Newsletters
Home Blog Page 889

Am I Really a Christian?

By
David Burnette
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

How do I know if I’m really a Christian?

That’s an eternally important question, and yet, sadly, it’s one that many Christians struggle to answer. They may not realize that it’s possible to have assurance, or perhaps they’re looking for assurance in the wrong places or in the wrong ways. Thankfully, God doesn’t leave us in the dark when it comes to our standing before Him. He wants His children to know that they belong to Him, which is one of the reasons He gave us the book of 1 John.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)

This brief yet penetrating book gives us evidences of eternal life to look for in our lives. Seeing these evidences should bring assurance and joy to God’s children, which is one of the reasons we’re providing a new (free) resource titled 1 John: Love Made Known Bible Study, At the same time, 1 John offers a much-needed warning to those who lack these evidences of eternal life. It is entirely possible to think that things are okay between you and God when, in reality, you don’t actually have eternal life. There are likely many people in our churches today who fit that description. (Is that you?) Of all the things to be deceived about, nothing could be worse than being deceived about where you will spend eternity.

Finding a Firm Foundation

The book of 1 John, as well as many other parts of Scripture, teaches that the lives of God’s children should look different from the world. However, this causes some professing Christians to worry about their standing with God because they don’t know how different they should look. Others assume that their standing before God is secure even though they have little or no desire to obey God. To be clear, no follower of Christ is without sin, so we should not expect anything close to sinless perfection prior to Christ’s return. At the same time, those who profess Christ as their Savior and Lord should be characterized by obedience and an increasing hatred of sin.

Since eternity is at stake, we need to have a firm foundation for our assurance. Consider the false foundations for assurance listed below and identify any that you may be relying on for your standing before God. Remember, these aren’t bad things, but they don’t necessarily indicate that someone possesses eternal life in Christ:

False Foundations for Assurance

  • Religious heritage: growing up in a Christian home or attending a Christian school
  • Church involvement: regularly attending and serving in the church
  • A moral lifestyle: trying to be a good person and to live with integrity
  • Intellectual knowledge: knowing the facts of the gospel
  • Active ministry: serving others sacrificially or participating in church programs
  • A guilty conscience: feeling bad when you do something wrong
  • Positive thinking: being sincere in your beliefs and assuming that you are right
  • A past decision: remembering a time, place, feeling, or experience when you think you became a Christian

Again, these “false foundations” are not inherently bad, but it is dangerous to base our assurance on them. Gratefully, Scripture gives us true foundations for our assurance. The questions below can help us determine whether we truly possess eternal life:

True Foundations for Assurance    

  •     Are you trusting in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of your sin? Are you trusting in your own good works, or are you relying on who Jesus is and what He has done—based on the teaching of Scripture—for your salvation?
  •     Are you obeying Jesus as the Lord of your life? Do you seek to submit your life to Christ by obeying His Word? Does your sin and disobedience bother you?
  •     Are you showing the love of God to others? Do you have a special affection for God’s people, and does your love lead you to care for their needs in practical, and even sacrificial, ways?
  •     Are you experiencing God’s love for you? Do you find yourself comforted and strengthened when you hear of what God has done for you in Christ? Do you long to know and experience more of Christ’s love?

Answering “yes” to these questions should give us assurance that we have eternal life in Jesus Christ. Of course, each of us has (a lot of) room to grow in each of these areas, so we should be looking for holy direction, not holy perfection. And we should be careful about making our obedience, or even our faith, the basis of our assurance. The basis of our assurance is God’s character and the promises He has given us in the gospel. We rely on Christ’s perfect obedience in place of our disobedience, His death as the payment for our sins, and His resurrection as the guarantee of our own victory over sin, death, and hell. While our faith may be weak and our obedience will always be imperfect, Christ is a sufficient Savior.

Struggling with Assurance

There are various reasons genuine Christians lack assurance of their salvation: exposure to unbiblical teaching on the gospel and/or assurance, a refusal to repent of known sin, an increasing awareness of one’s own sin, a natural disposition that is prone to introspection and melancholy, etc. Such struggles may be short-lived or, for some, they may linger. It’s important to walk through such struggles and questions in the fellowship of God’s people, the church. If you are not a member of a local church, commit to finding one that preaches the gospel and is committed to the authority of God’s Word.

If you struggle with assurance, ask one of your church leaders or a trusted member of your church to talk and pray with you about it. Continue looking to the promises of God’s Word and meditate regularly on the gospel. Beware of those who tell you not to worry about assurance or who flippantly offer you their own assurance of your standing with God. God often uses others in this process, but it is ultimately the Spirit who must bring assurance. For a good resource on this topic, see Donald Whitney’s book How Can I Be Sure I’m a Christian?: What the Bible Says About Assurance of Salvation.

If you conclude that you have not truly turned from your sin and trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can ask Him now to forgive your sins and to give you eternal life. (Go here for more on the question “What is the Gospel?”) Speak with a trusted Christian friend or talk to your pastor if you have further questions. Even if you have professed to be a follower of Christ for years, this issue is too important to ignore.

—This article is adapted from the 1 John: Love Made Known Bible Study, which is based on the sermon series titled “Love Made Known” by David Platt. To download a free copy of this Bible study, go here. 

This article about what it means to be a Christian originally appeared here.

59 Things NOT to Say to a Preacher

By
Joe McKeever
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

There are a lot of things you can say to a preacher, but here are 59 things NOT to say to a preacher.

What Not to Say to a Preacher

1. “I enjoyed your little talk.”

2. “Is what you said true, or was that just preacher talk?”

3. “I heard (famous preacher) preach that same sermon on television. He did it so much better.”

4. “Could you come to my home and preach that sermon to my husband?”

5. “You ought to hear the pastor at our church. He’s been to seminary.”

6. “Our church is so much bigger (better, friendlier, whatever) than yours.”

7. “The restroom is out of paper.”

8. “My cousin said I would like your preaching. It’s all right, I guess.”

9. “Someone—I’m not saying who—told me to tell you …”

10. “Can I come by your office in the morning? I might need a couple of hours of your time.”

11. “Could I call you tonight after we get home from the movie? It might be 10:30 or so.”

12. (Calls at 7:30 in the morning.) “Hi Pastor. Did I wake you?”

13. “I heard Celebration Church baptized 92 people last week. And Williams Church had a $100,000 offering.”

14. “Do you get paid by the word or by the hour?”

15. “Just because you’re the pastor doesn’t make you always right.”

16. “Who told on me?”

17. “The game starts at 11:30 today, Preacher. Hint, hint.”

18. “I read about your child in the paper. I’m so sorry.”

19. “Today’s sermon was a big improvement over your last few messages.”

20. “Hi Pastor! Bet you don’t remember my name.”

21. “The previous pastor had a great sermon on that text. I used to love his stories.”

22. “Can you give me two minutes in the worship service this morning to make a few announcements?”

4 Reasons We Need a Marriage Series for Singles

By
Bob Martin
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

The thought of a marriage series for singles might seem odd. Like most Christian single people, I was a huge fan of marriage. But I wasn’t married. And I didn’t know if or when God would give me a spouse. Although God did give me the gift of a wife when I was thirty-one years old, I am still indebted to the people in my life who taught me about marriage before I ever entered into it.  

Here are four reasons why I believe we need a marriage series for singles: 

1. It Helps Us Realize Marriage Can Work

The current realities of marriage in the U.S. are painful. Many of my peer millennials come from homes with divorced parents; and even though there’s a chance the divorce rate is decreasing, that doesn’t necessarily mean more are living healthy life-long covenants. Instead, more are looking to cohabiting as their solution to a distrust of the difficult relationship called “marriage.” 

I don’t need to belabor the many problems we face in a culture seeking to reshape marriage, sex, and relationships. But I can say that this is why we need a community of others to tell us what marriage really is and that it can work!  

Perhaps you have seen marriage fall apart or your own marriage has done so. Hearing God’s Word proclaimed about marriage and helping ourselves and others apply God’s vision together in a Small Group is just what the doctor has ordered for most of us. We should have hope that God can use us to help our friends with their marriages; and we should have hope that God can empower us to fulfill that same covenant if he calls us into it.

2. It Helps Us Understand Our Married Friend’s Experience

Singleness is hard. And in the midst of singleness, I often forgot that marriage is hard too. Being in a Small Group with others who were married helped transform my perspective—especially when I saw their failings. 

