificant occurrences of life (Prov. 16:33; Mt. 10:29).[6] This first section is a comfort to the church in that it introduces us to the God who not only rules over all, but cares for his creation.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

[1] The Greek word used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3, paradidomi was often used to describe the transmission of written tradition or creedal statements (See 1 Corinthians 11:2, 23; Romans 6:17; Jude 1:3).

[2] See Pelikan, Jaroslav The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition, 117.

[3] See Heidelberg Catechism question 24.

[4] Olevian, Caspar An Exposition of the Apostle’s Creed.

[5] See Augustine, De Fide et Symbolo, Ch. 2

[6] For an edifying discussion on this, see Olevian’s Exposition where he gives five key takeaways from God’s providence: 1) It highlights God’s intimate involvement in the world. 2) It reveals that everything tends toward the salvation of God’s elect. 3) It reveals God’s control over the actions of those around us. 4) It reveals God’s control over the angelic realm. 5) It encourages the use of God’s appointed means for growing in grace, rather than a fatalistic laziness.

Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared at the Credo Magazine blog and is used with permission. 



Corporate Worship: A Book Review

By / Aug 28

Matt Merker wrote Corporate Worship because he knows that there is a connection between who the congregation sees themself to be and how they worship as a church. In order to do understand corporate worship, “we must understand the local church. When we approach the Sunday service with a biblical view of the church body, it transforms how we engage in gathered worship.” (p.26).

So, who is the church? Merker states that it is, “an assembly of blood-bought, Spirit-filled worshipers who build one another up by God’s Word and affirm one another as citizens of Christ’s kingdom through the ordinances” (p.35). He then takes the reader through several implications this has on worship. After understanding of who the church is, he addresses a vital question: must we gather together? While we do have commands from the Scriptures to consider, Merker namely focuses on the beauty of a gathered assembly of believers. “Just as the sight of his bride makes a groom’s heart swell with love, church members should overflow with affection for one another when they behold the assembly” (p.51). Moreover, we can fully behold the beauty of the church when we dwell on God’s miraculous work of bringing us together: “to put it as strongly as possible, worship is God’s work first before it is ours. God the Father grants us to honor him in and through our mediator, God the Son, by the power of God the Spirit. Our worship originates in the triune God and resounds to the eternal glory of the triune God” (p.55).

Therefore, knowing that we are God’s people called to assemble together, what must we do? There are three key purposes for our church gatherings: first, to his glory (vertical); second, for our mutual good (horizontal); finally, to be put before the world’s gaze (evangelism). The church primarily gathers to glorify God, and there are particular ways we can do this when we meet as a church (more to come on that later). A close second place to this is the opportunity to gather so that we take the Bible’s commands seriously by singing to one another and encouraging one another to give thanks to God (Ephesians 2:18-21). Lastly, our gatherings should have a sense of evangelism to them. We can anticipate that unbelievers will come marvel at this diverse group of people, and this book provides many ways for the church and its leaders to make the unbeliever welcome in our midst.

With the nature of the church and its purposes understood, the focus of the book turns towards corporate worship. Merker begins by laying out arguments for the regulative principle, and he gives a concise case for why churches ought to abide by it. Additionally, he uses some case studies to see how following the regulative principle can safe guard the church. This comes in full view with an example of a Sunday gathering where he breaks down the elements of worship and their respective order. Even more importantly, the book finishes by showing the necessary elements of a worship gathering. The foundations of this book are solid, and for this reason Merker can then display the implications of having a God-centered, corporate, worship gathering with the saints of your local body.

For me, these chapters were glorious reminders of why I need to hear the Scriptures read and preached, why I need to pray and sing with the church, and why we observe Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. He writes in a manner that is understandable to introduce all of these elements, but even for one who thinks about these things often, these chapters enriched my love for God’s people. Additionally, I felt cared for and loved by our Chief Shepherd because he has revealed himself to us so that we might gather together in an orderly manner to worship Him and edify the saints.

The final chapter on congregational singing caused me to wonder why I so often listen to the ‘Together for the Gospel’ albums from past conferences. I have often thought to myself, “why do I like this music? What draws me to it time and again?” For an untalented vocalists as myself, I realized, thanks to this book, that it is because they are songs that I can sing! As Christians, we are called to sing to God and to one another, and songs such as these allowed me to do so by means of their basic melody and profound lyrics. I stopped thinking about myself and focused on the gorgeous harmony of the voices around the room that I hear on Sunday. “As new converts and mature saints harmonize together, the church becomes a seminary in which all of us are simultaneously professors and students” (p.137).

