All too often Christianity is cheapened to the point that it becomes a religion of rules in which the do's and don'ts (especially the don'ts) govern our lives. In an effort to please God by keeping ourselves separate from the world (2 Cor 6:17), we live lives that are unattractive, to say the least, to… Read More
We all know people who are "holier than thou." They tend to live perfect lives, even if a trifle legalistic. We know we ought to like them, but somehow they leave us feeling condemned and unworthy. I don't think Jesus was like this. If anyone was holy, Jesus was, but sinners loved to be around… Read More
Religion or relationship: Isn't that our choice? We can do things out of a sense of duty. That is religion, and it's a killer. Or we can choose to let Jesus live out his life through us. Our relationship with him causes us to respond as he did. The love of Christ compels us. The… Read More
A few posts ago, I alluded to the fact that some good friends of ours in India, who see many tens of thousands of new believers in their network each year, have illiterate women who are able to teach others, including Bible references. Several people have asked me to expand on this. The fact that… Read More
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What about elders and deacons?
The problem with words is that they change in meaning over the years. I would love for the word,"church," to never be used because the word itself conjures up a building with a spire, or a denomination, or a meeting. But the word is Scriptural, and we can learn to use it rightly. The same… Read More
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Spiritual parents
If the primary metaphor for church in the New Testament is family, then the primary model for leadership of an individual house church is spiritual mothers and fathers. Healthy families need healthy parents. Parents care what happens to their kids. They are always looking out for their good. They love it when their kids succeed.… Read More
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Who covers a simple/organic church?
Here's the idea: everyone needs covering–a kind of spiritual protection against the storms of life. If someone moves out from under covering, (as in leaving a particular church, or more specifically a particular leader), they somehow become vulnerable to demonic attack and are likely to end up with all kinds of problems. House churches are… Read More
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The A-team: A question
For years I have been pondering a question. Should we be looking to form five-fold ministry teams? I hear this subject talked about quite a bit. It seems fairly obvious. A team consisting of an apostle, a prophet, an evangelist, a pastor and a teacher would provide a well-rounded team to help lead a network… Read More
According to Ephesians 4, Christ has given gifts to the church. These gifts are people whom the Holy Spirit uses in specific ways. They are the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. They work together to help the body to mature fully and in every aspect of body life. They do this by equipping everyone… Read More
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Teachers in house churches?
This is the final post of my "wanted ads" for five-fold ministries. Again, please note that I am not advocating these as positions within the body. Rather they are ways for people to lay down their lives for others. Wanted: teachers Job description: The successful applicant is able to communicate the truths of God’s word… Read More