Tullian Tchividjian (shameless plug alert: TGC blogger at "On Earth as it is in Heaven") preached recently at the Advance the Church conference in Durham, NC. Here's the video to his message titled, "The Gospel Unchanging: Contextualization Without Compromise." For other messages from the conference by J.D. Greear, Matt Carter, Tyler Jones, Mark Driscoll, Ed [...]
Tag Archives: Church
Love: The Most Excellent Way
June 3, 2010 – 1:18 PM
If you have ever been a part of any church for any amount of time, then chances are you have witnessed conflict, perhaps even major conflict. This is a sad reality of life and ministry. You would think that a church full of professing Christians would be able to avoid divisions, but the truth of the matter is they don’t. Why is that?
The Future of American Cities (Part 1)
June 2, 2010 – 8:03 AM
The Great Recession is upon us, and even if it has officially ended - or has it? - we expect a protracted time of high unemployment and fitful, sluggish economic growth. This same kind of economic environment in the 70s and 80s was destructive for cities. The question for us now is, what lies ahead for American cities?
Gospel-Centered Church Life
May 5, 2010 – 10:53 AM
Here is a great word from Michael Horton regarding the relationship between the inner life of the church and effective outreach, taken from his book A Better Way: John Calvin’s Geneva was a model city, historians say, in part because of the effectiveness of its restored diaconate (deacon board). As refugees fled persecution from all over [...]
Questions About Spiritual Gifts: What is the purpose of spiritual gifts?
May 4, 2010 – 9:32 AM
Understanding the purpose of spiritual gifts goes a long way in helping us think more clearly about their use. Clearly, spiritual gifts are not given for self-promotion or self-profiting. Spiritual gifts are given for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7, 14:12, 26). Literally, spiritual gifts (charismata) are given for profitability (1 Corinthians 12:7). The context [...]
Buzzard Interviews Tullian Tchividjian
April 2, 2010 – 6:25 AM
Pastor and blogger Justin Buzzard recently interviewed Tullian Tchividjian for Commit Magazine, and he has posted the interview on his Website. Tchividjian is the pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the author of Unfashionable, Do I Know God?, and Surprised by Grace. Buzzard asks Tchividjian four questions: Why is understanding [...]
"In Remembrance of Me"
March 11, 2010 – 11:06 AM
Whenever we have out-of-state guests, we try to go to San Antonio to show them the Alamo. Perhaps the best know phrase regarding the history of this fort is, “Remember the Alamo.” The fort sits today in the midst of a concrete jungle as a commemoration of that historic battle and in memory of those [...]
Confidence to Approach God -- Together
March 10, 2010 – 12:18 PM
Hebrews 10:19-25 is a text I return to fairly often, especially when I am preparing myself for corporate worship. My default mode is to read “enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus” and “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” from an individualistic perspective. I can read those words and think primarily about the great privilege I have to approach the Majesty on High (Hebrews 1:3) privately. But the writer of Hebrews is not so much thinking of believers approaching God privately as he is about believers approaching God corporately. Just consider the repetition of “let us” in these verses (vv. 22, 23-24). The writer is thinking primarily about believers drawing near to God together. Approaching the Majesty on High as a corporate body is the incomparable opportunity and privilege of the blood bought church.
Power For Preachers -- and Listeners
March 5, 2010 – 3:07 PM
With Sunday quickly approaching and sermon prep happening all over the world in anticipation of what God will do this Lord's Day, it is vital that we remember where the preacher's power resides. In his excellent book on preaching Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ From All the Scriptures, Dennis Johnson unpacks the apostle Paul's theology [...]
What the Church Can Learn From Sesame Street
November 9, 2009 – 10:14 AM
Sesame Street turns forty this week. And, if you’re under forty, I’ll bet just seeing those words in type means a theme song is now running through your head. That’s because the children’s educational television show has worked itself through an entire generation of American popular culture. There’s something here I think the church can learn from the Children’s Television Workshop.