Recently I have had a few conversations that circle the same question or concern. They all went something like this, “I am reading my Bible on a regular basis, but I feel like if someone isn’t teaching me what I am supposed to get out of it, I am struggling to go deeper. I want to learn more, but I feel like I am hitting a wall.”...
Recently I was speaking with a friend concerning a difficult conversation someone had with him a few months back. They had pointed out some areas of sin in his life and although he eventually calmed down, at first he got quite defensive. In our conversation, one of the statements he made was, “We all have areas of sin. I don’t need to run into your home and point out all the things you do wrong either.” In some ways he is right, and in other ways he is wrong. So, what’s the truth? ...
I wanted to start off 2018 with a personal year in review, answering the question, "What has 2017 meant for me?" Typically, I make a document for our people that explains our year at Revolve by the numbers. In this document, I share things like monies received, monies given, baptism, and quantifiable statistics. The problem, as I was trying to think about how to summarize...
Keep ReadingThis time of year I always get a few people who ask me about starting to read the Bible, where to begin, how to do it, and what they should do if they don't actually believe it anyway. If this describes you, you are in luck! Today I hope to provide a simple framework for reading the Scriptures as well as giving you a simple reading plan to get you started. Before we begin...
Keep ReadingFirst of all, Merry Christmas to you all! It's wonderful to celebrate the birth of our dear Savior, and we trust that all of you are enjoying this special time of the year. This is a very busy season for us, especially when it comes to ministering locally. We usually try not to schedule too much distance learning teaching for December and January, because we know there wi...
Keep ReadingThe Christmas season has a way of amplifying life. Money issues. Marriage problems. Employment woes. Interpersonal strife. Death. Loss. All of these very real problems somehow seem bigger during a season when "things are supposed to be joyful." Although Christmas is joyful because of what it represents in Jesus' birth, we often forget that he was born to die. Christmas is...
Keep ReadingI just finished a series on a healthy church and I thought it would be an appropriate time to bring out a letter I received a month or two ago that was filled with some rapid fire questions about heaven. These questions are fairly brief to answer so I was hoping to crank them all out in one column. Enjoy! Question: I've never seen photos, movies, etc of our Lord smiling, ...
Keep ReadingWe are spending a few weeks answering the question, "What should define a healthy church?" Last week we talked about how our identity as human beings is found in community and how, as followers of Jesus, your identity is found in this new community that God is creating. This final week in our mini series, we want to talk about how a healthy church and a healthy follower o...
Keep ReadingWe are spending a few weeks answering the question, "What should define a healthy church?" Last week we talked about the necessity the Word of God, and having God's Word be the plumbline by which we live and act. Today, I want to talk about the how a healthy church connects with God's family. It is impossible to be a healthy follower of God or a healthy church if you are ...
Keep ReadingWe are spending a few weeks answering the question, "What should define a healthy church?" Last week we talked about the idea of being centered on the gospel - that the gospel isn't just a get out of jail free card, but that it defines everything that we should say and do as churches and as followers of Christ. Summarized, as we grow in our walk with Jesus, we have a deep...
Keep ReadingFollowing up with last week's column concerning "why do churches die," I wanted to take a few weeks to talk about some broad characteristics that should define a healthy church. These characteristics are by no means exhaustive, but they are broad enough to define some core concepts without micromanaging the details or methodologies. In other words, I can't imagine how any...
Keep ReadingIn a follow up to last week's column, someone asked me, "Why do churches die?" This is an excellent (and sensitive) question. Last time I checked, there were 250+ registered churches in Cape May County. Over 250!!! That was shocking to me until I realized that the vast majority of those churches are declining in health and growth. Then, my shock turned to sadness. Why doe...
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