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Membership Is Submission
Monday, January 21, 2013
As a pastor, I know I will have to give an account for the people under my leadership (Hebrews 13:17). Every pastor faces the same burden for the men and women under his care. But what good is a shepherd if the sheep won’t submit to his authority? In an age of unprecedented ecclesiastical consumerism, how can a pastor lead, serve, or even know an inconsistent, fluctuating flock?
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A Note to Our Readers
Friday, January 18, 2013
We hope you’re enjoying and benefiting from John MacArthur’s ongoing blog series on the local church. His next post will be up first thing Monday morning.
In the meantime however, we want to address a trend we’ve noticed in the comments. Some readers—perhaps many—are struggling to find a faithful, Bible-teaching church in their area.
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Membership Is Fellowship
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The genuine spiritual unity of saved souls is evident throughout the New Testament. And back then, just as today, that unity was manifest in the local gathering of believers.
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Church Membership in the New Testament
Monday, January 14, 2013
It’s obvious that the early church knew its flock well. In Acts 20, Paul exhorted the elders of the Ephesian church to faithfully watch over and shepherd their people. But it’s very difficult to shepherd if you don’t know who your flock is. And sheep don’t survive well just roaming around on their own.
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The Local Church and Why It Matters
Friday, January 11, 2013
I love the church. It’s the center of my life and has been since childhood. My father was the pastor of a church when I was born, and I grew up in the church. It’s the place where I was led to the knowledge of God, where I learned about the Person and work of Christ, and where I gained the knowledge of saving and sanctifying truth. It’s where I learned how to pray, how to sing, how to worship, how to love, and how to serve. And it was in the church that I experienced the leading of the Spirit of God directing me to a life of ministry...
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What's So Important About Your Local Church?
Thursday, January 03, 2013
What’s so important about your local church? At a time when there’s more Bible teaching than you could ever consume available through radio, television, and the Internet, why should it matter where and how you’re taking in God’s truth?
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Looking Ahead to 2013
Friday, December 21, 2012
Like most of you, we’re taking some time off to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s. We’ll be back with new posts starting Thursday, January 3, when we launch into a new series.
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No, That's Not the True Meaning of Christmas
Thursday, December 20, 2012
The community where I live doesn’t make international headlines very often, but last week the managers of a local residential complex for seniors earned a large-print banner at the top of the Drudge Report. “Christmas Tree Banned: ‘Religious Symbol,’” the headline screamed.
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The People Who Missed Christmas: Rome and Nazareth
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
An entire nation missed Christmas. All of Rome could have shared in the Savior’s birth, but they missed it. That first Christmas was set in a Roman scene. Herod, for example, was the ruler appointed by Rome. And it was a decree by Caesar Augustus that set everything in motion (Luke 2:1).
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A Pastoral Response to the Newtown Massacre
Monday, December 17, 2012
Prior to his sermon this past Sunday morning, John MacArthur made some comments about the school shooting in Connecticut last Friday. His words helped put the tragedy into spiritual context for us in the congregation, and we know they’ll be an encouragement to you as well...
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The People Who Missed Christmas: Jerusalem
Monday, December 17, 2012
At this time of year we’re used to fighting against the tendency to let the busyness of the season blind us to the true meaning of Christmas. It’s easy to get preoccupied with the party and completely lose sight of the One we’re celebrating.
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The People Who Missed Christmas: The Innkeeper
Monday, December 10, 2012
“No room.” Those shameful words describe more than the inn in Bethlehem. They apply just as aptly to today’s world. Sadly, in all the busyness of our Christmas celebrations, people still make no room for Jesus. Without even realizing it, they miss Christmas, just like most of the people in and around Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born.
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Having Peace in Every Circumstance, Part 3
Thursday, December 06, 2012
Believers often find themselves living in contradiction to the world, and we should. The runaway anxiety and constant fear that grips so much of the world does not have the same hold on us—or at least, it shouldn’t. Over the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at anxiety from a biblical perspective, and examining God’s care and provision for His people, and how that should free us from worry.
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