In our previous study we began to consider some Biblical principles which ought to guide our attitude and approach toward giving. We have considered the principle of God’s sovereignty; the principle of stewardship; and the principle of sowing. We take a principled approach to giving and avoid a legalistic or rule-based approach because we believe that is what the New Testament teaches. We will continue looking at Biblical principles in this study. Namely, will look at the principle of supply; … [Read more...]
Membership Matters – Giving, Part 1
Thanks to televangelists and other false teachers, the church has a bad reputation when it comes to money. You will hear people lament “the church only cares about money”. These people have experienced high-pressure offerings. They have been mailed tithing envelopes from churches they had not attended for years. They have witnessed preaching that attempted to guilt them into giving. They have heard absurd promises of financial breakthrough if they gave a certain amount to a certain … [Read more...]
Membership Matters – Loving Your Leaders
In our last few studies we’ve spent much time considering the attitudes required to maintain God-honouring relationships with one another in the church. Healthy church life requires that we as individuals are growing in the faith and exhibiting the fruit of the spirit. Nowhere is the fruit of the Spirit better displayed practically then through our relationships with one another. Within these relationships we are continually challenged to love one another, to exercise gentleness, meekness, … [Read more...]
Membership Matters – Exercising Forgiveness, Part 2
A healthy church is not one where offenses never take place but rather one in which offenses are dealt with Biblically. As we began to examine in our last study, Jesus Christ himself gave us very clear instruction as to how to deal with offenses in the church. The end goal of this process is that sin be forsaken, offenders be forgiven and relationships be reconciled. This is the ideal and is quite possible if both the offended party and the offender are sensitive to the Holy Spirit. If this is … [Read more...]
Membership Matters – Exercising Forgiveness, Part 1
The church is a community of men and women who have been saved by the sovereign grace of God. Each of us is progressing in our spiritual growth and slowly becoming more and more like Jesus Christ through the working of his Holy Spirit. This is what we call sanctification. Although salvation happens in an instant, sanctification is a process which continues throughout our entire lives. The fact that sanctification is a process is an important thing to remember. It means that we are all “works … [Read more...]