“The influx of people from all over the world has happened in the last five years….What is your church like? Are you learning to love a wide variety of cultures and educational backgrounds? I hope so.” - Don Johnson
“In this episode, Ligon Duncan and Matt Smethurst discuss what church discipline is (and isn’t), why healthy congregations practice it… advice for fostering a culture in your church where discipline will seem faithful, not foreign.” - TGC
“In every organization, particularly in churches, there’s an invisible gravitational pull toward safety, sameness, and silence. … But a well-timed laugh? It slips past all those well-guarded defenses. That’s the beauty of an inside joke.” - Lifeway
“Ask Jesus into your heart.” You’ve heard it said. Maybe you’ve said it yourself. Often, it’s what we say to children as we encourage them to become Christians. I’ve heard it in the U.S., the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. “Ask Jesus into your heart” has become standard verbiage in leading someone to Christ.
But what does this mean? How does the Bible use this phrase? What do those who hear us say it think we mean by this? When did this phrase enter our Christian vocabulary?1
“It shall be left to each individual heart, and each member of the church, to answer for himself the question, whether his own church is in a state of spiritual health, taking these things as a test; namely, purity, soundness, unity, and prayerfulness.” - 9 Marks
“The beauty of the parish model is the combination of two powerful forces which facilitate ‘one another’ care: relationships and proximity… We believe deepening relational connections between leaders and members who live near each other builds a culture of care in the church.” - 9 Marks
“God can use programs. I know people who have come to faith at evangelistic events…. But I don’t think programs are the most effective or even the primary way we should do evangelism.” - 9 Marks
“Church should be the place we sprint to when things are at their worst, not the place we avoid until we’ve got our Instagram-worthy Christianity back in place.” - TGC
“…have you ever noticed that Christians who heavily emphasize holiness often lack openness and honesty? Have you ever noticed that Christians who heavily emphasize openness and honesty often lack holiness?” - Pursuing the Pursuer
“Love the people of God where they are, no matter how weird they may be.” - Strange Tales from the Pulpit Supply Circuit