On a brief note for any who might seek Merker’s help in considering what type of songs we should sing on Sunday, I applaud Merker for allotting only one paragraph to this section. He has made this a more timeless piece by not getting too detailed on this argument; rather, he urges elders to use wisdom to care for the flock by ensuring that the songs they are choosing are teaching the body appropriately.

Matt Merker has made a wonderful contribution to the church by making one dwell on the glory of God before emphasizing how we are called to worship Him. He certainly has a specific aim of upholding the need for the whole congregation to participate in the gathering, and this is a book that the saints need to read so that they are spurred on to gather as a local church. God has called you as an individual to commit yourself to a body of believers, and he has required certain elements in this worship. I hope this book encourages you to go be the church this Sunday as you “read the Bible, preach the Bible, pray the Bible, sing the Bible, and see the Bible (visibly depicted in the ordinance of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper)” (p.14).



Dan Darling on Parachurch Ministries

By / Aug 27

We asked Dan Darling, “How should a church decide which, if any, parachurch ministries to support?”



On Consecutive Exposition

By / Aug 27

“People have short attention spans. So you really do long series through books anymore. People will check out on you after four to six sermons.”

This authoritative claim is simply not true. People are hungry for the word of God. Consecutive exposition both satisfies people’s hunger for scripture and shapes it. Expository preaching is an acquired taste. Before people get it they don’t know what they are missing. But when they get it they don’t want anything else.

Consecutive exposition is not the only way to preach faithfully. Jesus did not preach that way. Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, did not preach consecutively through scripture. And I never heard my father do it growing up. Yet I contend that consecutive exposition – preaching through a book of the Bible from beginning to end – is the most faithful way to preach.

Many preachers reject consecutive exposition for various reasons But the main issue may simply be that its hard work. But the hard work of consecutive exposition is worth it for the following reasons.

It helps you to understand the word of God better. We encourage our people to read through the Bible, convinced that it is essential for their growth in Christ (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Even the Bible reading plans we use are organized to help us read through scripture. Why do we hesitate to study and preach this way? We rob ourselves when we treat scripture as a topical reference guide. But it is to our benefit to follow the complete train of thought of the scripture in its context, rather than lifting selected verses at our discretion.

It models contextual Bible study for the congregation. We study to preach. We also model study as we preach. The way we handle scripture in the pulpit exemplifies how to study the Bible, for good or bad. A constant diet of random scriptures gives the wrong impression about how to approach scripture. There is nothing wrong with looking to the Bible for answers to topics. But you should also let the Bible raise the questions through texts. Consecutive exposition is a platform to demonstrate proper Bible interpretation.

It keeps you from overemphasizing your favorite topics. We all have particular books of the Bible we enjoy preaching. We gravitate toward select doctrines. Certain subjects light our fire. But these must not be the extent of the menu we feed our people. We must declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:26-27). Consecutive exposition ensures your congregation is properly exposed to the unfamiliar texts, obscure personalities, and unpopular truths of the Bible they need to hear.

It demonstrates the sufficiency of scripture. The world continues to does not hold to the inspiration of scripture. But the church has laid aside the sufficiency of scripture. We lack true confidence in the word of God. We almost apologize for it, constantly seeking to “make it relevant.” But if scripture is not inherently relevant, you cannot make it so. Preaching through a book of the Bible can show the organic relevance of scripture to your congregation as you tackle neglected texts that teach life-changing truths.

It forces you to address difficult subjects and passages. Without consecutive exposition, there are some things we will never preach on. We avoid some texts. And we never think to discuss certain subjects. But working through a book of the Bible causes you to cover neglected but important truths. It also protects you from the accusation that you are meddling in your sermons. If a difficult word is preached, your defense is that you were only working with the text that was in front of you.

It makes it easy to plan your preaching in advance. How can you be consistent and effective on Sunday morning if you don’t know what you are going to preach on until Thursday? You need to have a plan that allows you to get an early start, or even work ahead. Consecutive preaching is tailored for this. Start by outlining the book for preaching. Then move on to the next text from week to week. If you are moved to preach something else, do it. Then get back to your exposition. And take advantage of the extra time having a preaching schedule gives you.

