"Watch your life and doctrine closely"
If he hurried, there would still be time. Word had gotten to Jesus that Lazarus was ill, possibly near death, and Jesus could make it if he left right away. But, he didn’t. In fact, he waited two days (John 11). Why did Jesus wait? Shouldn’t he have hurried to get to the friends he…
Satan is crafty and sin is deceptive. The book of Proverbs teaches that “there is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way to death” (14:12, 16:25). Like putting makeup on a pig, sin disguises itself so we don’t see its true nature. It slowly lures us to its desired…
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are sons of God (Romans 8:14). What comes to mind when someone says they are Spirit-led? Your answer will likely depend on your experience and what you’ve been taught. For some, it will conjure up images of some highly emotional experience. Others might…
Do you not care that we are perishing? It was a bold, yet understandable question. It’s one we might be too afraid to ask God explicitly, but one we ponder in the depth of our heart. Jesus and the disciples were in the boat together when the great storm arose (Mark 4:35-41). The wind violently…
It seems we only hear about the church in the news during a new scandal or some moral failing. These are certainly problems that need to be addressed, but let us not forget there is much beauty within the body of Christ that doesn’t make headlines. The church is a unique institution set up by…
My son and I enjoy hunting together, and if we have a successful season we have enough meat to feed our family all year. On one occasion, we were walking back to the truck bundled up in camo on a cold night. He said something to me and I quickly snapped back at him. Later,…
Last year, my family and I enjoyed some vacation time at the beach. After finding a place to put our towels, my oldest son and I jumped into the ocean to go body surfing. Fifteen minutes later, I looked up to find my wife—but nothing on the beach looked familiar. I thought I was still…
According to the Southern Baptists Convention’s website, there are 15,005,638 members of SBC churches in our country. However, weekly attendance is only 5,320,488. If those numbers are correct, then only a third of our members attend church each week. What’s going on with these numbers? While there are many contributing factors, it certainly shows that…
We continue to look at marks of a healthy church that are seldom emphasized today. Using 9 Marks of a Healthy Church as our guide, we’ve examined expository preaching, biblical theology, the gospel, and a Biblical understanding of conversion. Today, we’ll look at the next mark: a biblical understanding of evangelism. Five Things Often Confused as…
A few weeks ago we began looking at the distinguishing marks of a healthy church. People typically determine the “success” of a church by numbers, programs, or budget. However, we must ask ourselves if the Bible focuses on such qualities. In 9 Marks of a Healthy Church, Mark Dever looks at nine marks that are…