This is when your married friends need you: to support them as they stumble along in figuring out how to love someone else “as Christ loved the church” (Ephesians 5:25) or “submit in everything” to someone else (Ephesians 5:24) or in how to run away from the same temptations that you face in singleness (lust, selfishness, pride) with someone else always nearby. Discussing these things opens up greater understanding to the breadth of experiences a married person is going through: not always just what you might expect. 

3. It Prepares Us for Marriage

There are some single people reading this whom God will call into marriage. I have at least eight friends that I have been in a Small Group with who have either gotten married or are doing so in the near future.  

Just as Aesop’s wild boar tells his friend the fox that he’s sharpening his tusks now because there will be no time to do so when danger arrives, so we too ought to be prepared as best we can for what God may call us into: even the battlefront of marriage. 

4. It Leads Us Into the Whole Counsel of God

We would never counsel a married person to remove from their Bible the passages related to singleness. Nor non-parents the verses about children. But for a number of reasons, it can feel like we don’t want to hear about marriage if we’re single: 

  • Maybe others have burned us by asking insensitive questions about our singleness  
  • Maybe we feel like there is an overemphasis on marriage in the church already  
  • Maybe we think that talking more about marriage will erupt emotions within us about something we don’t have

Those are real challenges. But also remember that God is faithful. He knows exactly where he wants you, what to give you, and what to teach you in the context of his family. And he’ll never give us more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). So allow this time to be a moment where God tests your heart (Psalm 139:4), and you can pray, “Yes, Lord, teach me even what may be hard to hear about because I love you, I love your people, and I love your Word.” 

If you’re married and reading this: be sensitive! Realize that a marriage series for singles can be hard to listen to when you are single. Find ways to intentionally include your single friend’s perspective on this topic, and assure them that you want to continue to know them deeply. 

The God of Marriage 

My hope is that in uncovering these areas of Scripture, you will see more of our God who alone is perfectly covenant-keeping, merciful, loving, intimate, leading, patient, and our closest companion. 

This article about a marriage series for singles originally appeared here.

Missionary Facing Lawsuit Says She Does Not Have a ‘white savior complex’

By
Stephanie Martin
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

The case of American missionary Renee Bach—and a civil lawsuit against her in Uganda—is raising questions about the role of concerned yet unqualified individuals and the so-called “white savior complex.”

Bach, a homeschooled high school graduate with no formal medical training, moved to Uganda at age 20 and founded the charity Serving His Children (SHC). Starting in 2009, she provided free meals to children in the impoverished area of Jinja, a hub of evangelical missions work. But soon, according to the lawsuit and some former volunteers, Bach began treating very sick children without medical knowledge or supervision.

Bach admits 105 children died at her facility and says “mistakes were made,” but she insists those mistakes “never resulted in the harm of any individual.”

White Savior Complex or Good Intentions Gone Wrong?

In Uganda, malnutrition causes 45 percent of child deaths, and Bach says she felt called to act. Saying parents sought her help, she began refeeding children with high-calorie milk.

One-fifth of the children SHC took in during 2011 died, according to documents. Saul Guerrero, a malnutrition expert at UNICEF, says treating the condition—even via IV—is extremely risky. It’s actually safer to do nothing, he says, because children’s bodily functions aren’t working.

One former volunteer who initially admired Bach says she became horrified at how sick the children were. “They had complicated illnesses,” says Jackie Kramlich, a registered nurse hired by SHC. She recalls witnessing Bach perform a blood transfusion while referencing advice from Google. Thinking “this isn’t a game,” Kramlich quit and sent a letter to SHC’s U.S. board of directors. Kramlich also claims Bach recruited families from local hospitals to come to her center, which received steady funding.

Bach admits performing certain procedures without supervision but adds “it was always under the request and direction of a medical professional.” The missionary blogged extensively and now regrets writing in the first person. “Looking back [it] sounded prideful, as if I wanted to allude to the fact that I was…doing all of those things myself,” she says.

Is Bach the Victim of “reputational terrorism”? 

Primah Kwagala, a civil-rights attorney in Uganda, insists Bach must be held accountable for the deaths. She filed suit on behalf of two Ugandan women whose children died, though Bach’s attorney, David Gibbs, says SHC never treated one of them.

Gibbs also claims “reputational terrorists” are attacking his innocent client “with false allegations using the platform of social media.” The lawsuit, he adds, is “entirely without merit.” Bach, who says she gets “death threats all the time,” isn’t planning to return to Uganda for the next hearing, scheduled for January 2020.

The group No White Saviors is speaking out against missionaries such as Bach. Someone claiming to have worked in Jinja writes, “Good intentions are not enough,” adding that publicity is necessary when justice hasn’t been served.

Lawrence Gostin, head of the Center on National and Global Health Law, says it’s arrogant for untrained overseas missionaries to assume they’re doing good. “The American cultural narrative is that these countries are basket cases,” he says. “People…have no idea how much harm they can cause.” Supporters back home also play a role, he says, by celebrating the exploits that missionaries share online or in missionary letters.

But the other side of the argument is that Bach’s organization, although acting with good intentions, was overwhelmed by the problem it was trying to address. “Many of the children cared for by Serving His Children are days away from death when they arrive at the health facility with their guardian,” Gibbs told reporters.

As explained in a May 2015 letter written by SHC’s board of directors, Bach assisted nurses and other medical professionals at the facility and only provided medical care in “emergency situations or where there was no immediate help available.” Bach admits she has, at times, acted “outside of my qualifications” but realized, as early as 2015, that she needed to leave the medical procedures to medical professionals. She has since stepped down as director of SHC, and a licensed Ugandan doctor has taken her place.

The trial is scheduled to take place in January 2020; Bach does not plan on returning to Uganda.

Skillet Singer: ‘Cool’ Leaders Should Not Have the Most Influence In Christendom

By
Jessica Lea
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Saying that “it’s too important not to” speak out, Skillet’s lead singer, John L. Cooper, has written a Facebook post with his reaction to the high profile leaders who have recently renounced Christianity. Cooper shares several insights and exhortations for Christians in light of what he perceives is happening in the church at large.

“My conclusion for the church (all of us Christians): We must STOP making worship leaders and thought leaders or influencers or cool people or ‘relevant’ people the most influential people in Christendom,” he says, “(And yes that includes people like me!).” 

Skillet is a Christian hard rock band that was formed in 1996. To date, the band has released 15 albums, been nominated for two Grammys, and won multiple Dove awards. In an interview a few years ago, Cooper told CBN News that the band has always been about Jesus. He said, “What I am most proud about Skillet is that we have never one time been embarrassed of our Christian faith. I’ve never one time said, ‘No, we’re not a Christian band,’ and tried to dance around it.”

John L. Cooper Asks, ‘What is happening?’

Cooper told CBN that when doing interviews with secular radio stations, people often want him to feel embarrassed about being in a Christian band, expecting him to deny that Skillet is one. But, he said, “without fail, every single time I’ve looked them in the eye, and I’ve said, ‘Absolutely, we’re a Christian band. We are not embarrassed about it at all.'”

Yet in the past few weeks, influencers such as former pastor and writer Josh Harris and former Hillsong United member Marty Sampson have rocked (no pun intended) the evangelical world by announcing they are no longer Christians. In the wake of these announcements, Cooper is asking, “What is happening in Christianity?” 

Too Reliant on Popular Leaders

Cooper’s first conclusion is that the church must stop relying so much on popular leaders as a source of truth: “We now have a church culture that learns who God is from singing modern praise songs rather than from the teachings of the Word.” Cooper says he is not trying to be rude to his friends who are worship leaders, and he stresses the importance of what worship ministers do by creating “a moment and a vehicle for God to speak.”

However, he thinks many of his worship leader friends would agree with him that it is dangerous to look to leaders over the Bible. Cooper writes, “Singers are not always the best people to write solid bible truth and doctrine. Sometimes we are too young, too ignorant of scripture, too unaware, or too unconcerned about the purity of scripture and the holiness of the God we are singing to.”

God Is ‘a God of justice’: Manny Pacquiao Pushes Death Penalty in the Philippines

By
Megan Briggs
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

World-champion-boxer-turned-senator and evangelical Christian Manny Pacquiao made his case for reinstituting the death penalty in the Philippines for drug offenders, rapists, and murderers to fellow senators last week. Pacquiao said the death penalty is “approved by God” and that Philippine laws to address such crimes “lacked teeth.”

“Having read the Bible on a regular basis, I am convinced that God is not just a God of mercy but he is also a God of justice,” Pacquiao said in his 20-minute speech to the senate.

