Yesterday, I wrote about the decline of the Sunday evening service. This was in response to some discussion about it on social media. In that conversation, one person shared a link to this article which seeks to set out a Biblical basis for attending both a morning and evening service. I wonder what you make… Continue reading Sundays, Sabbaths and Legalism
Tag: legalism
Pastor: Preach grace to yourself
It was just after I’d preached my first placement sermon whilst studying at Oak Hill and the pastor of the church, Joe Kapolyo came over to me to give me a little bit of feedback. “Well I’ve got some good news for you. It wasn’t perfect.” My initial mental response was “Well if that’s the… Continue reading Pastor: Preach grace to yourself
Why are people attending church less frequently?
One of the trends that quite a few people have noticed in recent years has been the change in definition of what it means to attend church regularly. To those of us in church leadership, who have been Christians for some time, regular attendance tends to mean “at least once a week.” However, the reality… Continue reading Why are people attending church less frequently?
Generous Righteousness: The one who lavishes grace on us
The story of Ruth is also of course the story of Boaz and what an incredible story it is. Boaz is the land owner who sees a foreign widow gleaning in his field and when he finds out who she is insists that she is protected and well treated. Of course, Boaz at one level… Continue reading Generous Righteousness: The one who lavishes grace on us
How not to be a heretic – preaching the negatives
One well known preacher allegedly once said that if we are to preach the Gospel properly, so that it’s full force is heard, then we are likely to be accused of being anti-nominans. An anti-nomian (against law) is someone who believes and teaches that the law only applied before Christ, we are now under grace… Continue reading How not to be a heretic – preaching the negatives
Cauterised Consciences
#TheDailyDose 1 Timothy 4:1-5
How (not) to be a guilt driven church
#TheDailyDose – Ephesians 2:8-10 The book we bought and the book we read Rick Warren’s best sellers “The purpose driven life” and “The purpose driven church” –but a lot of churches and Christian lives feel “guilt driven” …not purpose driven What do I mean …. Trying to bridge a gap “For it is by grace… Continue reading How (not) to be a guilt driven church
How much application?
We are usually told that we need “more application” and that our sermons shouldn’t become boring technical lectures, so this article from Chris Thomas may prove a surprising read to many. For balance, you may want to read this from Steve Kneale showing that there are still people arguing for more application. I also want… Continue reading How much application?
Relax, refresh, restart
I’ve been writing a few articles about churches and life after lockdown. In them, I’ve included some potentially provocative comments about traditional midweek church ministries. Please don’t get me wrong on this. I’m not saying that you must never run these activities. I simply have a twofold point. The first is that a lot of… Continue reading Relax, refresh, restart
Has COVID exposed our problem with legalism?
I remember a conversation with someone who came from a fairly strict church background about when it was permissible to not say grace. They explained how church leaders in the past had gone to great lengths to talk about the size of the meal. It was a bit like the gymnastics the government went through… Continue reading Has COVID exposed our problem with legalism?
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