Posts with the tag “community”

The warmth of Paul’s closing comes from his godly affection for this faithful church. He began the letter with grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now he concludes, maintaining his focus on the centrality of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.   Read More

Have you tried to lift something heavy with other people without communicating? You lift and they don’t. It is very frustrating to expend so much energy for no good purpose. Little can be accomplished when we don’t work together or work at cross purposes.  Read More

There have been seasons of my life as a Christian in which I was deeply connected and supported by brothers and sisters in the work of the gospel. I think back to my youth group in middle school and our missions trips to San Francisco for a week of service, worship, and sharing our faith. Similar times shaped my life in high school, college, seminary, and in my life since seminary.  Read More

I am very concerned with my own interests. They are mine for crying out loud. I am focused on paying the mortgage, taking care of my kids, not being a jerk as a husband, doing good work. When it comes to faith, I’m interested to learn more, not be fake, and to grow closer to God. I am interested in others in our church and at least have some sense of my need to make the world a better place. You probably have some lists like this that inform your life. They are your interests.  Read More

How are things progressing for you in your life with Jesus? Paul’s desire to continue serving faithfully on earth was for the Philippians “progress and joy in the faith.” His expectation and goal was for their growth and progress in faith. He is speaking about character transformation through the truth of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to enable them to stand up to external persecution and community discord. This strength of faith is exactly what Paul is hoping for them and it is his hope and love for them that drives him to persevere on their behalf.  Read More

Whatever time we are able to take to slowly look at scripture is worth it, because it yields insights that were not evident before. Take today’s passage for instance. I had always thought of it as a bit of a conundrum related to some interplay between our work and God’s work in salvation, but the context changes how we look at the issue.  Read More

What is Christian unity? It is not a feeling or always agreeing about everything, rather it is an understanding and steadfast commitment to believing the gospel and living out its ramifications in our life together as the church.  Read More