The Philippines did away with its death penalty in 2006 after mounting pressure from the Catholic Church. The Southeast Asian nation is predominantly Catholic. Now, some politicians such as Pacquiao are taking their cue from President Rodrigo Duterte to push the country to re-adopt the death penalty, especially for drug traffickers. 

On Wednesday, Pacquiao argued that “God allows the death penalty to discipline the people and to punish those wrongdoers,” according to the South China Morning Post. 

Death Penalty Debate Asks: Was Jesus a Victim of a Wrongful Execution?

Pacquiao was questioned by Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon about how the fallibility of people affects the just-ness of the death penalty. Drilon noted that the penalty would be enacted by fallible people—Supreme Court justices and judges. What if those people make a mistake and someone is wrongfully executed? Drilon’s questioning implied. In response, Pacquiao admitted no one is perfect, but that it’s necessary for people to trust the government. “The most important thing is we have to trust our authority, which is the government,” he said.

As if brushing aside Pacquiao’s answer, Drilon continued: “In fact, in the history of man, only one can claim infallibility? Would the gentleman know that man?” 

Pacquiao replied, “God, Mr. President.” 

“Jesus Christ,” Drilon responded. “And yet Jesus Christ was a victim of wrongful execution. Is that correct?”

Pacquiao “seemed to disagree” to that statement, according to Inquirer.net. Rather than being a victim of wrongful execution, Pacquiao said his death was a sacrifice Jesus made to save the lives of people. 

Drilon pressed on, undeterred by Pacquiao’s clarification: “Are you saying the execution of Jesus Christ was a correct execution?” 

To this, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III spoke up, saying, “Perhaps, what the gentleman means is that the redemption would not have been possible if Jesus did not die on the cross…”

What Does the Philippines’ Constitution Say?

Pacquiao turned the conversation away from the Bible at one point, stating: “I can cite Bible verses to support my stance, but let me make this very clear, Mr. President, the focus of our debate on death penalty should be on the basis of its constitutionality.”

The Philippines’ constitution currently prohibits the death penalty, but allows for Congress to reinstate it  for “heinous crimes.” In 2017, a bill to reinstate the death penalty managed to clear the House of Representatives but stalled in the Senate. 

Pacquiao is one of four senators trying to jumpstart the effort to reinstate the death penalty in the Philippines this year. He is an outspoken Christian who has been criticized for his view that approving homosexual marriage would make mankind worse than animals. 

Another noteworthy bill being proposed this year includes one backed by Senator Risa Hontiveros which aims to adjust the country’s laws concerning divorce.

JD Greear: Here Is How to Keep the Gospel, Not Politics, First

By
Jason Daye
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

JD Greear is pastor of The Summit Church and president of the Southern Baptist Convention. His ministry has been marked by a consistent call to the church to the keep the gospel at the heart of all we do. JD Greear’s most recent book is Above All: The Gospel Is the Source of the Church’s Renewal. He and his wife, Veronica, live in Raleigh where they are raising four ridiculously cute kids.

Key Questions for  JD Greear

-Can you share with us why you felt compelled to make some leadership changes within the SBC? 

-In your most recent book, Above All, you share that the source of renewal for the church is the gospel. Most people wouldn’t disagree with that idea. Why do we need to be reminded of it?

-What practical advice would you give to a pastor about how to navigate the upcoming election cycle?

-How can the local church be thoughtful and prayerful when it comes to making it easy for people to hear the gospel message?

Key Quotes from J.D. Greear

“The church ought to reflect the diversity of its community.”

“We need the wisdom of our brothers and sisters of color as we go forward…the United States, we know this, is changing pretty dramatically demographically and we need the wisdom of our brothers and sisters of color if we’re going to be able to effectively reach that new nation that we’re all part of.”

“Christian growth is not growth beyond the gospel. Christian growth is growth deeper into the gospel. It’s going deeper into it that ultimately makes you come alive. Most evangelicals talk about the gospel as if it’s the diving board off of which you jump into the pool of Christianity.”

“The book of Romans is the deepest explanation of gospel doctrine that we have anywhere, and it’s written to Christians.” 

“Everything that I am proposing as a means of spiritual growth has to be grounded in a sense of awe about who God is and what He has done.” 

“It’s faith in the finished work that gives you the power to live a spiritual life.”

“It’s really easy for secondary agendas to take over the church.”

“One of the ways we love our neighbor is to engage well in politics, but Paul said that the gospel was for him of first importance…When it comes to political strategies, those are important, but they’re not of first importance.”

Two Complications to Know About the Coptic Church in Egypt

By
Rachel Cohen
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

The gospel is said to have taken root quickly in Alexandria, and before Mark knew it, a deeply committed group of believers known as the Coptic Christians emerged to permanently change Egypt and the greater Christian community by establishing the Coptic Church in Egypt.

By the time Mark reached the shores of Alexandria, he had come a long way. Physically speaking, the apostle had likely sailed south from Rome, landed in Libya, and trekked through to Alexandria—Egypt’s burgeoning city of modernity and intellectualism. But spiritually, Mark had journeyed much further. After fleeing the scene of Jesus’s arrest (Mark 14) and cutting his first mission trip short (Acts 13), Mark boldly struck out on his own to jumpstart the church in Africa.

In the Beginning for the Coptic Church in Egypt

In Alexandria, Mark evangelized among Egyptians whose polytheism was a mixture of ancient Egyptian and Roman mythology. It wasn’t long before thousands converted to Christianity. They believed that Egypt was almost ground zero for the Christian faith because a personal acquaintance of Christ had brought the faith to them.

For the next four hundred years, Egyptian Christians—known as Copts, a term for indigenous peoples of Egypt—vigorously participated in shaping the theology of the early church. Copts established the world’s first catechetical school to determine and perpetuate Christian doctrine. Copts are credited with creating Christian monasticism. Coptic leaders oversaw landmark councils that established bedrock doctrine, most notably the Nicene Creed.

Over time, Copts organized and operated the church similar to the Catholic Church emerging out of Rome. They designated bishops to oversee Coptic communities. They even appointed their own pope as the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Just as the apostle Peter was believed to be the first pope of the Catholic Church, Copts reasoned, Mark was theirs.

Coptic Christians Today

Today, little difference exists between Catholic and Coptic theology and practice. Copts venerate martyrs in Christian history and visit sites dedicated to saints. They channel prayers to Christ through these saints and martyrs, they sing to them, and for blessing, they touch relics from their lives that are still considered holy.

Most Copts maintain that salvation is twofold: God has provided it through Jesus’s death and resurrection, and man takes hold of it through persistence in good works. Sins must be dealt with by confession to a priest and sacraments. Babies are baptized into the faith. Priests, called bapas (father), are trained to read and teach from the Arabic Bible, the only acceptable translation for the Coptic Church, which is unfortunately difficult for laypeople to understand.

This introduces the first complication for the Coptic Church in Egypt: identifying a faith that saves. More on that in a minute.

The Dawn of Islam

War changed everything, as it usually does. After six hundred years of fighting heresy and division—and flourishing in spite of it—Coptic Christians were caught in the middle of a physical battle between the Roman Empire and Arab Muslims. With the defeat of the Byzantine army in Egypt came the influence and rule of the Arab world.

The new Arab rulers of Egypt were initially sympathetic or indifferent to Coptic Christians, but each dynasty brought new restrictions or forms of persecution. Copts were subject to taxation that Arabs were not. Coptic art was destroyed because Egypt’s Muslim majority found it to be blasphemous iconography. And in response to the Crusaders sweeping across the Middle East, Muslims responded in kind by rooting out Christians in Egypt and forcing them to convert to Islam or be killed. Most Copts chose the first option.

Over time, Egypt became home for Arabs. They were no longer foreigners who had invaded a country but citizens with the right to fully inhabit Egypt, to become Egyptian. Today as the majority, Muslims hold nearly every seat at every level of government and establish laws that favor Muslims. At the local level, Coptic Christians experience subtle discriminations—everything from not being able to obtain permits for church buildings or being passed over for a spot on an elite soccer team.

Which brings us to complication number two for the Coptic Church in Egypt: identity.

The Two Complications for the Coptic Church in Egypt

Ben* is a Coptic Christian, ethnically Egyptian, and can help us understand the two complications Coptic Christians in Egypt are unknowingly up against. Let’s start with the first complication.

