Post Category: Church Body Life

Click here to read this practical aritcle on still proclaiming God's faithfulness even when trials won't stop....

Are you in a difficult season of life? No matter what you've been through, surrender the people and painful circumstances to the Lord! Click here to read more!...

People let us down. They often fail to appreciate or thank us. They often criticize. What's to keep us active in service to them? The answer is: rather than expecting (or fearing) something from them, we look to the Lord Jesus, who always keeps his promises and who already accepts us as his own.Click here to read the article....

Wonderful article about preaching! Please read here...

Love this article! This is a great teaching tool/reminder of what the kingdom of God is about. Click here to read the article....

This is a great article to read! "Loss tuned my heart to yearn for the candid honesty of lament. I longed for others to understand the tension of knowing that hard isn't bad, but it's still hard." Read the full article herehttps://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/strong-churches-lanuage-lament/...

When it seems as if our trials keep lingering on, it's always good to remember that we are never beyond the reach of God's grace! To read this article,click here...

Some excellent and varied reading plans for 2019! Check them out HERE!...

Please listen to Kelly Hines, our Kid's Ministry Director, point our attention to how God has called us to care for the little ones at BBC....

Some helpful thoughts from Heath Miller: For families with teenagers, time is a valuable commodity. Between the rat race of school, sports, work, social lives, and many other activities vying for time, why should you, as a parent,encourage your student to be active in your church's youth group? Youth group, student ministry, the young folks whatever your church calls it...

A thought-provoking article from Carey Nieuwhof: "It comes up in a surprising number of conversations these days. And no one's quite surehow to respond to it. The issue? Even committed church attenders are attending church less often. Sure, the trend has been happening for years (gone are the days when people attended 50 out of 52 Sundays), but the issue isreaching a ti...

We so enjoyed the kids in the Bethel KidsMin yesterday! Theypointed us to Christ through their singing and signing! We started the service with a hilarious video, Christmas According to Kids!...

Tony Reinke at Desiring God asks a challenging question to get us to consider the value and cautions of young people using and owning a smartphone. He writes... When Silicon Valley's 20-something techno-prodigies were awing the world with new, shiny, unveilings of iPods and then iPhones and then iPads, many of the inventors didn't have kids. Few had teens. Now, mos...

Listen to the Cowley's Latest Update!...

Via SPTS, we hear from Elliot Clark, who lived in Central Asia for six years where he served as a cross-cultural church planter along with his wife and three children. He writes... I will never forget the time as a teenager when I first told my parents that I felt called to missions. Their response was both encouraging and measured. They expressed initial happiness but a...

Crossway and author Courtney Reissiggive us Gospel-drenched thoughts on child-rearing. Work Doesn't Exist in Isolation We want to raise our children to see themselves as contributors to society, and whether they work inside the home or work outside the home, we want them to see that work is not about pay, it's about contribution. We're teaching our little image bearer...

Gospel-Centered Discipleship and Chelsea Vaughn provide us with an excellent article about thinking Biblically about transition.

Tara Sing provides us with ten misconceptions about practicing hospitality Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Pet 4:9)Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (Rom 12:13) One of the marks of a Christian is practisinghospitality. Whenever it's mentioned in the New Testament,it is assumed as a staplepart of...

Very helpful and practical article from AllPro Dad! One of my favorite movies isIt's A Wonderful Life. The main character George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, has dreams of leaving his small town and conquering the world. His desires for wealth and adventure, however, are consistently sacrificed in order to help people in need. As the years go by he puts himself second...

Crossway has provided this article that was adapted fromThe Gospel and Personal Evangelismby Mark Dever. WhyDon'tWe Evangelize? A. T. Robertson was a famous Bible teacher and a beloved seminary lecturer. He was also known as a tough professor. At the time, students would stand in class and recite from memory long passages from their assigned books. Sometimes it went well...

Dan Doriani and the Gospel Coalition gives us a helpful article about how we love and think about sports. Jason knew staff meeting typically began with a momentof recognition for jobs well done, but today he squirmed as his colleagues heaped praise on Michael. They were friendly rivals, so there was no reason to be upset. Last week Michael learned that his father ...

Crossway provided an encouraging article from pastor and radio host Tony Evans. He gives men the advice and inspiration they need to battle on through difficult circumstances and be the men God made them to be. What's under the Surface? Some time ago, I was in my backyard and noticed a piece of wood lying beside the air-conditioning unit. It had been there for a long tim...

Pastor Chuck Lawless gives us some clear instructions for THIS weekend! Want to do some new things at church this weekend? See if any of these suggestions would be a "new" thing in your life: Invite somebody to go with you. Skip breakfast before church, and instead fast and pray. Get to churchbeforethe service starts. Prepare your heart by forgiving that church mem...

Join us on an exciting adventure this summer! From June 12th through the 16th, we'll be gathering together each day to discover the God of the Universe! Don't miss it! On day one, we'll start at the beginning and learn howGod created us to love Him. Throughout the week, we will journey to see God's authority, our sin, a Savior being promised, the Son of God being the prom...

