sin
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#Nexus2015 – Cross Shaped Ministry – Reflections Part 2
(The recent Nexus2015 Conference “A cross shaped ministry” thought through the implications the cross has on how we think about gospel work in our churches. These are some of my personal reflections.) 3. The cross sets the terms of gospel ministry The cross was… Continue reading
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The gospel dares us to ignore our feelings…
The gospel of the Lord Jesus is unemotional… it is simply a truth. Jesus; the God-Man died and rose to life for sinners; to absorb their guilt, punishment and death, and to make them righteous, holy and alive as His… Continue reading
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Jesus doesn’t want to ‘take the wheel’, he wants…
He wants you to learn how to drive properly. We need to keep explaining to Christians what it means for Jesus to be their Lord. Having Jesus as our Lord does mean he needs to rule over every aspect of… Continue reading
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Have you exhausted your discipline muscle?
Making decisions takes effort. Making hard decisions takes more effort. Making decisions to be godly in the face of temptation takes enormous effort (and spiritual power!). A good word for this is discipline. And I reckon we’re all built with… Continue reading
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How the “grace of God” teaches us
Paul writes is Titus chapter 2, For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this… Continue reading
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Rather than “repent”, should we say “trade up”?
What does it mean to repent of sin? It’s more than just feeling remorse for sin. It often entails taking definitive action… saying sorry, giving the item back, making amends. But it’s more than performing certain actions too. We’ve all… Continue reading
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The difference between accusing and rebuking is…
Intended outcome. The difference between accusing and rebuking is the desired outcome. A rebuke is a form of love. It’s really an appeal. It’s an appeal to stop, repent and renew ones commitment. Sometimes it’s an appeal to have a… Continue reading
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Like unkept lawn, our hearts just keep producing weeds
Older and wiser pastors used to say to me, “Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to human sin.” I always thought that was a defeatist view, but it’s not, it’s just realistic. Sin is, by nature, deceitful. It is,… Continue reading
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Don’t let people buy Satan’s lie… Keep reminding them they have no rights.
One of the growing ideas in our society is the concept that “I have rights”. I have a right to free speech, I have a right to equal treatment, I even have rights when I’ve been arrested (to remain silent)… Continue reading
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“I haven’t started giving because…”
It’s worth being aware of the many reasons we Christians (myself included) come up with to justify being all “I love JESUS!” with our mouths, but all “I can’t give money”. You’ve probably heard the line, “the last part of… Continue reading
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Reblog: An assumed strength is a double weakness
Beware the sin you don’t think you’re capable of. Beware the error you scoff at and think that you don’t need to worry about. Those presumed strengths are usually the very reason the proud fall. So what’s your (our) “assumed… Continue reading
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Their response to sin = their grasp of the gospel
How do you know when someone’s really “got” the gospel? It’s an important question because we spend all this time and energy working hard at helping people get the gospel and keep hold of it. What does that look like?… Continue reading
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Don’t forget to preach repentance “of sins”
Sometimes when we preach the gospel, our tribe can preach salvation through faith, but conveniently forget to preach repentance. Now, yes, understood correctly, they are two sides of the same coin… The question is not whether you understand them correctly,… Continue reading
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How to avoid thought-sin (i.e. thinking things you shouldn’t think)…
We mostly think of sins as actions; speaking lies, stealing, adultery, etc. We sometimes think of sins as attitudes; hate, rebellion, lust, ungratefulness, etc. But those attitudes don’t need physical actions to become sin. Our minds dwell on them, dream… Continue reading
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There’s only 4 conversation types
If you’re going to sit someone down and chat about their sin, there’s only a few conversations there… Do you think you’ve sinned? Are to going to stop doing this sin? How are you going TO stop doing this sin?… Continue reading
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The proximity element of Christian love (or “love the one you’re with”)
The parable of the Good Samaritan might better be titled the parable of the unloving Jews. For that’s what is highlighted as three wannabe “righteous” Jews come into proximity with a man who needs help, and they avoid him. But… Continue reading
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Challenge people about specific sins, not vague ones
Asking people about sin in their life is hard. Its awkward, beat-around-the-bush, so-how-you-going-in-that-area, vague conversation. But that’s very rarely helpful or loving for people. Because Jesus didn’t die for vague “areas” of sin. Jesus died for each and every specific… Continue reading
MINISTRY PRINCIPLES & PRAGMATICS 