Complication #1: Identifying a Faith that Saves

Ben is a devoted member of the Coptic Orthodox Church. He attends mass every Friday, listens to an address from the bapa, and participates in the liturgies about Christ and the church saints. When asked to explain the gospel, he can give a pretty good rendition of Creation to Christ. He loves Jesus but often directs his prayers to saints the Coptic Church esteems. The gospel, according to Ben, is not the answer to the world’s problems but rather exclusively a personal solution, a family practice.

While God alone is the true and only Judge, Ben’s beliefs instigate conversations among Protestants that we usually have concerning our Catholic friends. Regarding Paul’s words from Romans 10:9, Ben believes that Jesus is God and that he is alive today. But then, Ben’s understanding of Christ and his supremacy gets murky: Ben believes he can lose his salvation, needs a priest to obtain forgiveness, and needs saints to act as intercessors to Christ.

At best, Ben needs access to good discipleship. And at worse, Ben needs access to a clear presentation of the gospel.

Complication #2: Identity

Ben is angry. He’s mad that the Muslim majority in his country controls who gets building permits and who gets to play on good soccer teams. Ben is mad that deadly attacks on Christian churches haven’t received wider condemnation from the Muslim community. He gets angry every time a Muslim sees the cross tattooed on his arm and tells him he is going to hell.

But according to Ben, the most infuriating thing is that those offenses are committed by Muslims who, in his view, took over his country 1,400 years ago. They aren’t Egyptians, they’re Arabs, he says. His people, who view themselves as true Egyptians, should be calling the shots in Egypt, or at least should not be enduring oppression by “imposters,” as he calls them.

It’s true that harassment and persecution are tangible realities for Coptic Christians in Egypt. The global church needs to pray for change and look for ways to advocate on behalf of the Egyptian church. However, Ben’s sentiment toward his oppressors reveals not just a hatred for his enemies but the belief that his country and religion are exclusive rights for people who are “true” Egyptians. To him and other Copts, to be Egyptian is to be a Coptic Christian. To be Arab is to be Muslim. One doesn’t become the other, nor should they. Christian faith is passed vertically down a family tree, not horizontally from neighbor to neighbor.

Where to Go from Here?

These two complications—faith and identity—pose the greatest contemporary obstacles for the Coptic Church in Egypt. As the global church gains steam and strength, may God call the world’s Christians—many of us—to engage the Coptic Church with the gospel so Copts can evaluate their faith and either believe the gospel for the first time or pivot to theology many of us derive from Luther’s work in the Reformation.

Then, as the full gospel is realized among them, pray that God will turn their fear and hatred toward their Muslim neighbors into deep concern for their salvation. Ask God to give them a missional spirit, one that doesn’t sequester the gospel to certain peoples but delivers it open-handedly to neighbors and enemies.

May the church fully embody the spirit of Mark, who after running scared again and again, finally set out to boldly proclaim the true gospel.

*Name changed

This article about the Coptic Church in Egypt originally appeared here.

Confessions of an Angry Man and Pastor

By
David Sanford
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Augustine’s Confessions was the very first Western autobiography. Countless others have followed. The newest is by Brent C. Hofer. Brent, what’s it about?  As pastors, it’s not enough for us to manage anger if we’re an angry man. Recovery is possible. I’m living proof. Confessions of an Angry Man  is my redemptive story.

Questions for an angry man: You were a pastor for three decades. What happened? Did growing anger eventually catch you by surprise?

Just the opposite. I have been angry almost my whole life. I’m talking about the type of anger that resembles a landmine. You don’t always see it, but it is there, buried in the personality, and when something triggers it, people get seriously hurt.

Over the years, living with me as an angry man was like living through one tornado after another. Whether frustrated with life circumstances, or irritated and angry with my family’s behaviors, I would explode in rage. Afterward, I would calm down, apologize, and move on as if nothing had happened.

This cycle of explosion, apology, and false peace occurred for almost twelve years of marriage. I knew something was terribly wrong. I pleaded with God to change my life—to transform me into a good husband and father. Something had to change.

Actually, a lot had to change.

I prayed for God to change my life, and he did, but not the way I imagined. Following God’s leading, Sherry, Ellie, and Nikki left me and moved two thousand miles away.

Were you shocked?

Before leaving, Sherry would try to confront me on the seriousness of my harshness with and rage toward Ellie and Nikki. Instead of admitting I was wrong, I always became defensive. I would shift the blame onto Sherry and deny the impact I was having on my daughters. I couldn’t admit that I was an angry man and how terrible I was behaving. It was too painful.

After Sherry and the girls left, I was utterly sick of myself. I thought my life was over.

Did you consider suicide?

Devastated by tears, I rushed from work. On the way home, I left the freeway via an 80-foot tall exit ramp. Sick of life, I spun the steering wheel to launch off the ramp into the air. As the car sped toward the guard rail I came to my senses and jerked the wheel back. The pain of realizing how horrible I am fortunately did not end in suicide, but rather drove me to find a better way to live with others.

What was that better way?

Finally, I was ready to take responsibility and do whatever needed to be done to change my thinking and behaviors.

To do that, I joined a recovery program.

For more than two years, once a week, I was in a support group where I was confronted with what I had done to my family and what I needed to do to change. That included weekly readings, difficult homework, and putting into practice what I had been taught. All of this was necessary in order for me to truly take responsibility for how I had destroyed other people’s lives as an angry man, husband, father and pastor.

There was nothing enjoyable about it. For the longest time I fought the feeling that I was better than anyone else in the group. And that was because I had never been arrested for my angry actions. Yet I wasn’t better than anyone.

Ouch. That sounds like a slug to the gut.

As a pastor, I often had people come to me for counseling. I never thought that I needed counseling. In my mind, I was better than other people. I was here to help them, but I certainly didn’t need anyone’s help. The ability to be open to receiving help was fear-inducing. Yet it was absolutely the step I needed to take. Actually, make that steps.

I did private counseling and attended a four-day intensive workshop that forced me to face my nightmare head-on. In addition, I participated in a class for men who had wounded their children and were learning how to parent.

Sherry had the girls call me every day to stay in touch. The pain of having to talk to my girls while they were a couple thousand miles away was horrific. They told me about their school, their friends, and the basketball games they played—all of which I missed. I cried almost every time after I spoke with them. Taking responsibility meant dealing with the pain I had caused—and the pain I was feeling.

Thankfully, there were wonderful positives. In the midst of the pain, I was no longer denying responsibility but accepting it. There is an old saying, “Admitting you have a problem is the first step toward recovery.” Taking responsibility meant I was on my way to changing and with it, over time, came many benefits.

Initially, how did people react to the news?

The news raced like wildfire. The first time I went back to church, I was certain that every woman would hate my guts. Instead, I found the situation quite different. Everywhere I went, I found that when I confessed the wrong I had done, people didn’t reject me. They encouraged me.

Some went way too far and blamed Sherry for causing the family breakup. It was a new experience to defend my wife for leaving me and to explain that it was my fault entirely.

Of course, I kept meeting people who hadn’t heard the news yet. To be true to the path of healing, I learned I needed to tell the truth. Every time.

Proverbs 29:23 says, “A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” When I admitted my wrongdoing, as hurtful as it was, I was stepping toward a transformed heart and life. The pain of facing my problems was far less than the pain of holding onto my pride, fear, pain, and anger.

What gave me hope, in the emotional darkness of my life, was that I am loved.

Loved? How do you mean? 

Despite the truth that I had driven my wife to reject me, I knew a more important truth: God loved me. And he had the ability to transform the world that I had ruined. The gospel was true, after all!

I came to believe that God was working for my good. He didn’t want me angry and dominating my wife and children. He wanted me changed and he had not given up on me. My life was not over and I was not alone in the dark. I had no idea how long it would take. Often I asked God if anything good was happening, but deep inside I sensed hope.

In time, I recognized that Sherry is the greatest venue for positive transformation of my life. Always. If I will listen. The result of learning to love Sherry brought healing to her heart and reconciliation in our relationship. The result of realizing God loved me transformed my life. This is the miracle I live with every day.

Any last thoughts?

If you are an angry man, I plead with you to do the one act that no one else can do for you. Be willing to change.

All Effective Church Communication Starts With 4 Crucial Questions

By
Joel Gorveatte
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Before we walk through four questions to help you be more effective, let’s start with what’s really involved in communication. In its most basic form, communication involves people knowing something so they can do something. Both elements—knowing and doing—are essential. For example, think about the sermon in a worship service. Why does the preacher preach? It’s not simply so people know more about God or about their lives. Preachers preach so people can know more about God and themselves and be changed because of it. Whether someone is hearing, reading, or watching, the goal of effective church communication should be to help them know and then act on that knowledge.