BBC's Mom2Mom Ministry had the joy and priviledge to hear from Katie this past Wednesday, and on Wednesday nightKatie shared about the Beauty of Scripture. Listen to her second talk HERE! ...

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Desiring God recently published this incredibly helpful article. Read it below or at the Desiring God site HERE. Article by Liz Wann My Dear Sons, The eye beholds much good and evil in this life. Beholding leads to becoming. What we continually put before our eyes and minds will shape and determine who we are. Images either tell the truth or lie, but they all speak. On ...

The Sojourn Network provided an excellnt article by Nikki Daniel On January 7, 2006, I dove into the trenches of ministry doe-eyed and unsure of myself. Although I began attending church services when I was about twelve years old, I had never seen the behind-the-scenes of ministry. So, when the Lord brought a handsome pastor into my life, I had no idea what to do. I certa...

BY Douglas Wilson NB: This letter is fictional with regard to the particulars, but with regard to the nature of the sins described, it is unfortunately not at all fictional. Consider it a composite portrait, with no particular man in mind. At the same time, if any individual husband recognizes himself in the portrait and humbles himself, I would thank God and say that thi...

This might seem a strange question, because it is often not only hard to answer but seemingly unimportant. In a gospel conversation with a friend over coffee, apologetic-style questions and gospel proclamation are often all mixed together. Who can predict or determine which comes first, and why would it matter? However, the principle of whether apologetics or evangelism c...

The God of the Unlikely Time Often our schedule and God's seem out of sync. He acts earlier than we had expected, or later than we had hoped, or when it seems most awkward and inconvenient. The result is that sometimes we are impatient with God or choose to act impetuously, while on other occasions we are lazy and inactive. I suspect that's how the Israelites must have f...

In conjunction with the publication of Being There: How to Love Those Who are Hurting, my publisher Crossway took a survey of 15,000 people with regards to their care for the hurting. It was incredible to see that over 25% of those surveyed are currently caring for the physical, spiritual, and/or emotional needs of friends or family for the long-term. And that's not includ...

Zach Lee challenges the myths that we have created or imagined or been overwhelmed by about why we don't disciple. Read the article HERE or below. We're called to be disciples and make disciples, but this call often feels overwhelming. However, discipleship doesn't have to feel this way. Our tendency is to overcomplicate it and think of it as something it's not. Here a...

Crossway published this articleadapted from the short-form tract "Facing the Death of Someone You Love" by Elisabeth Elliot.Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) was a popular speaker and the author of many books, including Through Gates of Splendor, Let Me Be a Woman, Passion and Purity, and Shadow of the Almighty. Her first husband, Jim Elliot, was killed in 1956 while serving as...

Here's another Bible Reading option for you to consider utilizing throughout 2017! The Guilt-free Bible Reading Program empowers the reader to pursue delight over duty. Its creator, Pastor Dustin Battles, is on to something! This removes the guilt factor from spending time with God in his Word. After all, delight will get us so much farther in living for God than duty eve...

A MUST watch video for God's people! Be informed and encouraged HERE!...

You all know that I have some internal compunction to know WHY I need or have to do something. I would encourage you to watch this video and hear WHY we ought to be people of the Holy Scriptures! Run to the Scriptures because they tell of us God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy and all that they have accomplished for us!!...

An excellent article that encourages us to make a decision and how to execute that decision in 2017! http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/resolved-to-read-the-bible...

Many Christians take the beginning of a new year to evaluate their Bible reading habits, and then change or begin a Bible reading plan. For our convenience, Ligonier has compiled a list of Bible reading plans for us to choose from! Check them out HERE!...

Check out the photos on our Facebook page--HERE!...

Your neighbor asks what you did over the weekend. You think to yourself, Should I mention church? If I do, am I ready to share the gospel? If I am, how do I get there? You know you should say something to your barber, or to the barista at your favorite coffee shop something about Jesus, something about the gospel but you feel stuck. Palms are getting sweaty. Guilt is ...

If I were to ask you what the best, most practical, most helpful parenting passage in all the Bible was, what would you answer? Most biblically literate Christian parents would run to Ephesians 6:14: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and ...

Here is a list of sites where you can find good sources of Christian reading. http://www.challies.com (Mostly info about books, good articles.) http://www.ccel.us http://www.christianbook.com/page/ebooks/free-ebooks https://www.bookbub.com (great for books of any genre)You can also search amazon.com for "free Christian books"....

by Tim Zulker How is your church doing with outreach? If it's like most churches, it's strugglingstruggling to communicate, struggling to make connections and worse of all, struggling to enthuse its congregation in the task of taking the gospel to the nations. I'd like to suggest five perennial reasons why churches struggle with outreach. 1. Evangelism deflatesThe three...

This is a post from Crossway by Christopher Ash, author of Married for God: Making Your Marriage the Best It Can Be. Marriage and Children If you are married, either you do or you don't have children. And that's a big deal. A very big deal. Some wit has said that, in the media, marriage is all about sex and hardly at all about children; but in real life it's the other wa...

