Suggested Reading for all Pastors and Christians!

"Stop Dating the Church" by Joshua Harris is a must read.

I have been in ministry for fifteen years, ten as fulltime pastor of a local church. The weakest link in the local church is a lack of understanding, and thus, a lack of committment to the local church. Committment to the local church is not optional. The local church is God's means of working out his wonderful plan of creating and transforming, and saving His people.

This book(Stop Dating the Church) is a simple, powerful, concise, to the point message to all Christians.
What is the message? "Love the church. Jesus does. Be committed to the church. Jesus is." This will be a must read for all those who desire to be members in our local church. This book is faithful to God's word, and full of God's grace.
This book is available for discount prices in larger quantities through Sovereign Grace Ministries Bookstore. I'm telling you, you must read this book, pass them around to your congregation.

Do I Build em up, or knock em Down?

When I was a kid playing with Legos, Lincoln Logs, blocks and things, I had far more fun knocking em down than building em up! I had Matchbox cars and Hot Wheels, and "Johnny Lightning 500" cars. My brother and I had such a blast playing demolition derby with the old cars. We would crack them up on purpose and see how much damage we could do. Oh, those were great days!

But in the church it should be different! As Christians we should be doing everything we can with our words to build up our brothers and sisters. "Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only which is helpful for building others up, according to their need, that it may benefit those who listen." That is Ephesians 4:29

Are you a builder or destroyer with your words? Are you a construction worker for Christ's church, or a building inspector with a bad attitude? Are you one who teaches a young man how to swing a hammer, or ridicule him for how he swings it?
Are you one who says "You can do all things through Christ! You'll see! He's going to do great things through you, brother!" Or do you say "What is your problem? Wise up! You are unreliable! Get with it!"
Let's speak words that edify! Let's speak words that build up!

Let's encourage one another in our everyday speech, that we may all rejoice together as we progress in our transformation into the image and likeness of Christ.

O Church, do not have low expectations! God is Big! Christ is Big! The Holy Spirit is Big! Let's expect Big Things from a Big God!