Show up!
‘Folks attending the membership class at our church are often surprised at the emphasis we place on attending our Lord’s Day gathering. However gifted someone might be at talking to teenagers or working on the website, we insist their presence at corporate worship is a far more essential and significant way to serve the flock. This priority isn’t just a particular quirk of our church; it should be a biblical priority for every church.’
The church is still the bride of Christ
‘Imagine turning up at a wedding, heading towards the groom and telling him he was a great mate, a general all round good guy and your favourite friend. Then after a short pause you tell him “but your bride is a hideous troll isn’t she. Can’t stand her mate.” A few minutes later you find yourself ejected out of the wedding, not sure what has gone wrong. You don’t understand why your mate responded the way he did. After all, you had told him how much you liked him.’
Character matters
‘My desire, as I get older, is that I become holier, not just in the big moments, but in the small moments too, the moments when nobody’s looking, when I’m tempted to be impatient or unkind. It’s in those moments that the real me comes out. I don’t expect I’ll ever be perfect — who is? — but I want to be transformed so that my character brings glory to Christ and is in line with the gospel I preach.’
What was God’s purpose in the cross?
As it’s Easter, we would be remiss not to ask this question. What was God intending to do through the cross?
What is the historical evidence that Jesus rose from the dead?
Also because it’s Easter, this one is important too. Justin Taylor lays out the historical evidence for the resurrection.
Only the fact of Jesus’ resurrection allows us to grieve with hope
On a similar note, John Stevens contrasts the resurrection story with two TV shows and explains why it is the only one that offers any real hope in the face of death.
From the archive: Is Easter a rehash of pagan myths about Osiris and Horus?
‘Few Ancient Historians or New Testament scholars defend the suggestion that early Christianity was plagiarising pagan mythology. The suggestions were popular in the late 19th and early 20th century, principally stemming from Germany, but didn’t last very long. It is widely recognised that Jesus and the Apostles were Jewish and ought to be understood within that cultural context. Here is William Lane Craig making the point.’