Question #1: “What am I saying?”

Once we understand that we are communicating so people can know something and do something, we’re ready to clarify what it is we actually want to say. Are you wanting to inspire people with a truth? Are you communicating details for an event? Is there an important announcement that your people need to know? Understand what exactly you are saying and don’t let anything else dilute or be added to that message.

Question #2: “Why am I saying it?”

Why does what you’re saying matter? Does it need to be communicated right now? The answer to this question should begin with “because…” For example, leaders and pastors at my church are regularly reminding our teams to park off of our property on Sunday mornings. Why do we do this? It’s because our parking lots are too small and because we want to make space for guests and those that need close parking. Knowing why we are saying what we’re saying makes effective church communication compelling and worth repeating.

Question #3: “Who am I speaking to?”

To say what you want to say effectively, it’s important to know your target audience and to address them. Are you really writing an email to your whole church or really for parents with young children? There are times when you may have a message you are communicating to your whole church, and that’s great! But many times we are wanting to inform specific groups of people about specific things and it is important for us to acknowledge that and to address them.

Question #4: “What am I asking them to do?”

This is an important question we often skip over. Effective church communication ends with action. Before you speak, write, or post, you have to consider this: What are we asking people to do? What are we inviting them into? It could be a sign-up link, a prompt to comment or reply, or another call to action, but if the goal is helping people know something so they can do something, we have to help them act on what they now know. Online sign-ups, RSVP’s, and landing pages are great ways to help people take an action step online.

Effective church communication – Try it out!

Are you ready to start being more clear and effective in your communication? Getting clear on what you’re communicating, why you’re communicating it, who your audience is, and what you’re asking them to do will immediately help you speak, write, and post effective church communication with purpose and see results.

 

This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

What Does It Mean to Be Born Again?

By
James Siebken
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

“You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3:7

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN

Can you imagine being “born again” or having a “spiritual birth”? These terms are not words coined by me or by a church but by Jesus, to explain eternal life to a Jewish leader. Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus is recorded in John 3:1–21.

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born.”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

“How can this be?’” Nicodemus asked.

“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. All those who do evil hate the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But those who live by the truth come into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

JESUS EXPLAINED HOW TO BE BORN AGAIN

John 3 is a very important, if not the most important, chapter in Scripture. It includes John 3:16, which is recognized by many Bible scholars as the most famous summary of the gospel in the entire Bible. Bible scholars cannot agree on whether Verse 16 is Jesus still speaking to Nicodemus or is Apostle John commenting. There are no quotation marks in Greek manuscripts, so translators debate where Jesus’ speech ends and John’s commentary begins. Some translations have verses 16–21 in red type, indicating Jesus speaking, and other translations have those verses in black type, indicating John is speaking as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

I encourage you to read it through several times and in several translations, and to take the time to understand it thoroughly. I do not believe whether Jesus said or John wrote verses 16-21 changes the importance and truth of the teaching. The verses certainly tie well to verse 15 and to Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night rather than in light. This teaching is clearly from Jesus himself and is the origin for the term “born-again” Christian. It is also the basis for Your Spiritual Birthday.

Jesus expected Nicodemus to understand the working of the Spirit from his studies of Moses and the Prophets, yet Nicodemus still questioned Jesus, How can this be? Do you also wonder “How can this be?” Can you imagine that you must be born again to see and to enter the kingdom of God? Do you believe that all Christians must be born-again Christians? Jesus challenged Nicodemus, asking, You are Israel’s teacher and you do not understand these things?

Today, many of America’s religious teachers, priests, and pastors do not understand these things. Some believe you are born again by water baptism, including infant baptism. Others consider spiritual birth a process and compare it to a physical pregnancy. Still others teach that you can be born again and again and again. Many even believe that being born again is not required for you to enter the kingdom of God.

Your physical birth occurred at a specific time and date once and was not a process. Your spiritual birthday is an event occurring at a specific time and date and not multiple times. It could be called your “Second Birthday,” but “Spiritual Birthday” differentiates it from your physical birthday. You are physically born of your physical parents. You are spiritually born of God through the Spirit. You are physically born of water and spiritually born of Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. Physical birth is unto physical life and spiritual birth is unto eternal life. The result of these differences is summarized in the saying: “Born Once, Die Twice; Born Twice, Die Once.”

Cathy Promised to Be Faithful to Jesus as He Leads CFA

By
Jessica Lea
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

In 2000, about a decade before Chick-fil-A (CFA) would quadruple its growth, the children of CFA founder, Truett Cathy, met with their parents and entered into a covenant. Dan Cathy and his siblings, Bubba and Trudy, promised never to open Chick-fil-A on Sundays, to continue the company’s charitable work, and to be constant in their commitment to follow Jesus.

“We will be faithful to Christ’s lordship in our lives,” said the covenant, according to Business Insider (BI). “As committed Christians we will live a life of selfless devotion to His calling in our lives. We will prayerfully seek His leadership in all major decisions that impact our family and others.”

Truett Cathy’s heirs also promised to make sure their spouses, children, and even their nieces and nephews would be a priority for them. And they promised to keep CFA a private company, which they would “grow conservatively.”

Dan Cathy Asks a Key Question at Crucial Time

Chick-fil-A has seen dramatic success in recent years. It currently ranks third in the U.S. for food chains with the most sales in 2018, coming in behind Starbucks and McDonald’s (which has first place). What is notable about CFA’s success, however, is the fact that the company has far fewer locations than its rivals. The chain with the greatest number of locations in the U.S. is Subway with 248,000. By contrast, CFA has only 2,400. Yet the average CFA location earned $4.6 million in 2018, far overperforming its competitors. The average McDonald’s unit came in second at $2.8 million, and Subway ranked eighth with $0.4 million.

What’s more, CFA is steadily growing. And because it has fewer locations than its rivals, the company has plenty of room to expand. One restaurant analyst says, “Once you start looking at all these other big metropolitan areas in all these states, there’s room for growth for, not just years and years to come but potentially decades to come.”

It’s easy to forget that Chick-fil-A didn’t always have the marked success it presently enjoys. Founded in 1946, the company had its worst year in 1982, the only year CFA’s same-store sales decreased. The previous year, CFA had experienced a major marketing failure. The U.S. economy was struggling, and the company was facing serious competition from McDonald’s. CFA’s first chief marketing officer, Steve Robinson, told BI, “The cash-flow situation was dire. It was a real potential crisis.” 

But even then, the leadership’s Christian values guided their response to that impending disaster. At an executive retreat, CFA’s present-day CEO Dan Cathy asked an important question: “Why are we here?” In response to that question, the leadership prayed and then crafted CFA’s mission statement, which is, “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”  

Faith-Driven Business

And throughout Chick-fil-A’s history, the faith of its leadership has shaped the habits and policies the company is known for. The most notable of these is arguably the company policy of closing on Sunday. This decision, says BI, means that CFA gives up over $1 billion in sales every year. While Truett Cathy’s goal with closing on Sundays was to honor God, BI calls it a “brilliant business decision.” Closing one day a week not only demonstrates that CFA cares about its employees but it also creates a sense of urgency for its customers. 

That’s not the only way the Christian faith has shaped the company’s culture. Chick-fil-A is well-known for its hospitality, a value that comes from Truett Cathy’s understanding of the Bible. But Robinson told BI that Dan Cathy was the one who decided to take this vision further and create specific policies based on Matthew 5:41, where Jesus talks about going the extra mile. The result is a culture where employees say, “My pleasure” while handing you a drink refill, and there are flowers on the table.

What Does the Future Hold? 

Chick-fil-A’s rise is something to behold, but all companies must adapt in order to continue existing. It will be interesting to see how the heirs of the Chick-fil-A legacy implement the principles of their covenant as they lead their company into the future.

Pastor Dragged From Prayer Meeting, Beaten and Arrested in India

By
Megan Briggs
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Christians in India are afraid to report a rise in the attacks against them at the hands of radical Hindu nationalists. A recent report gives a clue about why they are hesitant to go to the police. A pastor in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh area was allegedly dragged from his home and beaten by radical Hindu nationalists last month. Reports from Chrisitan persecution watchdog groups claim the pastor was then arrested and beaten further at the police station. 

“The attack started when the nationalist identified and harassed a few women and two men who were on their way to the prayer meeting [at Pastor Raju Prassad’s house] on July 28,” International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. 

