Musings

Blogosphere

Good reading and listening.

How important proper perspective is–you don’t work at  the worst place.

Andy Stanley and Louie Giglio discussing ministry and church.

Taking control of social media.

Michael Svigel is starting a set of posts on the church.  The pillers of the church: Marks–orthodoxy, order, ordinances; Works–exultation, edification, evangelism.

The pillar of essential Marks includes Orthodoxy, Order, andOrdinances. Orthodox believers are those who hold to the essential truths of the Christian faith–those fundamentals of the faith that have been believed everywhere, always, and by all. It corresponds with the Protestant emphasis on the “Word of God purely preached and heard” (1 Tim 3:14—15; 2 Tim 1:13—14; 3:13—4:5). Orderemphasizes the necessity of trained, trusted, and tested pastors, teachers, and shepherds of the church, to whom the orthodox faith has been entrusted to pass on to the next generation (Eph 4:11—12; 2 Tim 2:2; 1 Tim 3:1—13; Titus 1:5—9; Heb 13:17; 1 Pet 5:1—3). And the term Ordinances refers to the sacraments of the church, including baptism and the Lord’s Supper as closely associated with discipline and purity of the church’s members (Matt 28:18; 1 Cor 11:23—26; 1 Pet 3:21—22).

The pillar of essential Works includes Evangelism, Edification, andExultation. Evangelism is primarily world-focused, emphasizing local and global missions. It includes invitation and initiation into the church through the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in the person and work of Christ (Matt 28:18; Luke 24:46—49; John 20:30—31; Acts 1:8; Eph 2:8—9). Edification describes the church’s role of building up believers in love and good works through the participation of its various members in their Spirit-gifted ministries, resulting in unity and maturity (Matt 28:19—20; Rom 12:4—8; 1 Cor 3:10—17; Eph 2:19—22; 4:11—13; Heb 5:12—14; 10:23—25). Finally, Exultation refers to the purpose, goal, and focus of the church–to glorify God the Father, through the Son, and by the power of the Spirit. The church must exult God through corporate worship and prayer as well as by a God-glorifying presence in the world (Matt 5:16; 25:34—40; Rom 11:33—12:2; Gal 1:3—5; 1 Pet 4:8—11).

Author: Steve

I love to study the Bible and I love to engage with others in learning. I had been privileged to do this on a regular basis through church ministry and through part-time teaching at a local Bible colleges. Helping individuals learn to feed themselves through their own study of God’s Word is joy-giving to me. Influencing groups to do life and church from a biblically grounded, theologically faithful perspective is my passion.

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