Today our church celebrated her 26th anniversary! During our time of worship, my sermon focused on our mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ”. This story captures the relational nature of that mission.
By the power of God, equipped with the word of God, the people of God can accomplish the mission of God.
There is something special about pastoring a local church.
Being called to shepherd a local congregation and being a part of a particular church family is a blessing.
In the American church we often hold the megachurch pastors in high esteem becuase of the breadth of their influence. This is something we can be thankful for, if they steward their influence well.
However, let us not forget that the depth of ministry in a local community – through a local congregation – is a powerful witness to the kingdom of God.
While local church ministry happens in obscurity, it has profound implications on eternity.
In the past few years I have come to appreciate the ministry of Eugene Peterson. His writings have profoundly shaped my pastoral imagination.
Take a few minutes and watch this video from Nav Press and you will see why. Also, if you have not read any of Peterson’s books – I encourage you to do so. Here is a link to his Amazon Author’s Page.
As stated in my last post, I recently contributed to a free 10-week Bible study for the North Carolina Baptist State Convention called Patterned. This curriculum explores what it means to be a disciple-maker.
This free curriculum includes a downloadable workbook and videos for each session. Here is a list of the topics covered in the curriculum. I wrote the sessions for week 6 on community.
Week 1: Praying for the Lost
Week 2: Defining Evangelism and Discipleship
Week 3: Studying the Bible
Week 4: Telling your Story
Week 5: Gospel Conversations
Week 6: Community
Week 7: Unreached People Groups
Week 8: Ministry Opportunities/Storying
Week 9: Living Intentionally
Week 10: Transformation, not Information; Sending
Visit the website to find out more: Patterned
I recently contributed to a free 10-week Bible study for the North Carolina Baptist State Convention called Patterned. This curriculum explores what it means to be a disciple-maker.
This free curriculum includes a downloadable workbook and videos for each session. Here is a list of the topics covered in the curriculum. I wrote the sessions for week 6 on community.
Week 1: Praying for the Lost
Week 2: Defining Evangelism and Discipleship
Week 3: Studying the Bible
Week 4: Telling your Story
Week 5: Gospel Conversations
Week 6: Community
Week 7: Unreached People Groups
Week 8: Ministry Opportunities/Storying
Week 9: Living Intentionally
Week 10: Transformation, not Information; Sending
Visit the website to find out more: Patterned
The Gospel Coalition just published my newest article titled “5 Reasons Christians Neglect Beauty In Theology“.
To be human is to have a sense of beauty. Beauty demands our attention. There is no way, then, to escape the aesthetic task.
If the practice of aesthetics is the responsibility of every person, it’s especially true of Christians. Doing aesthetics isn’t so much a theological option as a theological necessity.
It’s no stretch to argue that the evangelical church has largely neglected theological inquiry into the nature of beauty and aesthetics. Most reflection and writing on these subjects come from professionals in philosophy and in the specialized field of aesthetics. Christians are largely on the sidelines. This should not be.
Here are the five factors that have contributed to the lack of distinctly evangelical contributions to the conversation. Would love to hear your thoughts!
I recently wrote a post titled Pastors, Let Your Deacons Serve at For The Church.
A few weeks ago I was having lunch with the chairman of our deacons when he casually made a comment that revisited me throughout the day. Our conversation was focused on several upcoming opportunities and decisions that would require preparation and administrative work. As we were making a list of things to do, I “offered” to take care of the tasks so that he would not have to bother with them.
With wisdom and gentleness, he said, “Matt, I know you like to take control. I know you work hard and like to take charge of these things, but allow me to do this.” The operative word in that comment was “control”. In that moment the Holy Spirit quickly revealed that my “offer” was actually a manifestation of my idolatrous bow to control.
Read the rest here.
This is our precious son.
We have taught him about MLK, and that Americans have not always been nice to brown skinned people.
But, it breaks my heart to think that one day I will have to fully explain to him the complex brokenness of our world.
One day I will have to fully explain our country’s disgraceful history of racial discrimination.
One day I will have to help him understand that we, as a country, have not fully moved beyond these racial issues.
Thankfully, I will also get to point him to the coming day that we read about in Revelation 21.
The day when our loving Father “will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things will have passed away.”
On that day, God will “make all things new.”
On that day every believer, from every “tribe and people”, will “stand before the throne and before the Lamb”, as one (Revelation 7).
How long, O Lord?
Where is the intersection of Sunday School and disciple-making? I recently sat down with the North Carolina Baptist State Convention and shared my understanding of how these two cross paths.
This was originally published at The Biblical Recorder.
The natural mode of our hearts is expressed well in the Latin phrase lex talionis, which means “the law of retaliation.” When someone crosses us or makes demands on us our initial reaction is to respond in the same way. Why not? This is the way we’ve heard that the world works. Right? Retaliation is sinfully seductive and bitterly sweet.
However, as Christians we operate by the laws of a different world, the Kingdom of God. This is why in Matthew 5:38-42 Jesus says, “you have heard it said … but I tell you.” What does he tell us? Jesus demands that when someone insults us, we should not respond in a way that escalates violence. Instead, we should respond in love towards our attacker, in a way that prevents further attacks or stops the progression of violence.
Moreover, when someone takes your possessions, Jesus calls us to respond in the way of love, namely, to go the extra mile, to give freely to those in need. In many cases, those who pursue our possessions have an actual need they are trying to meet.
Doesn’t Jesus call us to give to those who are truly in need?
Now, we can split hairs on this passage and develop numerous scenarios where helping can hurt. Or we can think of many modifiers to these words in order to show how these things may or may not play out. But I think that misses the point of the passage.
In fact, the initial response of counting the costs to respond this way shows that retaliation is our natural desire.
However, Jesus calls us to think differently. Moreover, His Spirit enables us to respond differently.
In a unnatural way – better yet, a supernatural way – our need for retaliation and personal justice is not bound by the “pay out” on this earth.
If our self-esteem is found in our stance before God, we can lovingly stand in the face of sinful insults. If our treasure is found in the inheritance we have as children of God, we are not devastated when our earthly belongings are taken. This is the power of the gospel.
This was originally published at The Biblical Recorder.
The election season is a good time to gauge fears of our fellow citizens. Politicians are experts at exposing and exploiting the suspicions of our culture. Right now, many people fear Middle Easterners because they merely resemble their religious extremist neighbors. Some candidates have proposed that we respond to entire people groups with fear by shutting them out.
However, Jesus calls us not to respond in fear, but in faith. To open our hearts to those who are different that we are. Even to our enemies: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
It is easy to love those who are like us, but what reward is there in that? Is God not sovereign over all things? Does He not allow His sun to rise on the evil and on the good? Does He not send rain on the just and on the unjust?
We know from scripture that God hates those who are resolutely and unrepentantly wicked. Those who do, and intend to do harm against us will face the judgment of God. In most cases, even those who resemble the enemy do not intend harm. Without reservation, we are called to reflect the grace that we so commonly enjoy.
Doesn’t God show grace and care for all of His creatures? Absolutely. Therefore Jesus’ disciples are called to imitate God and love both neighbor and enemy. I recently heard International Mission Board President David Platt say that “Only an Americanized Christianity would prioritize security over the proclamation of the gospel.” We must remember the power of Satan is limited by the prerogative of God. When we face the enemy, and the perceived enemy, our initial response should be love: pray for them; love them; open your hearts to them.
The power of the gospel dissolves fear and empowers us to act in faith. Perhaps the most poignant way to apply this text is to remind us of Christ’s command to love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, love others with the same amount of energy and tenacity that you would for your own well-being. How would you want to be treated?
DR. MATT CAPPS 