According to ICC, the group believed to be responsible for the attack belong to the radical Hindu Nationalist group Bajrang Dal. Not only did they assault Pastor Prassad, but they also “physically and verbally” abused the men and women who were on their way to the prayer meeting. Prassad says the meeting was a gathering of his fellowship of believers and that he was not attempting to convert anyone to Christianity. 

After being dragged from his home, ICC reports the group beat the pastor and then called police to report Prassad had been converting people. Worthy News describes Prassad as being “badly beaten.” Once at the police station in Chakeri, ICC alleges the radical nationalist group continued to beat Prassad, implying he was beaten under the observance of police. Prassad and members of his fellowship spent five hours at the station before they were allowed to leave. A police investigation reports no conversions took place during the meeting, although Prassad’s alleged attackers have faced no consequences for their actions.

While Worthy News and ICC’s reports describe the incident in a similar manner, The Indian Express reports it a little differently. The newspaper says Station House Officer of Chakeri police station said, “The preliminary investigation suggested that a woman had called the pastor and two women to offer prayer for her ailing mother at her house. She told us that her mother was recovering due to the prayer. She and the pastor denied conversion. “

According to The Indian Express, when police reached Prassad’s home, they saw two women “distributing religious books to a family.” The police took Prassad to the police station, but only describe a “minor scuffle” that occurred when Prassad was being taken to the station. 

The two different reports agree that police decided not to file a report against Prassad as it was determined he was not converting anyone through the prayer meeting.

Christians in India Live in Fear

ICC reports other pastors in India are afraid to come forward when they are attacked. Devash Lal of the Bihar Pastors Fellowship said:

The Hindutva [Hindu nationalist] extremists are walking into churches and are disrupting prayer services–on a weekly basis, we hear of threats and attacks on home churches and pastors. Christian persecution is widely spread across Bihar, and it appears to be a much planned, systematic opposition created to target activities. We also see police supporting the perpetrators instead of taking action against them, and the victims do not come forward fearing this bias.

The persecution against Christians in India has ramped up, many watchdog groups have reported, since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power with the help of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It appears radical nationalists, who believe all of India should be Hindu, have been emboldened under Modi’s leadership to carry out attacks against those they deem unfit to live in the country.

Modi’s government has also taken direct measures to reduce the Christian influence in India by doing things like pushing Compassion International out of the country. Open Doors ranks India as #10 on its World Watch List for 2019, which represents the highest position it has held since Open Doors started making its ranked list of countries where Christians are persecuted the most. 

Evangelical Fellowship of India Ask for Action

The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) has appealed to Prime Minister Modi to take action against the spike in violence against Christians in India. The group compiled a report which indicated there were 325 reported incidents of violence against Christians in 2018 alone—a steep jump compared to 2012 when there were 130 reported incidents. 

EFI has organized a National Day of Prayer Campaign which is coming up on the 18th of August. You can read the prayer guide these Indian leaders have put together and join them in their efforts to pray for the “well-being, peace and prosperity” of India. 

Race Matters: Why We Must Send More Missionaries of Color

By
Doug Logan
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

For the sake of the gospel, it’s critical that we send more missionaries of color because race matters. I grew up in historically black churches. I planted an inner-city church. Now I pastor a multiethnic congregation, and I work with planters in urban communities around the world. But I only know one black missionary serving on the field today.

Just one.

Granted, my knowledge is limited. But according to recent estimates, African Americans comprise as few as 1 percent of international missionaries. As recently as 2013, in fact, only 27 of the SBC’s 4,900 missionaries were black. Similar stats about the rarity of missionaries from other demographics are easy to find as well.

At this point, the conversation often veers toward discussing the historic causes of this disparity. Those are important, but I’m more interested in a way forward. For the glory of God and the sake of the nations, we need to send more missionaries of color to the world. I want to show you why we must and how we can. But first, we have to talk about who “we” is.

Race Matters. Wait. Who’s “We”?

I’m arguing that we need to send more missionaries of color to the world. But many missionaries serving today are already sent from non-white, non-Western countries (places like Brazil, South Korea, and India). This is a wonderful reality reflecting the rapid rise of a global Christianity.

“For the glory of God and the sake of the nations, we need to send more missionaries of color to the world.”

Nevertheless, if you look at the top ten missionary-sending countries (p. 76), the US still sends more than the next seven countries combined. We should rejoice in the increasing missionary work of believers from other nations. But we also need to recognize that America still has a disproportionate effect on world missions—for good or for bad.

So when I say we need to send more missionaries of color to the world, I’m talking about North American sending agencies. I’m talking about the International Mission Board along with other likeminded organizations in America that we love and pray for.

Race Matters: Why Missions Can’t Be Colorblind

In a perfect world, everybody could accept the truth from anybody. Blacks could hear truth from whites, and vice versa. The poor could hear truth from the rich. And nations struggling under the long arm of oppression could hear truth from descendants of their oppressors.

But we don’t live in a perfect world. Instead, we live in a world where fallen hearts are hunting for any excuse to reject the gospel. This is why Paul had his Timothy (who was biracial) circumcised for the sake of the Jews (Acts 16:1–3). There wasn’t anything wrong with Timothy; nevertheless, something about Timothy was still a stumbling block for his audience.

“In a perfect world, everybody could accept the truth from anybody. . . . But we don’t live in a perfect world.”

Like it or not, the legacy of European colonialism is a major stumbling block for many of the millions who suffer in places ravaged by centuries of light-skinned oppression. In contexts like these, black and brown missionaries simply bring credibility that’s hard to obtain otherwise. On top of this, diverse missionary teams avoid sending the wrong message about our faith. Simply by virtue of being different, they help the world see that the gospel is for all types of people.

Race Matters: How to Address the Current Lack of Color

We can do one of two things at this point. We can ignore the racial realities of global history and the stumbling blocks that exist because of them. Or we can take the recognized need to be contextually sensitive and expand it to include being color conscious. It’s not much of a choice.

Being color conscious will not usher in the return of McGavran’s homogenous unit principle with its strategic avoidance of diversity in our churches. On the contrary, we are seeking to increase the diversity of our missionary teams. Yet the goal is not decreasing the number of white missionaries on the field. Rather, the goal is a Psalm 67 consummation of a Matthew 28 commission. We want all ethnē (nations) going to all ethnē.

Confessing Sin Is Always Awkward, Sometimes Costly, and Absolutely Worth It

By
John Lee
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Confessing sin is always awkward but it’s worth it. Here’s why.

I sat alone in the church for 15 minutes. The acquaintance who had invited me was nowhere to be found. Finally, he walked in with his fiancée. In jest, I told him he was a bad example of what a godly church member should be.

“Yeah, my fiancée and I had a huge fight,” he said. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. I barely knew him! Why was he being so vulnerable?

CONFESSING SIN IS NOT ABOUT UPHOLDING A REPUTATION

Growing up in a traditional Asian American church, I was taught the importance of reputation. I was told to avoid confessing struggles and sins. Because my dad was respected in church ministry, if I shared my sins with others, it would taint my parents’ image. So I struggled with lust, pride, and depression—alone.

One of the most effective yet elusive methods of destroying a man is to turn him into a hypocrite. It’s easy to see the vileness of a murderer, adulterer, or demon-worshipper. But hypocrisy is a silent killer. Many Christians claim to be willing to lose their lives but can’t risk their own reputations. We’re more preoccupied with others thinking we’re like Christ than actually being like him. The irony is that God sees us exactly as we are. He sees the comprehensive depravity of our sins, even the ones we rationalize away.

Reputation is a dam that blocks living water from flowing into our souls. It keeps us from confessing our sins. But in Christ, God has been gracious to us, which means we don’t have to prove ourselves. His throne of judgment has turned into a throne of grace! We can boldly look at the holy, righteous God and run to him in our time of need (Hebrews 4:14–16).

Nonetheless, confessing sin to one another is hard. But we must remember two things: Scripture instructs us, and God’s grace helps us. Consider these words from James: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed” (5:16).

Consistent Christian living consists of confessing sin consistently. So how do we get better at this distinctly Christian practice?

1. Confess to your fellow church members.

God has designed the church to be a community that’s committed to one another: “And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:24–25).

Committed churchgoers have a mutual responsibility for one another’s relationship with Jesus. When this responsibility is made explicit through church membership, the church grows into deep covenant community.

If you’re a member of a church, then that church is stuck with you, warts and all! And you’re committed to them as well. Your primary accountability is not with a parachurch group or a godly mentor but with the church body. This kind of relationship enables confession.