This is a post from Crossway by Marcus Johnson, author of One with Christ: An Evangelical Theology of Salvation. 1. The Bible contains an astonishing number of terms, expressions and images that bear witness to the reality of our being made one with Christ Jesus. In the Newer Testament we find literally hundreds of references to the believer's union with Christ. To cite ...

It's that time of year again. College students are settling into their dorms, high schoolers are finishing up their summer reading, moms and dads are making lunches and stuffing backpacks, and stores are marketing their newest "back to school" items. I have long since graduated school and so have my children, but every August and September, God uses this season to remind ...

Real Men Love Strong WomenArticle by Paul MaxwellI've heard it too many times: "A man likes a quiet woman." "Guys don't respond well to smart girls." "Educated women are too intimidating to attract good men." I understand why we believe these things. It's a nice story. It makes sense of the success of some women to find husbands, and the failure of others. As Christians (...

"The church is not a club, an organization, or a non-profit entity. The church is not just about a Sunday morning worship service. The church is a gathered people who exist by God's grace to display the glory of Jesus and testify to his goodness as he is about his work of bringing all God's prodigals home." TPW, Gloria Furman...

An excellent article by John Piper based on Matthew 28:1820Is God calling you to cross-cultural missions for the sake of the global glory of Jesus Christ? Jesus promised to be with us to the end of the age in our mission to make disciples of all ethnic groups (Matthew 28:20). So the duration of the mission is as long as the duration of the promise to the end of the age. ...

Tim Challies has written an excellent article for our consideration entitled, 5 Questions To Ask of a Book Before You Read It. Here's a synopsis: They are far and away the most common questions I receive (beyond, perhaps, how to pronounce my nameit rhymes with "valleys"): Can you tell me anything about this author? Have you heard of this book? Is it safe to read? Sometim...

You like to talk politics? You have opinions about everybody? You are the local megaphone for all that is wrong in the politics, nay even in the world? Pump the brakes and consider how God has actually called you to live your life. Kevin Halloran has served us well with his thoughts in the following article:4 Ways to WorshipNot WorryThis Election Season Perhaps past pres...

An excellent article from Pastor David Mathis! Read it below or online HERE. The final frontier of biological research is still the enigmatic human brain. And at the cutting edge of recent study has been this phenomenon we call "habits." One important finding has been what researchers and popularizers call "keystone habits" simple, but catalytic new routines that inspire...

"Church members should knit their lives to tightly that if you try to pull one out of the body, another dozen come with him, pulling him back." ~Bobby Jamieson...

A conversation, not a recitation byStephen Liggins Scintillate, scintillate, globule vivific Fain do I contemplate thy nature specific Loftily poised in the ether so spacious Strongly resembling a gem carbonaceous This is an elaborate version of the poem Twinkle, twinkle, little star that my father once taught me. I put some effort into learning it when younger, and h...

"Everything that isn't gospel is law. Let us say it again: Everything that isn't gospel is law. Every way we try to make our kids good that isn't rooted in the good news of the life, death, ressurection, and assension of Jesus Christ is damnable, crushing, despair-breeding, Pharisee-producing law. We won't get the results we want from the law. We'll get either shallow self...

Alyssa Poblete is a wife, mother, and writer. She has served us with an excellent article HERE or in it's entirety below: "Just be careful. You don't want women becoming spiritual leaders in the home or, even worse, wanting to become pastors." This was the response from a pastor friend of mine when he heard about a theology blog for women that I had recently launched wit...

The Gospel Coalition had a timely article for us to consider...below is an abbreviated version, but you can read the entire articlce HERE. As I walked into the middle school auditorium for a recent school event, another mom asked how I was doing. I told her our family was grateful to be able to breathe again after finally finishing soccer season. "Our family never breathe...

"Believe that God is strong enough to save your children, no matter how you fail."? Elyse M. Fitzpatrick, Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus...

Massive battles have been fought over this issue. Churches have split. Pastors have been fired. Countless Christians have taken up arms against each other in order to defend their answer to this question. Yet at the end of the day, the style of music a church sings is relatively unimportant. What matters most is what we sing, not how. That said, at least four further poi...

Pastor Erik Raymond wrote an encouraging article over at The Gospel Coalition website entitled, Don't Be Embarrassed by Your Ordinary Church. Check it out HERE or keep on reading... In the grand scheme of things, how important is your church? "Let's think together about church, and in particular the church where you are a member. If it is like most churches today it is n...

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Thom Rainer has written an excellent article about how we could more effectively interact with guests that visit Bethel each week! Here's a summary, but be sure to check out the entire article HERE. He recommends seven things we should say to guests. "Thank you for being here.""Let me help you with that.""Please take my seat.""Here is my email address. Please let me kno...

With great jobs, a beautiful daughter and a dream house, the Jordans seem to have it all. Appearances can be deceiving, however, as husband Tony flirts with temptation and wife Elizabeth becomes increasingly bitter, crumbling under the strain of a failing marriage. Their lives take an unexpected turn for the better when Elizabeth meets her newest client, Miss Clara, who en...