Life in the Church

Just under three years ago our church lost Scott Monroe, but our collective loss was nothing compared to what the Monroe family experienced themselves. It taught all of us a great deal about the earthly side of death—a side very different from the heavenly side of it that Scott joyfully experienced in a brilliant moment. As a church we are still learning how to come alongside those who have faced trials and tragedies very different from our own, but this is what Christian love and compassion call us to do. In this note from Carla, she shares something of the way the church has entered into her suffering these last several years. We hope it is both encouraging and challenging for you.

This Sunday morning we have the opportunity to do something unique, life-changing, vitally important to every facet of our life, and also mysterious: We can draw near to God. James 4:8 says, "draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." The author of Hebrews calls us to "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (10:22).

Phil wrote this for the Sovereign Grace blog. It is an excellent piece on the importance and meaning of our singing. He is also commending a sermon by Bob Kauflin in this post.

In the critical last hours of Jesus’ earthly ministry, he instituted what we call the Lord's Supper at his last meal with the disciples. As we saw in our Sunday sermon, the Lord's Supper is a simple act, but it has profound meaning. What is the Lord's Supper? We answered that question in four parts.

Have you had the experience of sitting in a Sunday sermon and reading along in your Bible as the pastor reads a Bible text, only to notice that what he's saying is different from what you're reading? That can be a confusing moment. What's going on there?

Are you wondering what to do with that dresser you don't need or the tools from your uncle, toys that the kids never play with? Maybe you are looking for a used mower, chainsaw, or vehicle? Are you wondering if anyone in the church has need of some part-time help? Well, wonder no more!

I'm sure you've all noticed by now that our Book Nook recently received a bit of a makeover. For some of us, this may have been an occasion to wonder why we have a bookstore in the first place.

Shakespeare was right about roses, but does his logic apply to pastors? When Juliet was troubled because of her family name, Capulet, a family bitterly divided against Romeo's Montague family, she asks,

What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;       

If you had the privilege of attending the men’s meeting on Saturday, February 22, then you were treated to a wonderfully edifying and challenging message by Daniel Garner as he shared lessons he has learned over the decades from being a husband, father, and leader in his family.

Cheryl Teal wrote this review of Ed Welch's Running Scared for her blog, and I asked if we could use it for ours. She does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the book in a way that explains, encourages, and edifies.