Revelation 2:4: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen.”
Romans 10:15: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”
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In the summer of 2000, I returned home from having spent two years in a predominantly Muslim context in Central Asia, where I found opportunities to share the gospel nearly every day. It … [Read More]
On the Dangers of Seminary (Pt. 2): The Danger of Losing Your First Love for God and Your Love for the Lost
Gospel, Church, and City (4): The Gospel Produces Missional Planters & Churches
In the fourth session of the Greenhouse Church Planter’s CoOp, we talked about building missional churches in the 21st century post-Christendom contexts. Again, we used some passages from Keller’s Manual as starting points for our discussion.
At the beginning of the session, we talked about how we minister in the context of a dying Christendom. Christendom was marked by “cultural Christianity” in which American social institutions often stigmatized non-Christian belief and behavior. Christendom provided some advantages … [Read More]
Gospel, Church, and City (3): The Gospel Invades and Transforms the City
In the second and third sessions of the Greenhouse Church Planter’s CoOp, we (1) set forth the gospel by tracing the four major plot movements in Christian Scripture: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and New Creation; and (2) talked about the gospel’s implications for humanity, the church, and the city. The CoOp had assigned those attending to read portions of Tim Keller’s Church Planting Manual, so we used some of Keller’s material, modifying it a bit and … [Read More]
What is the Missional Gospel? Part 5: The Evangelical Missional Church
What is the Missional Gospel? Part 5: The Evangelical Missional Church
By Keith Whitfield
At a recent conference, Tim Keller addressed the challenges of evangelism in a post-modern context and gave six principles on how to pursue evangelism in this context. The first principle was “Gospel Theologizing,” and what he meant by this is phrase that all theology should articulate the gospel message. He says our theology should be an exposition of the gospel, and our presentation … [Read More]
Tim Keller’s Advice to Seminarians–Pastor a Country Church
Though I have never been the “permanent” pastor of a local church, I have been a youth minister and done interim pastor work. Three of the churches I’ve served were rural congregations of less than 100 active members. I wouldn’t trade my experiences with those small-church saints for anything in the world. Perhaps because of my own experiences, I think Tim Keller’s advice to seminarians–consider becoming a country parson–is good advice for many would-be pastors. This … [Read More]
Aspect 4(a): A Mission Focused on This Nation (Confront the Brutal Facts)
(By: Danny Akin & Bruce Ashford)
Our convention must confront the brutal facts:
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations. This includes our own nation-the United States of America-and yet the truth is that we are failing to meet the challenge. While the population of our nation increases, the population of our churches has not kept pace. While the United States becomes increasingly diverse, the Southern Baptist Convention remains a mostly middle-class, … [Read More]
The Church Planter’s Library (2): North American Church Planting & Renewal
North American church planting and renewal is not for wimps, dummies, or dorks. In order to plant and revitalize churches in 21st century America, we need men who are strong in their walk with the Lord, strong as husbands and fathers, and strong in perseverance. Further, the church needs men whose mind is buttressed by sound theology and missiology. Third, we need men who are culturally savvy, having a ready gasp of their socio-cultural context … [Read More]
The Church Planter’s Library (1): Introduction
On Tuesday mornings, I drink and read. By 7:30 a.m., I am sitting around the table in my conference room with a rowdy group of guys, including some of the best students on campus. We start off by drinking coffee (unless Bryan Laughlin makes the coffee, in which case we actually cut it into squares and chew it), cracking jokes, and catching up, but soon we get down to business, discussing how to take the gospel … [Read More]
The Differences Between “Religion” and the Gospel
Because of the craziness involved with the end of the spring semester followed immediately by a three-week summer class, over the past month or so I have not been as active in my blogging. I hope to start blogging in earnest against next week, when I will share my personal thoughts about the GCR Declaration and my hope that a Great Commission Resurgence will become the unifying vision for Southern Baptist churches and the numerous denominational parachurch ministries those churches support.
For the weekend, I … [Read More]
God’s Guidelines for the “Gray Areas” of Life: Wise Decision-Making in a Wicked World, Part 4
Ethical and moral decision-making presents a great challenge for devoted followers of Jesus in the 21st century context. In 1 Corinthians Paul provides helpful guidelines for navigating what could be called “the gray areas” of the Christian life.
These biblical principles are true anywhere, anytime and under any circumstances. They are extremely helpful in leading us to be wise decision-makers as we live out a gospel-centered ethic.
5). Is this action consistent with my new life in … [Read More]
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