Church planting isn’t just preaching the word

This one is all about the reality, rather than the ideal, of church planting. It makes some observations about reality on the ground and then the makes an important point about what reality means for planting in certain places.

You are a burden

‘Allow yourself to be a burden. Allow yourself to be burdened by others. You aren’t responsible for them, sure, but you can give of yourself to help and comfort those who need it today.’

Don’t preach a commentary

This one is absolutely right. An ever present danger and temptation for preachers that we must resist.

Dumb church

Steve McAlpine looks at the growing rise in ‘dumb phone’ usage and draws a parallel with our churches, noting that some have grown tired and are looking for something more sustainable. My worm’s eye view on this issue reckons he is about right.

Welcome one another

‘Too often we are only willing to show acceptance to a select few. In our flesh, we have the propensity of befriending only those in whom we think we see virtues that we believe are in ourselves or that we wish were true about ourselves. We convince ourselves that we only have to accept those with similar values or perceived virtues. This, however, is not acceptance—it’s affinity. While teaching His disciples this principle, our Savior [sic] asked, “If you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Even the tax collectors do so” (Matt. 5:47).’

What Are the Keys of the Kingdom? (video)

Jonathan Leeman helps us understand Matthew 16:19 and answers this one.

From the archive: Everything has cultural implications

‘If something as basic as where you sit can have cultural implications, just think of the wealth of other stuff we do within the church too that are also culturally bound. Almost everything we do has cultural implications and, if that’s true, everything we do will communicate something culturally.’