The modern church-goer measures ministry by standards that are impervious to authentic scriptural growth. It is unfortunate that we have somehow misconstrued and minimized success to building size, administrative structure, and well-organized programs.  These things can certainly be results of spiritual growth, but they are never replacements for authentic spiritual health.

Duplicate or Define?

I suppose that is really the point that needs to be made: There is a fine line between growth and health. A church may be “growing” but not necessarily in the right way. Too often we try to replicate the results of “successful” churches or ministries …

Ministry and industry may have a similar-sounding cadence but they are two very different words from two very different worlds.  Ministry is the humbling of self for the service of others, while industry is the exaltation of self at the expense of others.  Sadly, we are now setting up tables of industry where the basins of water used to occupy the servant’s quarters.  We have traded the towels of humility for the banners of self-exaltation.  This is to the detriment of the body of Christ.  The church was designed for the glory of one Star, but in the vast darkness …

Our generation is addicted to results.  Plain and simple.  From our social media posts to our grand and opulent buildings we measure our success and worth by the outcome of our endeavors.  It is the outcome, we surmise, that determines our level of success.  For example, if a video is posted online and it goes viral, it is deemed a cultural sensation, regardless of its content or substance.  If a meeting is scheduled with a maximum capacity in attendance, we consider that meeting effective, regardless of its spiritual depth.  We love numbers, we love statistics, we love the idea of …

Webster defines the term “blind spot” as an area in which one fails to exercise judgment or discrimination.  It is literally a space in which one’s view is obstructed.  We all have them, and not dealing with them, especially on the road of ministry, can result in a fatal crash.  It’s always dangerous to swerve, but to swerve at the wrong time, into the wrong thing, is deadly.  That’s why we need a clear view, a view that reveals all angles at all times.

Blind spots are treacherous.  They conceal reality.  They fail to warn us, and protect us.  That …

“All of life is moral,” says Albert Mohler, “there is no dimension of life that does not involve moral principles and moral consequences.”  It is true: we are moral beings that live by moral codes, and suffer from moral repercussions.  Even the immoral and the amoral live under the weighty system of morality.  There is no escaping it.  Those who refuse to acknowledge ethical, biblical, and moral principles are subject to natural law regardless of their acceptance of it. Someone’s denial of gravity is made possible by the very gravity they deny.  In short, morality is imbedded in a person’s …