2. Be specific but not explicit.

Confessions can be littered with vague Christian generalities that do not expose sin for what it is. After the Samaritan woman meets Jesus, she runs into the town exclaiming, “He told me everything I ever did” (John 4:39).

Be specific in your confessions. Don’t just say that you “gave into lust,” but say that you viewed pornography the previous night and acted on it. Don’t just say that you’re struggling with envy, but share what lies you were thinking and believing. Don’t just say your marriage is rough, but share the specific difficulties and arguments.

And yet, don’t be explicit. Don’t say things in a way that would entice sin for others. Confession is meant to expose the ugliness of sin, not to recklessly tempt others into sin. Use discernment and wisdom, and be willing to speak honestly about boundaries as well as sins.

3. Embrace the awkward.

Confessing sin is uncomfortable. It should be because sin should never be comfortable. Even so, making the leap into confession can seem daunting. There’s no shortcut to ease into confession. Just do it. Embrace the awkward.

And remember: confessing sin isn’t just for your benefit, it’s for the recipients of the confession as well. I remember visiting a couple in the church who opened the door saying, “Come on in! We’re having a fight right now.” They spent a short time explaining the details of the fight, then “timed-in” and continued the argument. Later, they “timed-out” and asked me to share any potential sins being committed or insights that could be helpful. I was only 19, but I was discipled into thinking maturely about marriage and reconciliation.

CONCLUSION

It’s true. Confession could cost your reputation. It could result in an awkward conversation. But freedom in the gracious, holy light of God is priceless.

This article about confessing sin originally appeared here.

Hillsong’s Marty Sampson Says He’s Losing His Faith and He’s Not Bothered

By
Megan Briggs
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Editor’s Note: Since the publishing of this article, Marty Sampson has clarified his original statement saying he is “losing my faith.” The singer posted another statement saying his faith was not lost totally, but on shaky ground. You can read his update here.

One of Hillsong United’s original band members, Marty Sampson, has announced he is no longer a Christian. The Australian native posted the announcement on his Instagram account, stating he feels “at peace with the world.” 

Marty Sampson: I’m Losing My Faith

“I’m genuinely losing my faith, and it doesn’t bother me. Like, what bothers me now is nothing,” Sampson wrote in the Instagram post that has since been deleted. 

Sampson has been a contributing member and worship leader for several of the bands connected to Hillsong Church. He’s contributing to songs for Hillsong United and Hillsong Young & Free. He joined the Hillsong Church Australia in the late 1990s and has also collaborated with members of the Christian band Delirious. In addition to his work with other Christian artists, Sampson has also created a solo album, Let Love Rule and an album with the band The Red Bikes.

For Hillsong, Sampson mainly stuck to vocals, the guitar, and the piano. The last album he worked on with Hillsong was Hillsong Young & Free’s 2018 release III. Sampson collaborated with Aodhan King and Benjamin Hastings to write the song “Jesus Loves Me” on that album. 

Citing numerous things “no one talks about”, Sampson brings up sticky subjects that have cost the church (and Christianity as a consequence) a lot of credibility recently. In his list of things no one talks about, he mentions preachers falling, the dearth of miracles we see happen, the Bible being full of contradictions, and the seeming dissonance between an unconditionally loving God who sends people to eternal damnation. 

Sampson says he wants “genuine” truth that doesn’t rely on platitudes like “I just believe it.” He goes on: “Science keeps piercing the truth of every religion. Lots of things help people change their lives, not just one version of God.” 

Sampson’s deconversion, as some refer to it, from Christianity comes shortly after popular Christian author and former pastor Josh Harris made a similar announcement a couple weeks ago. 

Mississippi Churches Offer Help After Immigration Raids

By
Stephanie Martin
-
immigration raids
The English speaking Sunday School children, right, sing several songs as they welcome the attendees of the Spanish mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Canton, Miss., Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. Churches have been key to providing spiritual and emotional comfort to workers following immigration raids at seven Mississippi poultry plants, including one in Canton, and are now stepping up to provide material aid to jailed or out-of-work church members, even as some church leaders denounce the raids that Republican leaders of the conservative state have applauded. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Following last week’s immigration raids on seven food-processing plants in Mississippi, congregations and religious organizations are providing food, shelter, and legal assistance for people in need.

On August 7, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted one of the largest immigration raids in more than a decade, arresting 680 people. Because the raid occurred on the first day of school, many students returned home parentless. By the next morning, almost half of the detainees had been released—some because ICE is out of space and some because of humanitarian reasons. According to ICE officials, humanitarian factors include having small children at home, being pregnant, or having serious health problems.

While clergy members and civil rights activists spoke out against the raid, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant praised the arrests, saying illegal immigrants must “bear the responsibility of that federal violation.”

Churches Rally to Meet Immediate Needs After Immigration Raids

In Canton, Mississippi, the Rev. Michael O’Brien of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church waited outside one food plant until 4 a.m. Thursday. He comforted people whose family members were detained and gave rides home to employees who’d hidden inside the building. “The people are all afraid,” O’Brien says. “Their doors are locked, and they won’t answer.”

Sacred Heart is “running a Crisis Center in our Parish Hall,” according to the church’s website. Lawyers, counselors, and social workers are available to meet with impacted families, and the congregation is collecting food donations, hygiene items, and school supplies.

“We have confirmed that all our children have at least one parent in their home, so they are safe,” the church notes. “But these children are sad, traumatized, and scared.” Sacred Heart is planning a temporary daycare ministry, providing meals, and collecting emergency funds for rent and household expenses. “Parents no longer have jobs, and with this sudden loss of income families are facing a frightening and uncertain future,” the website says.

The Scott County Baptist Association launched a GoFundMe page for the local crisis center, aiming “to provide food, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and other emergency necessities to families in need.” 

Pastor Hugo Villegas, a missionary for that association, leads three Spanish-speaking missions in the area. Although people are dropping off food and clothing, few Hispanics tend to make use of the association’s panty, so the pastor’s wife, Tere, is trying to spread the word about all the available help. 

In the town of Forest, Trinity Missionary Church also has opened its doors as a collection center for affected residents. “Community has been great,” says volunteer Michael Bermudez. “There’s been food and donations coming [from] around the United States.” 

Catholic Charities in the diocese of Jackson, the state capital, is seeking volunteers to process, store, and deliver donations. The group promises that 100 percent of donations will go toward supporting families dealing with unemployment as a result of last week’s raids. Its Migrant Support Center offers legal assistance and community outreach such as informing immigrants about their rights. 

Clergy Release Joint Statement Opposing Immigration Raids 

“Some churches are going beyond comfort and material aid, with their response flaring into political opposition,” notes an Associated Press article. Last Friday, local Catholic, Episcopal, United Methodist, and Evangelical Lutheran bishops released a joint statement condemning the immigration raids, saying they cause “unacceptable suffering” and create “a climate of fear.”

The religious leaders urged Christians of all denominations to “stand in solidarity to provide solace, material assistance, and strength for the separated and traumatized children, parents, and families.” The leaders add they’re “committed to a just and compassionate reform to our nation’s immigration system.”

Catholic Bishop Joseph Kopacz calls the raids “a man-made disaster,” saying detainees “are our neighbors” and “hardworking people.” He adds, “They’re not criminals, the vast majority of them.”

Pastors See Need for Racial Reconciliation More Than Other Christians

By
Megan Briggs
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Racial reconciliation matters to church leaders. A new Barna study released this year reveals pastors and church leaders are more likely than other Christians to believe the church should work to repair the damage done to the African American community at the hands of slavery and racism. The study reveals two-thirds of pastors (65 percent) believe the effects of slavery continue to be felt today, while only half (50 percent) of practicing Christians agree with that belief.

“Acknowledgement is vital to the forgiveness process…Acknowledgement allows a person to see and absorb what has happened so that they are ready for grace to be applied. Even before God forgives our sin, there has to be an acknowledgement,” Pastor Mark Strong of Life Change Church told Barna.   

The study, conducted April 2018 – August 2018, surveyed 1,007 adults, 1,502 practicing Christians, and 600 senior pastors, all in the United States. For its pastor sample, Barna says it “oversampled” to include 100 respondents who are black pastors.  

Slavery Was Introduced to America 400 Years Ago

The timing of Barna’s study is significant: 2019 marks the passing of 400 years since African slaves were brought to the United States. “Many historians note the summer of 1619 as the beginning of slavery in America,” the study’s report states. Due to this milestone, Barna says “many are taking time to reflect on the history of racial injustice in America and their responsibility in healing the wounds of inequality that have been inflicted on black Americans over the last four centuries.”

