A healthy church understands the importance of, and practices, meaningful church membership. It is through active, meaningful membership in a local church that Christians live out the commands of Scripture. The preaching ministry of the elders is the primary means by which God saves and grows His people in the local church. Through the preaching and teaching ministry the church is equipped to serve and do ministry.
This was an excerpt of the manuscript from a sermon preached on May 17, 2009 at Sardis Baptist Church in Sardis, GA.
What does it mean that God regrets? (1 Samuel 15:11, 29, 35)
There exists in this text a question that needs to be asked and considered. What does it mean that God regrets or repents? We are told twice in this chapter that God regrets or repents. Then we are told that God does not. The issue is context. The word na?cham has quite a few meanings and its meaning is based on context. The word can mean “to suffer grief”, “to be moved to pity”, “to be sorry”, or “to change one’s mind”. So, first we have a word that has not just one meaning or sense, but that is flavored by the context. Continue reading »
I am currently participating in a book study group, going through John Stott’s “The Cross of Christ.” I have found this book nourishing my soul and bringing to my mind vivid images of the work of Christ on the Cross. In Chapter 7 Stott provides four images of salvation: propitiation, redemption, justification and reconciliation.
As the Easter season approaches, I have felt drawn to the Cross in a fresh way by focusing on each of these images. This study entails my research on the Redemption image. Continue reading »
I am developing a theology of Missions that I can communicate to my church. My goal is to begin this endeavor by helping them to see God’s vision for eternity, and how what takes place in our time must contribute to that end, or its vanity. So, this first study is intended to present the end-game, so to speak; that we may begin with the end in mind. Continue reading »
I must say that I believe so. I read passages like Isaiah 46:9-11 and I believe it.
However, in preaching and teaching to a local church congregation, I was caught off guard that some God-fearing, Jesus-loving, Sunday night church-going people don’t agree with my summation. Without knowing, I am apparently pastoring a sub-group of “Open Theists.” They hold to inerrancy and inspiration, and they believe Jesus is the only way. We just differ on the whether or not God knows the future. So I feel as a Pastor I must make a study of the doctrine of Divine Foreknowledge. Am I right? Are they right?
I would love to hear from other Pastors who have dealt with this, or if you have some good resources on this topic. I will document my studies in hopes of helping others to understand their own beliefs and be able to articulate and defend them.
May God bless this study.
Recent Comments