A Broken Church

“A church without the broken is a broken church.” -- Ed Stetzer

Photo by Fruitnet.com

Skepticism and Desires

“We are easily skeptical of authority, of church, of anything institutional although it is God who created these institutions. Whereas doubt is a natural effect of a pursuit of truth—of a sincere faith—skepticism is the youthful passion of someone who just doesn’t want to commit to anything or submit to anything other than their own desires.” -- Jim Essian

Baptism is a Reminder

“Baptism is a clear reminder of our new identity in Christ, and a reminder to those who have participated in this ordinance that we have been united with Christ in his death and resurrection. The church of God must tell the good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and if people respond in repentance and faith, we must baptize them!” -- Todd Engstrom

Photo by Amancay Maahs

Surrender and Submit

“The church . . . calls men and women to repent of their false loyalty to other powers, to become believers in the one true sovereignty, and so to become corporately a sign, instrument, and foretaste of that sovereignty of the one true and living God over all nature, all nations, and all human lives.” --  Lesslie Newbigin

Photo by David Carter

Not Saved to Live in a Bubble

"God has not saved you to dwell in a Christian bubble; God has saved you to spread the Christian gospel, both in the city where you live and to the ends of the earth. This is what we were created for, what we’ve been commissioned to do as a church. This is what we’re compelled to do as Christians, to be disciples who make disciples so that the grace and love of God are spread all over the world through us!" -- David Platt

Photo by Paul Henderson

3. The Big Picture - The Mission - Slides & Notes - Eng & Ro

3. The Big Picture - The Mission from William Anderson

Here are the slides of my teaching that I will use today with the young people in the Nouă area of Brașov. In this teaching we will look at the role of our mission in the big picture. To download the slides and notes just click on the links below the embeds which will take you to SlideShare.

3. Imaginea de ansamblu - Misiunea from William Anderson

3. The Big Picture - Mission Notes from William Anderson

3. Imaginea de ansamblu - Misiunea notite from William Anderson

2. The Big Picture - Gospel & Church - Slides & Notes - Eng & Ro

2. The Big Picture - Gospel and Church from William Anderson

Here are the slides I will use today in my teaching with the young people in the Nouă area of Brașov. In this teaching we will look at the role of the gospel and the church in the big picture. To download the slides and notes just click on the links below the embeds which will take you to SlideShare.

2. Imaginea de Ansamblu - Evanghelia şi Biserica from William Anderson

2. The Big Picture - Gospel and Church - Notes from William Anderson

2. Imaginea de Ansamblu - Evanghelia şi Biserica - notițe from William Anderson

1. The Big Picture - Jesus - Slides & Notes - English & Romanian

1. The Big Picture - Jesus from William Anderson

Here are the slides from the teaching I will do today with the young people in the Nouă area of Brașov. In this teaching we will begin to look at the "big picture" of what Christianity is about. When a person repents and puts their faith in Jesus it is helpful to understand the big picture in order to know what is important and what to focus on in order to grow. To download the slides and notes just click on the links below the embeds which will take you to SlideShare.

1. Imaginea de ansamblu - Isus from William Anderson

1. The Big Picture - Jesus Notes from William Anderson

1. Imaginea de ansamblu - Isus notițe from William Anderson

Gospel Quotes - Where Our Problems Come From

"Most of our problems in life come from a lack of proper orientation to the gospel. Pathologies in the church and sinful patterns in our individual lives ultimately stem from a failure to think through the deep implications of the gospel and to grasp and believe the gospel through and through. Put positively, the gospel transforms our hearts and our thinking and changes our approaches to absolutely everything. When the gospel is expounded and applied in its fullness in any church, that church will look unique. People will find in it an attractive, electrifying balance of moral conviction and compassion." -- Tim Keller

Gospel Quotes - Show Something Beautiful

“If we stress the love of God without the holiness of God, it turns out only to be compromise. But if we stress the holiness of God without the love of God, we practice something that is hard and lacks beauty. And it is important to show forth beauty before a lost world and a lost generation. All too often young people have not been wrong in saying that the church is ugly. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we are called upon to show to a watching world and to our own young people that the church is something beautiful. -- Francis A. Schaeffer

Tim Keller - Center Church Webcast

Tim Keller talks about ways to reach the lost in a post-modern world. The material he shares comes from his new book, "Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City." (1:02:46)

Church Links

Here are links to some of the best blog posts I came across lately about the church.

1. Will You Accept Me?
2. Test Your Church 
3. 5 Ways to Equip the Church 
4. Jesus-Drenched Churches: Matt Chandler on Gospel Culture 
5. An Honest Look at Where the Church Is 
6. What Does the Church Have to Do with Evangelism?

To see daily some of the best articles and blog post on Jesus, the gospel, church, and mission check out christlinks on Facebook

Mars Hill Community Group Training

Mars Hill Church in Seattle has put together a free resource called Community Group Training that includes 10 sessions of videos and handouts that take you from an overview theology of community to practical strategies you can implement to help your group grow strong. You can check it out at Community Group Training.