On Apples Stores and the DMV: Two Kinds of Churches that Create Complementarian Chaos
By Alex Duke | 9Marks Journal: Complementarianism: A Moment of Reckoning | 12.11.2019I’ve been in churches whose authority structures are like an Apple Store’s, and I’ve been in churches whose authority structures are like the DMV’s. In both cases—but in different ways—chaos bubbles up to the surface.
Nominal Christianity—Not Complementarianism—Leads to Abuse
By Caleb Morell | 9Marks Journal: Complementarianism: A Moment of Reckoning | 11.22.2019Conservative views on marriage and family are not sufficient in and of themselves to create healthy families and marriages. Church participation and membership make a huge difference.
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.
Some Counsel for Christians Leaving Toxic Church Environments
By Lucas O'Neill | 11.15.2019Recovery for genuine believers who have been damaged by failed churches is a grueling process.
4 Members Who Tear Down the Church
By Chopo Mwanza | 11.08.2019All these members have a common thread: self-centeredness. They’ve missed the very essence of salvation; they’ve failed to love God and love people with every ounce of their being.
6 Members Who Build Up the Church
By Chopo Mwanza | 11.04.2019Dear church member, pursue these qualities in your own life and encourage them in others.
9 Suggestions for Better Members’ Meetings
By Brad Wheeler | 10.28.2019Do member’s meetings always have to end in bitterness and bickering? I don’t think so. Here are nine suggestions to help set members’ meetings on the right track.
“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).
A Tale of Two Baptist Associations
By Geoff Chang | 09.23.2019Let me tell you the tale of two Baptist associations.
What Did the Cross Achieve?: The Logic of Penal Substitution
By J. I. Packer | 9Marks Journal: The Heart of the Gospel: Penal Substitutionary Atonement | 08.20.2019The task which I have set myself in this lecture is to focus and explicate a belief which, by and large, is a distinguishing mark of the word-wide evangelical fraternity: namely, the belief that the cross had the character of penal substitution, and that it was in virtue of this fact that it brought salvation to mankind.
3 Ways Baptism & the Lord’s Supper Ought to Shape our Monday through Saturday
By Sam Emadi | 08.12.2019For too many Christians, baptism and the Supper are exclusively about personal professions of faith, and personal expression of one’s obedience to Jesus.
Confessing Sin Is Always Awkward, Sometimes Costly, and Absolutely Worth It
By John Lee | 07.22.2019It’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.
Mailbag #86: Considering the Danger, Should Muslim-Background Believers Be Baptized . . . My Friends Who Want to Be Pastors Think Polity Is Boring. How Can I Help Them?
By A. Menikoff, A. Duty | 07.12.2019— Should we encourage Muslim-background believers to be baptized, even when it endangers their lives? — My friends want to be pastors. But they have no interest in polity. How can I help them see its importance?
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.
Two Reasons a Church Shouldn’t Have Multiple Gatherings
By Kyle Schwahn | 07.01.2019I’ve pastored my church for over twelve years. We’ve always had two morning services, and I never gave them much thought. Until . . .
