Category Archives: Missional Christianity

The Mission of the Church: Wrapping Up, Part 9 (Living the Sermon on the Mount in Community, Part 2)

(Matt. 5:43-48 ESV)  43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  45 so that you … Continue reading

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The Mission of the Church: Wrapping Up, Part 8 (Living the Sermon on the Mount in Community, Part 1)

Unless I change my mind (which the readers often induce me to do), this is the end of the series (but it’ll be in two parts). To me, the first mission of the church is to live the Sermon on … Continue reading

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The Mission of the Church: Wrapping Up, Part 7 (Community Disciplines, Part 3)

Community Discipline 5: Party I admit that “party” is not found in most Bible translations. But the concept is certainly there. We just don’t see it. How did the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son deal with the … Continue reading

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The Mission of the Church: Wrapping Up, Part 6 (Community Disciplines, Part 2)

  Community discipline 3: Eucharist I’ll be uncharacteristically brief — having covered this before. Give your small groups permission to take the Lord’s Supper as part of their common meal — a love feast — as well as the congregational … Continue reading

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The Mission of the Church: Wrapping Up, Part 5 (Community Disciplines, Part 1)

What habits, practices, rituals, disciplines might we engage in to help us learn to love each other — in practice, not just theory. I mean, how do I learn to love the person in the pew next to me — … Continue reading

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The Mission of the Church: Wrapping Up, Part 4 (The Call of the Wild, Part 2)

So how do we get there? I’m not sure. But I know where it starts. This is from a comment I posted a few weeks ago: Does meeting with my earthly family at home provide something better than an assembly … Continue reading

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The Mission of the Church: Wrapping Up, Part 3 (The Call of the Wild, Part 1)

So what am I meant to be? What is it about the ordinary life of an ordinary American Christian that misses the point? Wolves gotta hunt. What do Christians gotta do? Well, love one another. We were designed from the … Continue reading

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The Mission of the Church: Wrapping Up, Part 2 (The Hollow Church)

I’ve told this story before, but it bears repeating. I’m a lawyer. I represent lots of churches. And several years ago — at least a decade ago — I met with the church leadership for a congregation in another town … Continue reading

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The Mission of the Church: Creation Care, Part 2 (The New Testament)

Col 1:15-23 Christopher Wright quotes, (Col. 1:15-23 ESV) 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones … Continue reading

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The Mission of the Church: Wrapping Up, Part 1

So it turns out that the mission of the church is a huge topic. How does an eldership respond to this in their leadership of the church? Here are some thoughts. I’m open to other suggestions. After all, I can’t … Continue reading

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