Seven Reasons Churches Are Too Busy January 28, 2015   Click here If local churches were humans, most of them would experience burnout. Many congregations are too busy to be effective. Many have a hodgepodge of seemingly unrelated activities. As a consequence, there is no clear plan or process of discipleship in these churches. Members are often confused about what they should do and how active they should be in the disparate ministries and programs. And some members pull back their involvement altogether in a sense of frustration and often guilt. So how did churches get so busy? How did their calendars fill up so quickly that it left no breathing room for members and staff? There seems to be seven major contributing factors. Many church leaders fail to ask the “why” questions when starting a new ministry.  Why are we starting this ministry? Why should we continue it long-term? Why are we asking people to be involved? When a church has no clear and compelling ...

God’s people are doubly his children, they are his offspring by creation, and they are his sons by adoption in Christ. Hence they are privileged to call him, “Our Father which art in heaven.”      -  Spurgeon Dear Church, We are the most blessed people because God has made us His children.  I pray you will find encouragement in that amazing truth. I pray that God will use you to see more become His adopted children.  Recap - In Sunday School, we finished week #2 of our new class  Meeting With God . Come back this upcoming Sunday for more on this encouraging topic. I pray your quiet times will bless you and others around you.  In the service, we gathered to praise our satisfying God.  We studied John 6 v16-35.  It was there we thought about how Jesus alone can satisfy our hearts. Christ is the bread from heaven who gives eternal life. Praise His name! Lord willing, we will be in John 6 v36-59. Read and pray ...

Dear Church, We had a great Lord’s Day together this past Sunday and I give praise to God for that and for many other blessings. Recap In Sunday School, we began our Sunday School class on  Meeting with God.   I pray you will all be encouraged in your walk with Jesus as you study together this very encouraging topic. Come out this Sunday morning at 9:30 as we continue to grow in our personal devotions. In the service we studied John 6 v1-15 and we began to see how Jesus is God’s promised rescuer of His people. Lord willing, this Sunday we will look at John 6 v16-35.  Please pray for me and the service. Read the passage in advance and commit to pray over it. Pray that our people will be built up to live for Christ and to  love one another. In the evening we gathered at 6PM for our Members Meeting. I’m so thankful for the good time we had together. We elected our officers and passed our budget. If you want the final numbers from the Budget pleas...

You Can’t Pass On Faith You Don’t Have Jan 17, 2015 | Trevin Wax Here is a challenging word in  First Things  from  Charles Chaput : As I look back on the last sixty years, one of the Scripture passages that stays with me most vividly is  Judges 2:6-15 . It’s the story of what happens  after  the Exodus and  after  Joshua wins the Promised Land for God’s people. Verse 10 says that Joshua “and all that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them, who did not know the Lord or the work which he had done for Israel.” It’s worth reading. So is the research Christian Smith has done on the religious beliefs of American teens and young adults. Every generation leaves a legacy of achievement and failure. In my lifetime, I’ve had the privilege of knowing many good men and women of my generation—Christians, Jews, and people with no religious faith at all; people who have made the world better by...

9 Benefits of Expository Preaching By Tony Merida Expository preaching is an approach that is founded on certain theological beliefs, such as the role of the preacher according to Scripture, the nature of the Scripture, and the work of the Spirit. Therefore, many of the benefits for doing exposition are hard to measure. However, nine practical-theological benefits are worth noting. Exposition calls for attention to be given to biblical doctrine . One has to preach on every doctrinal issue if they preach the whole council of God. This keeps the preacher from only dealing with his favorite subjects, and it will give the hearers theological stability. Exposition, done well, is good for both audiences: believers and non-believers . If one preaches the Scriptures in view of its redemptive history that culminates in Jesus, then the gospel will be integrated naturally into every sermon. The unbeliever will be confronted with his need for repentance and his hope that is in Christ. On t...

This was written by Brian Croft-  Click Here I've been asked this question many times not just through my  Practical Shepherding website , but even more recently in my own church by visitors. It is a common scenario. You move to a new area. You get find your new residence and job. You get the kids enrolled in school. Where you settle in a local church often becomes a longer, more drawn-out task. After checking out all the churches you desire to visit, here are four questions to ask yourself as you narrow the search to make a decision. 1. Is this a church where my family will be regularly fed by God’s Word?  This is the first question that needs to be asked. Not just are they faithful to the Word of God, but will this church preach and teach in such a way that my soul and the souls of my family will be nourished? In other words, are they preaching expositionally through books of the Bible as the regular, steady diet of the congregation? This a...

Dear LPBC, I pray you are well today and staying safe in the midst of some this messy weather.  When we see the snow we should be reminded of how  God has cleansed us of our sins by the sacrifice of Jesus. Isaiah 1 v18 reminds how God purifies us and makes us white as snow. 1 v18  “Come now, let us settle the matter,”     says the  Lord . “Though your sins are like scarlet,     they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson,     they shall be like wool. We should praise God for such purification found in Christ! Recap and Announcements- We had a wonderful Lord’s Day on Sunday to begin the year. In Sunday School, I began the first half of a refresher on evangelism. Come this Sunday at 9:30 A.M. for the second half. Let’s get focused in 2015 on the Great Commission! We should get focused on making Jesus known and  worshiped  by all.  Pray for this! Pra...