One Unique Challenge of Church Revitalizing
I have a great respect for church planters. It takes a lot of moxy to get that done. Not sure if I could do that. Church revitalizing, on the other hand, also offers some unique challenges. After doing this for 2 months (veteran!) there is something I’ve already noticed as a particular test for church...
Two Pastors: Opportunities and Challenges
One thing I’ve heard from several different sources about my time as assistant pastor at Central FWBC here in Royal Oak is, “That’s . . . different.” Yep, yep it is. Tom McCullough has led the church to see the need for an assistant pastor who will then take the reigns as the lead pastor...
Two Signs of Church Health
At the D6 Conference this past September, Doug Fields said, Bigger isn’t better. Better is better. There is a strong tendency to believe that larger churches are better churches. Consequently, we think the number one sign of whether or not a church is doing things right is whether or not it’s growing. Of course, Fields...
Moving to Royal Oak, Michigan
I was blessed to work at Randall House for over 5 years. But the Lord has moved me out of there, and we now know the next step He’d like us to take. Yes, that’s right. Lynsey and I are moving to Royal Oak, Michigan. Hopefully at the beginning of February. Those of you that...
Why do unsaved church-goers not realize they aren’t really saved?
There are unsaved, unrepentant sinners who sit in church pews every week. Don’t be deceived. Church membership does not mean someone was ever truly converted. Neither does tithing regularly. Or being on the deacon board. One sign of a true believer is someone who confesses that he is a sinner, and then lives a life...
Against Church Buildings: By Logan Wolf
Logan Wolf, church planter in Utah, approached me (Jacob) a week ago and asked to write a post on church buildings. I read the post he sent, and honestly, thought it needed a little balance. So I asked Chris Talbot to write a rebuttal. Keep in mind church buildings are a secondary issue at best,...
Big Dreams, Small Steps
The Lord is teaching me so much these days that it’s really difficult to take it all in, but one thing that I’m learning is how to go about starting ministries. As I write this, I would actually love to hear some church planters’ views on launching churches and ministries and how God has given...
What’s the Biggest Detriment to Corporate Worship Today?
Recently, I was asked this question by a group of college students and young adults and I found it an intriguing question. My first thought was, “The biggest detriment in corporate worship services today has to be judgmental attitudes.” Pharisaical ways of judging people, watching others intently with the heart to discredit their sincerity or...
Guest Post from John MacArthur*
A great guy who I spend a lot of time with** is John MacArthur, or as I call him, Jay Mac.*** I appreciate that he took time out of his busy schedule to provide these words of advice for us.**** Here are some of his thoughts from I Thessalonians 5:12-15. “Nothing is more devastating to...
Homosexuality and the Church in the Bible Belt: A Wakeup Call
If you’re like me, you know homosexuality and Christianity are being mixed . . . somewhere. But, it’s time for a wakeup call. And this wakeup call might come in the form of an article that appeared in the Tennessean on October 19, 2011. We need to wake up to the issue of homosexuality and...
When The Service Goes All Wrong
I hate it when things go wrong. I really hate it when the Sunday morning service goes wrong. Two Sundays ago CFWBC had one of those services. Heading into the service everything looked great! We started out with two baptisms, followed by a video of a recent mission trip to Haiti and an interview with...
Thoughts on Student Ministry and the Faith at Home Movement
What you’re about to read are three thoughts I’ve been thinking related to student ministry and the faith at home movement. Specifically I’d like to address whether or not the faith at home movement is the right answer to the problem of teens leaving the church, whether or not student ministry is biblical, and as...
Recent Comments