Discipline
A Strict But Clear Definition of the Church Brings Freedom
By Caleb Greggsen | 08.24.2020How would you, according to Scripture, define the church? Does this definition free you up or weigh you down?
Why Churches Should Excommunicate Longstanding Non-Attenders
By Alex Duke | 9Marks Journal: Church Discipline: Medicine for the Body | 08.14.2020I’ve never met a growing and mature Christian who doesn’t regularly attend a gospel-preaching church.
Build Fences Around Your Flock
By Joel Kurz | 9Marks Journal: Shepherding: The Work & Character of a Pastor | 06.30.2020We must guard the sheep against wolves. For this reason, we must know how to build fences; that is, we must lead our church in practicing meaningful membership and discipline.
Whacking the Wolves
By Juan Sanchez | 9Marks Journal: Shepherding: The Work & Character of a Pastor | 06.30.2020How should we confront the problem of wolves in the church? At times, we must protect the sheep by whacking the wolves with the shepherd’s rod.
Opportunity or Accommodation? Thinking Through Cultural Practices in the Immigrant Church
By Geoff Chang | 04.10.2020Different cultural practices can create an opportunity for growth or lead to a compromise of the gospel. How can churches discern whether or not they’re on the road to compromising the gospel?
Why We Produced the Church Questions Series
By Sam Emadi | 04.09.2020The church isn’t just one aspect of the Christian life, it’s the context of our Christian life—it shapes all the other aspects of our Christian obedience.
4 Reasons You Should Preach through 1 Corinthians
By J. Mack Stiles | 11.18.2019Let me give you four reasons why it’s worth it to preach through 1 Corinthians.
“Is This a Sin?”: Ethical Triage and Church Discipline
By Andrew T. Walker | 10.02.2019When it comes to ethical conflicts facing local churches, we need to carefully distinguish categories of “may” (permissible), “should/should not” (advisable), and “must” (obligatory).
7 Well-Meaning Objections to Church Discipline — And How Pastors Ought to Respond to Them
By C. Greggsen, S. Emadi | 07.05.2019Let’s briefly consider some of the “good-faith” objections to discipline we’ve encountered and how we try to help church members understand the theological principles undergirding discipline.
Stories of Restoration after Church Discipline
By J. Kurz, J. Folmar, P. Newton | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Following the Lord Together | 05.07.2019We asked three pastors to share a story of restoration—that is, someone who had been restored to membership after being disciplined for unrepentant sin.
Mailbag #76: The Role of Matthew 18’s “One or Two Witnesses” . . . Must Christians Go to Church Every Sunday? . . . How to Care for an Unwed & Pregnant Member
By B. Johnson, J. Kurz, P. Martin | 03.01.2019Three pastors answer one question each about church discipline, church attendance, and caring for a church member who is unwed and pregnant.
Why Your Doctrine of Perseverance Demands Church Discipline
By Raymond Johnson | 9Marks Journal: Ecclesiology for Calvinists | 02.05.2019A “once saved, always saved” motif that doesn’t understand conversion and its vital connection to a church shouldn’t comfort anyone in any way.
Best Books for Pastors in 2018
By Alex Duke | 12.21.2018We asked pastors from around the world a simple question: what books did you read in 2018 that helped you be a better pastor?
Does Pornography Use Ever Justify Church Discipline?
By Brad Wheeler | 9Marks Journal: The Pastor and Pornography | 10.30.2018At what point, if ever, does a persistent pattern of pornography warrant church discipline?
8 Reasons Your Excuses for Not Practicing Church Discipline Don’t Work
By Paul Alexander | 09.24.2018As it turns out, these eight excuses not to practice church discipline are actually reasons *to* practice church discipline.
