We are not in the human potential business. We are in the saint-making business. We seek to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ. We long to be people who reflect Christ in our daily lives - people who love God and love others. We must remain committed to this mission, for according to Jesus, what the world needs most are faithful disciples of Christ. »more
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We are not in the human potential business. We are in the saint-making business. We seek to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ. We long to be people who reflect Christ in our daily lives - people who love God and love others. We must remain committed to this mission, for according to Jesus, what the world needs most are faithful disciples of Christ. »more
The church is "a people whose life together witnesses to God’s redemption of creation.” This is accomplished through the witness of worship and the work of God's kingdom in the world. No matter how much people deny it, no matter how difficult the task to create and sustain it, the church truly matters – to God and to the world. »more
Too often, our attempts to make the faith "cool" are a "sellout to show-business" or a "caricature of culture" - a mere accommodation to a rapidly changing youth culture. Baptizing culture is dangerous because "culture is not the same as Spirit." There’s a difference between "trends" and "transcendence." »more
"As the Father has sent me, so I send you." How can Jesus' disciples fulfill such a staggering commission? Just moments before receiving this commission, they were shaking in fear in a locked room hiding from authorities. What could possibly transform this cowardly bunch of failures into a bold, courageous group? »more
The sinfulness, weakness, smallness, and unimpressiveness of the church make it hard to believe that this is truly God's way of impacting the world. It is for this reason that the early church was wise to encourage us in the earliest creeds to regularly confess:
"We believe in the church." Believing this was no easier for the early church than it is for us. »more
A culturally-bound gospel has resulted in a culturally-captive church that is unable to see its own bondage because it has distinguished its expression and experience of the gospel as universal, absolute, and definitive. As such, it is blind to its cultural accommodations and thus, arrogant in regard to its perceived privileged position as an absolute, ultimate, and complete expression of the gospel. »more
Will we create an environment that is devoted to being and making disciples? There are easier measures of success. Yet, if we want to know Christ's presence we will be involved in his mission. Christ has promised this only to those who seek to fulfill his mission. »more
The gospel creates a church: �I will build my church.� The church is an essential part of the gospel message. It is the fulfillment of Christ's mission. We can't be fully devoted to Christ without being devoted to His church. »more
Evangelism and discipleship must never be divorced from one another. Each feeds and sustains the other. Both are essential to "make disciples." »more
The church is not merely an institution existing for personal self-improvement. It is the Spirit-created missional community of God - God's missionary people. God's people are "God-bearers" to the world. »more
Our faith is personal but it is not private. According to Jesus, our faith is meant to be "public" or it is no faith at all. »more
