Why I Pray Publicly for Other Churches
By Greg GilbertEvery Sunday morning, I lead the congregation of Third Avenue Baptist Church in what we call a “pastoral prayer.” I pray for many things during that time—congregational events, members who are suffering, evangelistic opportunities, various officials in government, missions opportunities, and even events that have been in the nation’s headlines.
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The Curse of the Rubber Stamp
By Greg GilbertOne of the more common troubles that trips up church elder boards is the “Curse of the Rubber Stamp.” You may know what I mean: One group of elders, often the lay elders, feel like they are being asked to “rubber stamp” the decisions of the staff elders. And they grow to resent that impression. Over time, disunity and discord creeps into the elder board, and some of the lay elders determine to stop supporting the staff at all, and to check them at every turn.
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A Roadmap for Church Reform
By Greg Gilbert
The work of church reform can look a little like a jungle when you’re in the thick of it. Where do I go from here? Where do I even start? What do you do first? What should you ignore? What’s the goal I should be working toward?
A ROADMAP FOR CHURCH REFORM
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The Case for the Senior Pastor
By Greg Gilbert
I am a member of a congregationalist church. I am one of seven elders in my church. I am a senior pastor. And I think all three of these roles are biblical and are good for the health of a local church.
That’s not to say that I believe that all three of these roles are equally weighted in the New Testament. Just to tip my cards, I think congregationalism and plural eldership are clearly taught, such that I would say that a church needs to be structured in both of those ways.
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Why Hell Is Integral to the Gospel
By Greg GilbertI’m sure you were overjoyed to learn that this issue of the 9Marks 9Marks Journal focuses on the topic of hell. In fact, it’s a topic that, if anything, makes us want to avert our eyes and think about something else entirely.
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Book Review: Your Best Life Now
Reviewed by Greg Gilbert
Someone might legitimately raise the question why we are reviewing this book. After all, the pattern here at 9Marks has been that we review Christian books.
I suppose we must be branching out now, because Joel Osteen’s Your Best Life Now is decidedly not one of those. Open the book to any random page, and you will likely find some mention of God or even a reference to Scripture. Yet that is just window-dressing.
Reviewed only
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Book Review: T.D. Jakes: Various Works
(These views were originally published on the 9Marks site in 2000.)
Works of T.D. Jakes
Reviewed only
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Book Review: The Scoop'a on NOOMA -- Part 3
Reviewed by Greg Gilbert
Here’s the scoop on the Rob Bell video series storming through youth rooms and sermon series across the country.
Here’s a list of the NOOMA videos I was able to watch, with a brief comment on each:
001 | Rain
Reviewed only
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Book Review: The Scoop'a on NOOMA -- Part 2
Reviewed by Greg Gilbert
Here’s the scoop on the Rob Bell video series storming through youth rooms and sermon series across the country.
Reviewed only
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