Posts

Showing posts from May, 2021

Here's why to strive for last place!

-
Image
  What Jesus Taught About True Greatness By Bart Denny We live in a world obsessed with greatness. Turn on your TV or scroll through your feed, and you’ll find no shortage of “top 10” lists, success stories, and headlines about who’s first, fastest, richest, or most followed. From athletes and actors to business moguls and influencers, we elevate the people at the top. Even in churches, the temptation is real. We celebrate big numbers, fast growth, best-selling books, and booming ministries. “Bigger is better,” or so we’re told. But in Mark 9:33–37, Jesus offers a radically different view: “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” —Mark 9:35 (NIV) In other words, if you want to be great in God’s kingdom, strive for last place. Wait—what? The Disciples Had the Same Struggle We Do In this passage, Jesus and His disciples have arrived in Capernaum, and He asks them what they were arguing about on the road. Cue awkward silence. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

"People just don't want to come to church anymore!" The Last Words of a Dying Church

-
 Lately, I've had the opportunity to observe some dying churches, and to talk to people about the increasing problem of church decline and death. I know many dying organizations subscribe to the mantra, "We've never done it that way before." But, in the case of churches, it assumes that at least someone  in the organization is trying to turn things around.  Why does no one show up for worship on Sundays? Because "no one wants to come to church anymore." It's actually an answer that I heard before COVID, but the pandemic seems to reinforce that line of thinking. And I understand that cultural Christianity is dead. There is no societal expectation that people show up for church just because that's what "respectable" people do. That should be a win. Do we really want unregenerate people in church leadership? But it does cut into the numbers, especially for churches that don't really have much to offer by way of authentic community, vibrant...
Post a Comment
Read more