The Hardest Battle In Ministry (via Jeff Robinson)
This is the battle every Christian fights, and it’s the hardest battle in ministry: the battle against yourself. From Jeff Robinson: The ministry is a lot like golf. You really are your own worst...
View ArticleSuffering Is Never Alone (via Paul Tripp)
Paul Tripp reflects on his own season of chronic illness, a situation that has left him with ongoing physical challenges. The greatest challenge though, is not physical, it is spiritual. You never come...
View ArticleChristlikeness Is Something To Long For, Not Be Delivered From (via Randy...
Randy Alcorn is supporting his wife, Nanci, through her season of cancer. God is supporting them both. He writes about the experience of God using the very situations that nobody wants as the...
View ArticleGoing Back Where The Church Belongs (via J.A. Medders)
A post in which J.A. Medders points out that any sentimental, nostalgic appeal to become more like the early church is not the solution to the church’s current problems and challenges. After all, much...
View ArticleLove God, Love People, Preach The Word And Make Disciples (via Karl Vaters)
Karl Vaters observes that there are plenty of extras that commend themselves as necessary for congregations to grow in the ministry and mission. Rather than focus on these, he commends local churches...
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On The Public Reading Of Scripture (via Stephen Presley)
In addition to reading the section of the Bible on which that week’s sermon is based, at MGPC we also sequentially read about one chapter a week from another book of the Bible. We do this as an...
View ArticleThe Absurd Improbability Of Life Before Death (via Stephen Freeman)
Stephen Freeman writes about a perspective on life that resonates with the current study of Ecclesiastes that we’re doing at MGPC. It may be existential despair, but it points to the one in whom there...
View ArticleLooking At Problems From Heaven’s Perspective (via Joni Eareckson Tada)
Joni Eareckson Tada is well known as a Christian how ministers from a life experience as a paraplegic. In an article taken from her book Heaven she recounts a situation where, after another painful...
View ArticleGrowing New Instead Of Growing Old (via Abigail Dodds at Gospel Coalition)
Abigail Dodds writes an article that directly addresses women, but speaks to the experience of every Christian. She contends that increasing age should represent a growth in more that the number of...
View ArticleChurch Is A Slow-Cooker, Not A Microwave (via Aaron Earles at Facts And Trends)
A simple reminder from Aaron Earles that the a very significant part of the enduring fruit of Christian discipleship happens in the context of relationships and takes time. The conclusion: Because...
View ArticleThe Hardest Thing For Anyone To Swallow, Especially The Winners, Especially...
A post at Mockingbird by Duo Dickenson that contains phrase after phrase that I turn over and over in my mind. But later, for many of us, maybe most, who have defined ourselves not by love but by...
View ArticleSeeing Bruised Reeds And Smouldering Wicks As Jesus Sees Us (via Tim Counts)
Tim Counts reminds us of the way Jesus looks at people, the way he looks at us, the way we should look at those around us. Isaiah, in his expressive word pictures and poetic prophecy, describes hurting...
View ArticleThe Day Jesus Said “I’ve Got This” (via Stephen McAlpine)
Stop whatever you’re doing and read Stephen McAlpine’s post The Day Jesus Said “I’ve Got This”. No excerpts, no quotes, the whole thing is a highlight. Really. Read it.
View ArticleThere’s Always A ‘Next’ When You’re Following Jesus (via Michael Kelley)
The maturity of disciples of Jesus shows in a consciousness that expresses humility about of how far we have to go, not pride in how far we have come. From Michael Kelley: We are on this road – on this...
View ArticleThe Legalist’s Spirit (via Sam Storms)
Legalism among Christian disciples is the product of misplaced or misundertood trust that diminishes grace. From Sam Storms: Legalists feel good when they can identify another person’s errors. It...
View ArticleOn Stuff And Stinginess (via Jared Wilson)
I knew a lady who hated the word ‘stuff’. When we meet as one of the small groups that she belonged to and one of us uses the word we all fall silent for a second and then, having heard her...
View ArticleThe Ache For Peace (via Winn Collier)
Winn Collier writes about the longing that Advent epitomises, a Gospel fuelled desire for the fulfilment of redemption. We have peace, and long for peace. We have hope, and long for that expectation to...
View ArticleThe Need To Keep Margin In Our Lives (via Michael Kelly)
In a culture that encourages fear of missing out there is a price to be paid in having every cent and every moment spoken for. As Christmas gives way to thoughts of New Year, Michael Kelley writes...
View ArticleSingle-Minded Focus In An Age Of Multi-Tasking (via John Muether at Ligonier)
Gathering to worship God bids us do one thing at once with all our focus. This runs counter to the growing tendency to split attention between any number of tasks, giving full attention to nothing. God...
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Not Letting ‘Awesome’ Define Your Life (via Chad Bird)
Chad Bird contends that God does not reveal himself on the mountaintops of life as consistently as he is found in the valleys. He makes reference to what he describes as “one of the most in-American...
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