However, opinions vary widely in the church about whether the effects of slavery are still felt in the African American community and what role, if any, the church should play in correcting these effects. As can be expected, opinion on this subject tends to fall along racial lines; a previous Barna study showed 59 percent of black U.S. adults strongly disagreeing with the belief that racism is a thing of the past, while only 39 percent of white adults strongly disagreed. 

The new study asked practicing Christians how the Church should respond to the African American community now, in light of its 400-year history. Thirty-three percent of white practicing Christians responded there’s nothing the church should do, while only 15 percent of black practicing Christians said the same. Twenty-eight percent of all practicing Christians believe there’s nothing the church should do while only 19 percent of all pastors feel the same way.

Pastors Are More Empathic to Racial Reconciliation 

Barna interprets the data it collected on practicing Christians and pastors this way: “Pastors appear more empathic than practicing Christians not only about the reality of racial inequality, but also about the Church’s role in addressing it.” Because the majority of pastors believe the effects of slavery are still being felt today, there are also more likely to believe the church should play a role in addressing the problem. 

For instance, 45 percent of all pastors surveyed believe the church should work to “repair the damage” of the African American community, while only 26 percent of all practicing Christians feel the same. There is quite a lot of variance in how people believe the damage should be addressed, however, and these nuances tend to fall along denominational lines. For instance, while 36 percent of all pastors believe the Church should repent, only 27 percent of non-mainline protestant pastors believe this. Sixty percent of mainline protestant pastors believe repenting is in order. (For more thoughts on a non-mainline protestant pastor’s views on repenting for “generational sins”, you can read about Al Mohler’s thoughts.) 

There is a greater consensus among non-mainline protestant pastors that lament should be employed (29 percent). Mainline pastors also look to lament as a viable option (56 percent). As far as tangible action is concerned, 30 percent of mainline pastors believe pursuing restitution with African Americans is in order, while only 13 percent of non-mainline pastors agree with that thought. 

Barna Research

The study’s report also points out the influence pastors have in their congregant’s thoughts on racial reconciliation and the social justice debate in general. “Practicing Christians who say that “justice” is a frequent topic in their leaders’ teaching are less likely to dismiss the Church’s role in reconciliation (24 percent vs. 40 percent of practicing Christians who never hear about justice say there is nothing to be done),” the report says. 

As far as why pastors are more apt than other Christians to say the fallout of slavery and racism still continues today, perhaps the answer lies in the fact that as spiritual leaders, pastors are more in tune to the needs, problems, and hardships of other people. Thus, they’re more concerned about racial reconciliation.

8 Reasons Pastors Get Fired

By
Chuck Lawless
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Over the past several years, I’ve paid more attention to reasons pastors—including some of my acquaintances and former students—have been fired. In some cases, the congregation has been a “knucklehead” group of people who’ve treated a leader poorly; but, I’ve also seen some leaders who invited trouble by doing the following:

  1. Leading too quickly into change. It wasn’t that change wasn’t needed; it was that leaders pushed change so hard and so quickly that the church wasn’t ready to move in that direction.
  2. Pushing one theological agenda. Here, I’m not talking about somebody promoting heresy. In these cases, it’s been leaders who think their particular “ism” is the only correct one within the realm of evangelicalism—and they crusade for it.
  3. Being lazy and unaccountable. This would include leaders who view ministry as only a 40-hour per week job, with little or no willingness to work beyond that limit. It also includes leaders in small churches who answer to no one and often do ministry alone.
  4. Plagiarizing sermons. This approach to sermon preparation has always been a bad one, but access to sermons on the Internet has now made it easier to do—and easier to get caught.
  5. Creating conflict with other staff members. Some leaders are great at things like casting vision but not so great at leading a staff. When the staff are longer-term, beloved members, conflict can lead to the new guy’s departure.
  6. Falling morally. Many of us don’t have to look very far to find someone who’s walked this painful path. Some folks make decisions and take actions that cost them more than they ever gained by their faulty choices.
  7. Failing to shepherd the people. When this failure has led to dismissal, it’s most often been when pastors see their role almost exclusively as the one who studies the Word and preaches—so much, in fact, that they see little need to walk with the people.
  8. Mismanaging funds. Perhaps it’s been spending the church’s money in frivolous and wrong ways, or maybe it’s been spending without accountability. Either way, financial issues have led a church to distrust their leader—which makes it difficult for him to lead.

What other reasons would you add to this list?

This article originally appeared here.

What Is the Gospel?

By
Scott Sauls
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

What is the gospel? The Gospel is more than the “first step in a staircase” of truths. It is better likened to the hub of a wheel, the central reality around which all of life is arranged. It is not a basic truth from which we move on to deeper truths, but is the central truth from which all other truth flows. Whether you are just beginning to investigate Christianity, or are a life-long follower of Christ, the Gospel is the one, single thing you must grasp if your life is to be all God designed your life to be. Without the Gospel, life becomes distorted in many, many ways. With the Gospel, life is set to a path toward beauty and wholeness.

So what is the Gospel? The hard news of the Gospel is that the universe and everything in it is wearing down all the time, and we are more sinful and broken than we realize. The freeing news of the Gospel is that God, through the person and work of Jesus, plans to restore both the universe and his people to their original beauty and glory. Following are three big truths of the Gospel—truths that are foundational for all other teaching about faith and life.

What Is the Christian Gospel?

  1. What Is the Gospel? God Will Restore All Broken Things

The core truth of the Gospel is that through Jesus, the love and power of God have entered history to make all things new. This renewal includes the hearts of people, but also much more. God intends to renew the entire universe. He will restore people, places, and things to their original, ‘very good’ condition as described in Genesis 3. The Bible tells us the world is not the way it is supposed to be. Because of this, people and creation itself groan in anticipation of all things being made new again—restored to their original beauty and wholeness before sin entered the world (Romans 8:18-25; Revelation 21:1-5).

What does this mean? It means that life in the present world can include seasons of joy and splendor (a satisfying friendship or romance, a new car, straight A’s, an athletic victory, a delicious meal, beautiful music, etc.). But there is also much of life that is broken and difficult (frustration in work, pain in relationships, financial strain, sickness, death). In spite of the fact that all things eventually break down, even in the worst of circumstances, those who live inside the Gospel can also live with hope (2 Corinthians 4:7-18, 12:7-10). Though things aren’t perfect now, it will all be made right when God renews all things.

There is also room for a kind of redemptive discontent for those who believe the Gospel. Think of the last improvement project you set out to complete (remodeling a kitchen, dusting off furniture, weeding a lawn, strengthening a relationship, healing an illness, getting a haircut, editing an essay, etc.). Both the frustration you felt before the work was done (this isn’t how it’s supposed to be…it could be so much better!), and the sense of satisfaction you felt when the project was completed, are glimpses of God’s image working in and through you. He is a God who eagerly desires, as the rock band U2 sings, to “make beauty out of ugly things.”

1...888889890...1,183Page 889 of 1,183
855,266FansLike

New Articles

Mother’s Day craft for Sunday school

Mother’s Day Craft for Sunday School: 7 Keepsakes Moms Will Love

Megan Briggs -
A Mother’s Day craft for Sunday school celebrates women and teaches children to honor their parents. Check out these 7 keepsake crafts that honor Mom!
Bible verse Mother’s Day prayer

Bible Verse Mother’s Day Prayer and Worship Ideas To Honor Moms

Mother’s Day craft

Mother’s Day Craft: Bible Bookmarks Are in Full Bloom

Mother’s Day sermons

Mother’s Day Sermons & Resources: 20 Ways to Honor Women

New Podcasts

Joby Martin

Joby Martin: What Happens When Pastors Finally Understand Grace

Jessica Lea -
Joby Martin joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to discuss what happens when a church leader has truly been run over by the “grace train" and understands the profound love and grace of God.
Jennie Allen

Best of 2024—Jennie Allen: Why Church Leaders Need To Pay Attention...

Jon Acuff

Best of 2024: Jon Acuff—How To Pursue Success Without Destroying Your...

Libin Abraham

Libin Abraham on God’s Surprising Job Description for the Pastor

ChurchLeaders.com is dedicated to resourcing, informing, and connecting a community of church leaders for greater Kingdom impact worldwide.
Contact us: support@churchleaders.com

Company

Trending

Popular Categories

© ChurchLeaders