A collection of things worth reading from around the web in the last week.
Regularly when I sit down with someone, they’ll use the phrase ‘called to ministry’. I don’t have a dislike of this phrase, it can be very useful—only when most people use it, it isn’t.
The third in this series on reading the Bible well. This time John looks at how knowing that God's word is his changes how we approach it.
Paying women in ministry frees them up for theological training and then working on leadership teams with men. It expresses the richness that you can have in complementarianism.
Implicit is a sense of stability; a properly cultivated vine and fig tree meant life in one place.
It was our first cell group meeting. There was Victoria, a committed student leader in her second year of university; Paula, a new person in her first year of study; and me, the missionary who had arrived to accompany and train leaders. The other people who were invited didn’t come.
Sympathy cards address the sadness death causes, but few acknowledge the rage. Yet that rage is real. It should be: death is the very opposite of God and all that he has created. We should hate it. Christ did.
"Do we have to forgive people who aren't sorry?" How would you respond? Our instinct can be to rush in with some kind of ‘yes/no’ answer. What we may fail to do is consider whether or not answering the question as asked is the most helpful response.
Charleston, forgiveness and safety, the idolatry of guns, making disciples, serving in your local church without going under, the conversion of the wallet, the Proverbs 31 man, how the church can help gay young people, how to be a welcoming and biblical church, and the GoThereFor 2.0 launch.
Bible reading with ready ears and an open heart is engaging and fruitful. There’s something fresh about letting God speak for himself, especially when you search the Bible yourself, making the effort to hear.