It is a practical way to build an expositors library. If you are a new pastor, you probably cannot afford to aggressively build your library. You have to do it slowly and carefully. In that regard, jumping from text to text can be expensive, if you try to secure helpful research tools. But as you preach through a book, you can select the best available works on the book. Work through them as you preach the book. And wait to secure other materials when preparation for the next series requires it.

Editor’s Note: This originally published at HBCharlesJr.com.



Christianity Can Be the Safest Space for Truth-Seeking Intellectuals

By / Aug 26

Free thinking, fearlessly open dialogue, a willingness to voice unpopular ideas: these are increasingly endangered species in a society ever more surveilled by Orwellian thought police. A new, fundamentalistic secular religion has emerged, with tenets that demand total adherence. To question the logic of any aspect of this secular creed—for example, a statement like “transgender women are women”—is to be branded a hateful heretic. Books that logically challenge prevailing orthodoxies are being banned by Amazon. There are countless more examples.

You know it’s bad when atheist hero Richard Dawkins is disowned by an atheist organization (which explicitly defines its purpose as including advocacy for “freethinkers”) over a tweet where he (very cogently) questioned the new orthodoxy on transgenderism. Rather than engaging Dawkins’s entirely reasonable tweet on its own terms, the American Humanist Association saw it as grounds for retroactive cancellation. Nothing says “advocacy for freethinkers” like canceling someone for a thought that goes against the grain.

In a strange twist, Christianity—long accused of being narrow-minded, anti-intellectual, and afraid of difficult questions—has the potential to fill a growing void in Western culture. In a world where we increasingly walk on eggshells—unsure when, if, and how we’re allowed to speak publicly on contested issues—Christianity can become a grace-filled haven for curious questioners, doubting dissidents, and anyone seeking truth in a world where partisan narratives take precedence.

In short, Christianity has an opportunity to again become the most fertile intellectual ground—as it was for most of the last 2,000 years (until fairly recently). Why? Because a truly fruitful intellectual culture must be built on unshakeable, transcendent foundations—which Christianity has in God’s Word. Without this, all discourse about “truth” is arbitrary and devolves into power struggles. All claims become mere ammo for inflicting injury on one identity or another, rather than bricks for building in a shared intellectual project.

Scriptural Foundation Should Inspire Intellectual Curiosity

The secular approach to discourse results only in deconstruction—as we’re seeing. With no ability to gain consensus on truth, secularism can only cancel, condemn, ban, silence. It’s fundamentally destructive. But the Christian approach can be constructive because there’s a solid foundation on which to build. This is why, in my “Wisdom Pyramid” rubric, Scripture is the foundation. God’s infallible Word functions both as a horizontal, “solid ground” foundation and as vertical scaffolding, keeping the structures above it rightly ordered. We can build knowledge using all sorts of materials—books, the arts, nature/science, reason, community, lived experience—but none of it will be structurally sound, in the end, unless it is built on an unshakable foundation.

God’s objective, transcendent, true-for-everyone Truth is not a constricting, check-your-brain-at-the-door truth. It’s a liberating, world-expanding, galvanizing, purposeful truth that gives a common vocabulary and telos for intellectual pursuits. As Jesus says, it’s the truth that “will set you free” (John 8:32). This liberating truth is what inspired the founding and flourishing of Oxford, Harvard, and most of the great universities. It’s the truth that undergirded the world-changing discoveries and revolutionary ideas of Johannes Kepler, Nicholas Copernicus, Blaise Pascal, Isaac Newton, and many others. It’s the truth that, for countless artists, writers, and philosophers, provided life-giving illumination and impetus to explore.

As C. S. Lewis famously said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it but because by it, I see everything else.”

God’s Word is the settled truth that unsettles our intellectual complacency and compels us to plumb the world’s mysterious depths. It’s a framework through which we can read and study widely and know how to evaluate the relative merits of an idea. It gives us bearings to navigate a fallen world glutted with ideas—some true, some false—in a way that doesn’t turn into a nomadic, frustrating wander.

Challenges for the Church

In recent history, though, many Christians have failed to see Scripture as the catalyst it should be for profound intellectual energy and curiosity—and that’s a scandal.

