I contend that when people come together without anger and with love and “life together” as the end goal, churches will be healthier and people will find that they have more in common.
The apostles don’t see themselves as CEOs or slaves to the church. They see themselves as fulfilling a specific duty for the church: the ministry of the word of God and prayer. Everything else was dropped from their plate. And not only did the church not look down on them or call them lazy for a desire to emphasize these
Through Christ, we have been set free. Think about what it means not just to be free but also to live in freedom. It is possible to be free but to still live as if you aren’t…
As this man did, you will discover that God’s Word will be fulfilled. Regardless of what others may offer, stay in tune to the words of Jesus. There may be delays, some disappointments, but the promises of God will come to pass. The key is, whose voice are you listening to?
What does it take to be a nimble follower of Jesus Christ? Describing yourself as “nimble” (“quick,” “light,” “quick to comprehend”) may not be a trendy way to phrase a quality – I doubt I’ll see it on any t-shirts soon, unless it becomes a merchandised quote from a quirky show – but followers of Jesus Christ are called to be
Christ comes to free us; he comes to fit us for Kingdom living, and he comes to fill us, to fill us with his Holy Spirit. And that’s our need, friends, the power of the Holy Spirit.
Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by
There’s an operative logic of redemption running so deep in Western storytelling that, given enough time, we should expect that all villains will eventually become heroes. Origen may have been wrong to state that even the devil will eventually be saved, but a certain kind of “narrative universalism” is true in Hollywood.
And so we come to see that living in simplicity goes hand in hand with a life in pursuit of holiness, or sanctifying grace. For if you do a word search of “simplicity” through Wesley’s works, you will quite often find that he speaks of it in relation to Mary’s action of sitting by Jesus feet, drawing deeply from the
Many emotions welled up within me as I heard the news of the recent tragedy break. But the one that unexpectedly stood out was awe. Awe? How can you feel a sense of awe after hearing the news of such a heinous and horrendous act of racial dehumanization? Because my brothers and sisters at Emmanuel AME loved their neighbor. Furthermore,
Chaotic change is an uninvited guest. Like an unplanned extra person at an already too-small table, everything seems forced. Decisions have to be made before their time. People have to make room, take on new roles, or change habits even while leading.
It’s 1971 and the World Methodist Council has decided to proclaim its belief that “preaching the gospel and making disciples of Jesus Christ are the supreme business of the Church.” With that commitment, World Methodist Evangelism was born. Fast forward to 2020 and WME is still committed to preaching the gospel and making disciples of Jesus Christ by equipping people
What comes to mind when you think of the word “sanctification”? If you’re online trying to find a local mechanic to align your tires and somehow ended here, let’s back up. Lots of people are atheists or agnostics or follow any number of religions. Christians are theists – we believe in God. In particular, whether we’re Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic,
I am always in awe of creation. The other day I was contemplating the majesty and beauty of a full moon, and I thought, “God is a great artist!” It takes just a moment to notice the beauty of everything around us crafted out of God’s goodness: the sky, the flowers, the vast oceans, and every living creature, whether it
These references in Romans to love, to humble, faithful service, and to peaceful actions even toward our enemies indicate that the Christian calling is certainly a high one. Yet in the mystery of grace, this life of graciousness is the one that God has called us to live. Jesus reminds us that what is impossible for us is possible with
All over the world, people have difficulty sharing their faith. They can share about their love for their children, or their excitement about a new movie or restaurant, but sharing about their faith feels much harder. Yet evangelism, at its core is not a rigid set of techniques to be mastered. Rather, it is simply showing and sharing the love
On January 5, Christ followers all over the world will mark what is called Epiphany Sunday. It’s the Sunday we remember the wise men who undertook an arduous journey, following a star without completely understanding what it all meant, but knowing they were part of something larger than themselves. That is what was begun at Christmas really, a journey. The
WME’s launch of the Residency In Mission (RIM) has been a great success. Our first Resident, Eliza Edge, in now in her sixth month of service. Our second Resident, Annie Kate Leinius, arrived in New Zealand just in time for the New Year. Both Eliza and Annie Kate are serving in multi-ethnic congregations in the Wesleyan Methodist Church of New
What is some of the stuff you need to leave behind as you begin the new year? What can you drop off your weary, bending back to make your trek into the New Year a bit easier and far more meaningful?
If you have been a leader for very long, you have heard the question, “Why do we need to change?” In 1967, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson declared, “He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.” (1) So we must change if we want to live. Long before the
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