Many Christians try to do ministry without offending people, and without saying or doing anything harsh. Likewise, they try to evangelize by making Christianity palatable and emphasizing the benefits of being a Christian. However, notice in Philemon 2 Paul referred…
God Is Merciful, But He Is Also Strict
In 21st century Christianity we talk a lot about God’s love, grace, and forgiveness. We emphasize what Jesus did for us, particularly the free gift of salvation. These things are true; however, God is also strict and demanding. He has…
Christianity Is Work, Not Pleasure
When a customer walks into a restaurant, he is there to be served. When an employee of that same restaurant goes to work, he is there to serve the customer. Many Christians equate being a Christian to being a customer.…
Christians Are A Family, Not A Community
Over the past several decades American churches have been pushing small groups. The stated goal of these groups is to build community. Many books have been written about how to build community through small groups. However, community is the wrong…
Christians Want Comfort But Jesus Demands Self-Denial
We Christians like to be comfortable. In addition to physical comfort, we also want our relationships to be comfortable. Since we are obsessed with comfort, we are reluctant to do anything ministry related if it makes us uncomfortable. However, Paul…
Think Like A Christian, Not A Social Media Narcissist
We live in a narcissistic society where people think about themselves. This is reflected in social media where many posts are about self: “Look at me do this. Look where I am. This is what I had for breakfast.” As…
Obeying Jesus Is More Important Than Christian Unity
One of the concepts mentioned in the Bible is Christian unity. Unfortunately, Christians have elevated this teaching over everything else and treat it like it is the most important command in the Bible. We use unity to justify and make…
The Bible Is Not Designed To Make Us Feel Good
We live in a society that is big on self-esteem. There is a lot of effort to make people feel good about themselves. Unfortunately, Christians have bought into this mindset and we expect Church and the Bible to make us…
Anger Is Not Necessarily Wrong
When there is a public display of anger, we tend to be somewhat embarrassed and uncomfortable. Inherent within that reaction is an assumption that anger is wrong. Ephesians 4 says “Be angry and yet do not sin.” This means there…
Don’t Use the Dress Code to Choose Your Church
I’ve driven past many churches that have a sign out front promoting the fact they dress casually. That is the wrong basis for promoting a church and it is the wrong basis for choosing a church because it puts the…