Christians should remember, as R. C. Sproul pointed out, sola scriptura does not mean the Bible is the only authority for the Christian, but that it’s the only infallible authority. In our intellectual wrestling we should certainly start with Scripture, but we need not stop there. The Bible’s infallibility frees us to learn from, and critically evaluate, mankind’s fallible creations. For this reason, biblically literate Christian communities should be the most intellectually fertile communities on earth. That this thought sounds audacious demonstrates how far we’ve strayed from the intellectual richness of Christian history.

Still, our cultural moment presents the church with an opportunity. Most university campuses are now homogenous monoliths of speech codes and groupthink. Far from fruitful spaces of idea exchange, our social-media “commons” have become frightful fields of landmines where one contrarian step—as Richard Dawkins found out—can trigger a reputational bomb. What if churches and Christian institutions became the most exciting, grace-filled spaces of intellectual vibrancy?

It’ll take some work. But here are three practical suggestions toward this end.

1. Welcome Hard Questions

Many raised-in-the-church young people embark on deconstruction journeys outside of the church, because they assume church is not a safe place to doubt. “Can I ask this question in my church?” is a common, sadly often justified fear. Too many churches and Christian communities have stigmatized doubt, discouraged questions, or shied away from difficult doctrines. This is not good! If the church is to recover a vibrant intellectual culture, the recovery must include a willingness to be a safe place for hard questions. As Karen Swallow Prior rightly points out in TGC’s new book, Before You Lose Your Faith, “The right questions asked in the right way can only lead to truth—and the Truth. Before you deconstruct your faith, know that there is no question too hard for Christianity.”

Remember, we have the tools for intellectual construction whereas the world is only equipped for deconstruction. We should foster environments where the smart kids, the curious artists, the scientists, and the “freethinkers” feel welcome and—perhaps more than anywhere else in the world—inspired. Let the world be in the business of de-platforming, disinviting, and shutting down debate. Christianity should invite it. What are we afraid of? God’s truth is infinitely solid and can stand up to all the scrutiny we measly humans can muster. The more good faith, God-fearing questions (Prov. 9:10), the more opportunity we all have to excavate more layers—and unearth more treasures—of God’s truth.

2. Model Charitable Disagreement on “Second Things”

I’m not suggesting Christians become so intellectually tolerant and “open minded” that we never “close our minds” on settled truths clear in God’s Word. The intellectual vibrancy of the faith depends on clearheaded consensus on indisputable “first things,” which orthodox Christians have believed for thousands of years. Intellectual health in the church does not require fetishizing “conversation” as an end to itself, or giving platform to heresy and clearly unorthodox ideas.

But healthier debates and open explorations of “second things” are where we can do better. Gen Z is looking at the discourse happening among their Christian elders, and what they see is no different than anything else on Twitter: petty name-calling, logical fallacies, and tribalistic jingoism (Woke! CRT! Patriarchy! White supremacy!) that forestalls fruitful conversation. We must model better how to have real, substantive, charitable debate where the ideas can be sharp but the tone soft, where fears of reprisal are removed because it’s clear we’re all just trying to find the truth together, in community, for the glory of God.

Of course, even determining “first” from “second” level issues is a matter of heated debate right now. Theological triage is a crucial and challenging pastoral task. But that just means it’s another conversation we should have, together, without fear. Let’s have it.

3. Cultivate Curiosity and Critical Thinking

“Free thinking” is not synonymous with boundary-less, anything-goes, right-in-my-own-eyes thinking. Truly free thinking is liberated by a foundation of transcendent truth that empowers exploration and what my colleague Chris Colquitt calls sanctified individualism: “grounded in the external Word of God and connected to Christian community, but always ready to stand alone.”

Christians are well positioned to be the freest thinkers in the world. Free from the shackles of partisan agendas that relativize truth. Free from the aimlessness of total subjectivity. Free to go against the spirit of the age where it conflicts with the Word of the Lord. Free to affirm aspects of the zeitgeist where we can, and oppose it where we must. Free to encounter any given thing (a book, a film, a lecture, an argument) with eyes to see both what is true and false, learning from the former while discarding or challenging the latter.

