In last week’s column, two unchurched guests named Zach and Nikki dropped in on Parker Hills one random Sunday morning. Mildly curious about the Bible, they were attracted by the inscription on the church sign: “Bible based, Christ centered.” They concluded from this description that an easy way to learn what the Bible says about Jesus would be to watch how people worship Him at PHBF.
...
Out for a casual drive one Friday evening, Zach and Nikki happen upon a church building they’ve never seen before. “Parker Hills Bible Fellowship,” Zach observes from the sign. “Bible based. Christ centered. Hmmm… Sounds like a good start, if you’re gonna be a church.” But Nikki’s not so impressed: “What, are we looking for a church now? I thought we were just driving around.” “Hey, I’m only...
Today marks a major change in the weekly rhythm of meetings at Parker Hills. Our previous schedule included three meetings on Sunday morning; but beginning today, we’re bringing the Lord’s Supper into our worship service and making it a regular part of that weekly gathering. Why?
First, we’re making this change for the sake of our members’ spiritual growth. Similar to the way God uses...
In last week’s column, we noted that preaching and the ordinances (i.e., baptism and the Lord’s Supper) have historically been the two identifying marks of a true church. If you think about it, these two marks are very closely related. Here’s how I would say it: the ordinances make the results of preaching visible. How so?
God always creates and ...
What’s the difference between a church and a gathering of random Christians? Could we call it “church” if we’re gathered with others in a small group? Is the youth group sort of a little church? We could probably discuss these questions endlessly (and some people do!), but for the purpose of this column I want to use church history as my reference point. Christians throughout history have used...
How do we determine what are appropriate expressions of worship to God? Anyone who reads the Scriptures honestly will know the importance of the question. God rejected Cain’s offering (Gen 4), He almost destroyed the Israelites for worshiping Him in the wrong form (Ex 32), He killed two of Aaron’s sons for offering unauthorized fire (Lev 10), and He derided His people for what He called “...
Over the past few months, the elders have made some changes to our 11 AM Sunday worship gathering, and we’ll probably make a few more in the months to come. So you might be wondering, with respect to our worship service, how do we determine what’s appropriate and what’s not? On the one hand, the wrong kind of worship provokes God’s wrath throughout the Scriptures. Acceptable worship can be a...
There’s a chapter in one of my books on pastoral ministry entitled “Brothers, Fight for Your Life.” Know what it’s about? Not temptation or spiritual warfare. Nor about personal priorities, spiritual disciplines, or time management. Conflict resolution? Nope. Exercise? No. Joy? Not really. Each of these is important, but none is the focus of this chapter. “Brothers, Fight for Your Life” is a...
Proverbs is a precious book to me. Its teachings are practical, memorable, and accessible. Many people are drawn to this book more than to others in the Old Testament because of its personal focus and its relative disinterest in covenants, rituals, and cultural peculiarities. Of course, I would agree with all that; but actually, none of those is my main reason for loving this book. For me, it’...
As a natural follow up to our recent journey through the book of Luke, today we begin a 2-week mini-series on outreach. Both sermons will come from guest speakers who are experienced practitioners of the truths they will share. We have asked Dan Faulkner, the director of Camp Elim, to address the subject of local outreach, equipping us with ideas for how to be witnesses right here in our own...
If the resurrection is a lie, Christians are pathetic. If this life is all we’ve got, Christianity is worse than false; it’s tragic. “If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world” (1 Cor 15:19 NLT). Why would Paul say that? Doesn’t he know that Jesus offers peace, joy, meaning, prosperity, and everything else that makes up your best life now?...
What if Christianity turns out to be a total sham? What if there is no resurrection, and your faith is good only for what it offers you in this life? Would Christianity still be a good life to choose? Considering all the immediate benefits to being a Christian, some might say, “Sure, Christianity is the best way of life, even if there is no life after death. It gives me hope, peace, confidence...
Palm Sunday: the day Christians remember the triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem on the Sunday before His death and resurrection. As He rode along, the festive crowd shouted: “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Lk 19:38 NLT) For Jesus, it was the deliberate and self-conscious fulfillment of a five-hundred year old prophecy from Zechariah: “Rejoice greatly, O...
Over 250 years ago today, John Newton found God. Better said, God found him. Early in the morning hours of March 21, 1748, a violent sea woke Newton from sleep. Fearing that his ship was sinking, he attempted to rush up the ladder onto the deck but was met by the captain commanding him to go back and get a knife. Horrified, Newton watched as the crewman who climbed the ladder in his place was...
Benefit #10 that the Lord brought into my life through the burglary at our house: I’ve developed a much deeper appreciation for how my sin affects God. Here’s what I mean. One afternoon I was complaining to God about how violated I felt by this crime—someone breaking into MY house, taking MY things, creating significant inconvenience for ME. And suddenly I realized how ironic this whole...
