Community

Picket-Fence Christianity

Community, Discomfort, Dying to Self, Following Jesus, Galatians 2:20, Living for God, Luke 14:27, Luke 9:23, Mark 8:34, Matthew 10:38, Matthew 16:24, Matthew 8:19-20, Religion

McCracken writes, “Following Christ is not one’s golden ticket to a white-picket-fence American dream. It’s an invitation to die, to pick up a cross”…

Discipleship: Water Daily

2 Timothy 3:16, Community, Discipleship, Discipline, Essentials, Galatians 6:6, Growth, Luke 6:40, Obedience, Proverbs 11:25, Self-Care, Spiritual Health, The Church, Titus 2:7-8, Water

One of the essential elements to good health is drinking enough water throughout the day. There are now many apps available designed to help…

Unexpected Conversion

1 Peter 4:9, 2 Peter 3:9, Church Family, Community, Conversion, Grace, Hebrews 13:1-2, Hospitality, Isaiah 58:7, Kindness, Peace, Sexuality, Solace, Titus 1:8, Witness

Rosaria Butterfield is a well-known speaker and writer who converted from a life filled with questions about sexuality, uncertainty, and disdain for conservative evangelicals….

The Community of Communion

1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Acts 2:42-46, Acts 20:7, Communion, Community, Experience, Foretaste, Future Glory, Holy Spirit, Lord's Supper, Luke 22:19-20, Luke 24:30, Mystery, Presence, The Church

In a dispatch for The Local Church, Derek Rishmawy reflects on how the Lord’s Supper is a rehearsal dinner for the ultimate wedding feast…

Local Missions

1 Peter 5:1-5, 2 Corinthians 3:6, 2 Timothy 2:15, Campaign, Community, Funding, God's Glory, Local, Matthew 10:40-42, Minority, Missions, Outreach, Philippians 4:16-18, Project, Support

While there are many sources of funding for overseas missions, there are few resources for local ministries outside of churches and their own efforts….

A Way Home

2 Chronicles 15:4, Community, Connect, God's Promises, Homecoming, Hosea 14:1, Hosea 6:1, Jeremiah 15:19, Jeremiah 24:7, Job 22:23, Joel 2:13, Nehemiah 1:9, Prodigal, Redemption, Reunited, Welcoming Home, Zechariah 1:3

Homecomings renew a sense of community and connectedness to who we are despite where we have been. In the film A Knight’s Tale, the main…

Sturdy Bridge

1 Peter 2:5, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Acts 4:32-33, Bridge, Building, Community, Connection, Deficient, Ephesians 2:21-22, Gaps, Illustration, John 4:23, Remain, Strength, Structure

According to a 2013 study by Transportation for America, 1 in 9 bridges remain structurally deficient. Churches, like many bridges in our country, can…

The Greatest Satisfaction

Caring, Change, Christ's Love, Colossians 3:12, Community, Compassion, Isaiah 54:10, James 5:11, Philippians 2:1-3, Psalm 51:1, Restoration, Satisfaction, Sharing, Transformation, volunteers

“The greatest satisfaction is to watch others grow with compassion. I see volunteers transformed, and it makes me know we can get back to…

A Just Gospel

Acts 20:35, Community, Galatians 2:10, God's Love, Hope, Justice, Justification, Loving the Poor, Loving the Vulnerable, Luke 14:12-14, Matthew 5:42, Neighbor, Proverbs 19:17, Social Justice, The Gospel

In an article for the Reformed African American Network, Charles Holmes Jr. shares how the gospel can inform the church’s call to social justice….

Side By Side

1 Corinthians 12:27, Colossians 1:24, Community, Engagement, Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 2:19-22, Local Church, Ministry, Parachurch, Partnership, Plan, Purpose, Romans 12:4-5, Unity, Vision

When speaking of churches, parachurches come to mind, as well. Parachurches are meant to work alongside the local church to help reach a wider…

Transformative Empathy

1 Peter 3:15, Acts 1:8, Comfort, Community, Empathy, Evangelism, Galatians 2:20, Kindness, Love, Mark 16:15, Prayer, Romans 1:16, Sharing, Support, Witness

In the May 2015 issue of Christianity Today, Richard Clark highlighted an emerging group of Christian video game-makers who were rising to prominence. Two…

Disenfranchised People

1 Corinthians 12:27, Advocate, Colossians 1:24, Colossians 3:15, Community, Ephesians 2:19-22, Ephesians 4:15-16, Faith, Faithful, Gospel, Hope, Local Church, Love, Pro-Life, Support

In the book, God’s Long Summer: Stories of Faith and Civil Rights, Charles Marsh shares the stories of men and women of faith and…

Sweet Fellowship

2 Corinthians 3:11, Blessing, Building Up, Challenge, Church, Community, Empathy, Fellowship, Galatians 6:2, Grace, Growth, Hebrews 10:24-25, Philippians 2:1-5, Romans 12:3-13, Unity

“It may not be an easy thing to live in sweet fellowship with all those with whom we come in contact; but that is…

Volunteer Heroes

1 Peter 4:10, Acts 20:35, Anxious, Calling, Community, Firefighters, Galatians 5:13-14, Hero, John 13:12-14, Matthew 20:28, Risk, Sacrifice, Service, Volunteer

Children are often asked, “What do you want to be when you grow-up?” Many little kids respond, “A firefighter!” There is something attractive about…

The Family of God

1 Corinthians 12:25-26, Church Family, Colossians 1:18, Colossians 2:19, Community, Ephesians 4:4, Equality, Family, Family Tree, Fellowship, Matthew 12:50, Prioritizing, Privilege, The Church, Theology

It’s truly amazing that we find Jesus’ family tree in scripture. However, it’s also important to remember the place that family holds in relation…

Things In Common

Asylum, Brokenness, Communion, Community, Hebrews 13:2, Home, Isaiah 58:6-7, Matthew 25:35, Refugee, Revival, Romans 12:13, Shared Faith, Suffering, Titus 1:8, Unity

The refugee crisis is affecting the entire world as displaced people seek asylum and a permanent home after being driven away from their home…

Living In Community

Acceptance, Colossians 3:12, Community, Empathy, Hospitality, Humility, James 2:13, Kindness, Luke 6:36, Mercy, Micah 6:8, Sacrifice, Selflessness, Titus 3:5, Welcome

One episode of the podcast Invisibilia highlighted the efficacy of community-based treatment for mental illness. In Geel, Belgium, families have “fostered” those with mental…

Sandpaper People

1 Peter 4:12, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Challenge, Community, Discipleship, Empathy, Grace, Growth, James 2:8, Matthew 5:14-16, Refinement, Sacrifice, Sanctification, Unity, Zechariah 13:9

“Technically, it’s not the sandpaper that causes abrasion; it is the person holding the sandpaper. Sandpaper itself is just a tool in the hands…

Live In Community

The Church Is Faulty