But this is a very rare thing in today’s world (and not just in the church): the ability to appreciate and grapple with a work that contains both helpful and harmful ideas—and yet find it still worthwhile. Too often we thoughtlessly buy into everything in a book, for example, or we thoughtlessly dismiss everything (or just refuse to read it). But most books—authored as they are by fallible humans—are a mixed bag of right and wrong. Thoughtful people are equipped to sift through these mixed bags and gather the pearls.

Christians, can we be these thoughtful people?

Haven for Thoughtful People

There are few safe havens for thoughtful people in today’s world; few forums where curious folks and creative thinkers feel comfortable enough voicing certain questions or contrarian thoughts. Church, let’s seize this opportunity, inviting our secular neighbors into what once was, and can be again, the world’s most electrifying intellectual community.

Have a question that can’t be uttered on Twitter? You can utter it here. Care more about discovering truth than pleasing a tribe? So do we. Richard Dawkins? Come, have a conversation with us. We might agree at times and disagree at others, but—out of love for you and love for the truth—we aren’t afraid of what you have to say.

Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared at The Gospel Coalition website and is used with permission.



Five Reasons to Pastor an Old Church, Even With All Its Problems

By / Aug 26

Driving a new car is way more exciting than climbing into your 15-year-old jalopy, and walking into a new house is far more gratifying than coming home to your old fixer-upper with its honey-do list. So I get it: starting a new church is exciting, especially when compared to taking an established church with all its problems.

Sure enough, church planting has seemed to be all the rage for the last twenty years. But I want to take just a moment to offer five reasons that aspiring and existing pastors should consider before deciding to plant.

Five Reasons to Pastor a Church That Already Exists

1. Many established churches eagerly desire a vocational pastor.

I live in East Texas, and I know several churches without a senior pastor. Simply put, these churches are ripe for the picking. You don’t have to form a core team, you don’t need to raise funds, you don’t need to persuade a commissioning agency, and you don’t even need to figure out where you’re going to meet for the next six months. Everything and everyone are assembled and waiting.

2. Speaking of meeting space, most established churches have buildings.

Many of these buildings include a main auditorium, some classroom and small-group space, and even a pastor’s office. And guess what? These churches often have little-to-no debt!

Let’s return to my car analogy. Your dream Corvette might look and sound better than my 2007 Nissan Murano, but my loan is paid off completely and my insurance is cheap. Your payments, meanwhile . . .

In other words, a church enjoys stability by owning its own property.

3. Established churches tend to have older members.

Generally speaking, older Christians bring some welcome strengths to the table. They’re often faithful attenders, generous givers, and committed members. I’ve been in ministry since 2012, and I’ve had to remind many under-50 church members about the importance of being present on Sundays. With older members, I usually have to help them not to feel so guilty about sometimes being absent.

4. Established churches are often full of under-taught and undiscipled sheep for whom Christ died.

Pastors have many important responsibilities. One of them is to work to present mature Christians to their Savior and Master (Col. 1:28).

Before I served as a local church pastor, I worked as a vocational evangelist. I loved it. There was nothing like watching someone appear to understand and believe the gospel for the first time. But I said “there was” for a reason. I feel that same joy when I watch long-time Christians spiritually grow right before my eyes. These days, and much to my surprise, I’m more compelled by a persevering saint finally entering glory than by an initial profession of faith. (Though both are wonderful!)

5. Established churches really can get healthier.

Many older churches have become entrenched in unbiblical traditions. Over time, they’ve slid into familiar customs and have grown resistant to change. These churches need help. They need patient pastors who are willing to explain what they need to do to change not through force of personality but through the clear witness of Scripture. To be sure, it’s probably easier and less stressful to simply leave these incredulous churches behind. But they need help! Furthermore, these churches really can get healthier. But for that to happen, they need faithful pastors.

Conclusion

If you’re an aspiring pastor, you may think your best route is church planting—and you may be right. But allow me to push you to at least consider the benefits and joys of investing your time and energy into an established church. You might find that you’ll be better resourced, better funded, and just as fruitful.

If you’re an older pastor, perhaps you’ve got years of experience and ten to fifteen years left in you. You might serve Christ best by staying right where you are. But I wonder if you might be just the pastor a dying church needs to lead her back to health and vitality.

May God help us all to serve him well wherever we are.

Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared at the 9Marks blog and is used with permission.