He Sent Christ, Not A Committee

My friend Chuck always says:

“For God so loved the world that He did NOT send a committee!”

I thought you church-leader-type people might like that one.

For Those Times When You Don’t Think God Loves You…

…remember Jesus:

“There is no other solution to the marvellous mysteries of His Incarnation and Sacrificial Death but this: Christ has loved us.

There is not a circumstance of our Lord’s history which is not another form or manifestation of love.

His incarnation is love stooping.
His sympathy is love weeping.
His compassion is love supporting.
His grace is love acting.
His teaching is the voice of love.
His silence is the repose of love.
His patience is the restraint of love.
His obedience is the labor of love.
His suffering is the travail of love.
His cross is the altar of love.
His death is the burnt offering of love.
His resurrection is the triumph of love.
His ascension into heaven is the enthronement of love.
His sitting down at the right hand of God is the intercession of love.

Such is the deep, the vast, the boundless ocean of Christ’s love!”

—Octavius Winslow, The Sympathy of Christ

[HT:  Of First Importance]

The Gospel Is Not Just For Individuals

The gospel, you see, is not just a message for individuals, telling them how to avoid God’s wrath. It is also a message about a kingdom, a society, a new community, a new covenant, a new family, a new nation, a new way of life, and therefore, a new culture. God calls us to build a city of God, a New Jerusalem.

Remember the cultural mandate.  Sin does not abrogate it..

The gospel creates new people, who are committed to Christ in every area of their lives. People like these will change the world. They will fill and rule the earth for the glory of Jesus. They will plant churches and establish godly families and they will also establish hospitals, schools, arts, and sciences. That is what has happened, by God’s grace. And that is what will continue to happen until Jesus comes. (John Frame, The Doctrine of the Christian Life, pp.861-862)

[HT:  Darryl Dash]

Stand By The Cross

“Once more heed the exhortation- stand close to the cross of Jesus!

It is the most accessible and precious spot this side of heaven- the most solemn and awesome one this side of eternity.

It is the focus of divine love, sympathy, and power.

Stand by it in suffering, in persecution, in temptation.

Stand by it in the brightness of prosperity and in the gloom of adversity.

Shrink not from its offence, humiliation, and woe.

Defend it when scorned, despised, and denied.

Stand up for Jesus and the gospel of Jesus.

Oh, whatever you do, or whatever you endure, be loyal to Christ’s cross.

Go to it in trouble, repair to it in weakness, cling to it in danger, hide beneath it when the wintry storm rushes fiercely over you.

Near to the cross, you are near a Father’s heart, a Savior’s side.”

– Octavius Winslow, The Foot of the Cross

[HT:  Of First Importance line breaks mine]

Top Reasons Young Adults Are Leaving Church

Thanks to Todd Rhoades for posting this:

Recently…Ed Stetzer gave a presentation at the International Christian Retail Show on some of the research he’s doing at LifeWay. He shared the top reasons they’ve found that young adults are dropping out of church these days.

Among the reasons:

1. They simply want a break from church (27%);

2. They felt church members are judgmental and/or hypocritical (26%);

3. They moved to college and didn’t find another church (25%);

4. They have work responsibilities that keep them from attending (23%);

5. They moved too far from church (22%);

6. They just got too busy, even though they’d still like to attend (22%);

7. They didn’t feel connected to the church in the first place (20%);

8. They disagreed with the church’s political/social stance (18%);

9. They decided to spend more time with friends (17%);

10. They were just going to church to please their parents (17%).