Doctrine & Theology (Page 15)
Why The Atonement Matters For Church Planters (1)
‘Atonement’ edited by Gabriel Fluhrer (P&R Publishing 2010) This is a series of lectures about ‘blood’ according to the book’s sleeve and is a compilation of 8 essays on the topic by 7 evangelical theologians and pastors. Such is the importance of this subject for every Christian,…
What is the mission of the church?
What is the mission of the church? Making sense of social justice, shalom and the great commission. Kevin DeYoung & Greg Gilbert. I picked this off the bookshelf at Capitol Hill Baptist church because I was intrigued by the title given the ‘culture wars’ that have broken out in the USA over these issues. If you don’t know what I am talking about at this point then I…
Misunderstanding the total depravity of humanity kills the gospel!
Understanding the doctrine of Total Depravity Much like the doctrine of election, the doctrine of depravity is yet another misunderstood, lampooned and oft criticised doctrine in our modern churches. Here is a working definition: The doctrine of total depravity asserts that people are by nature not…
Growing Indigenous Leaders
We’re really blessed on the ministry team here at NCC to have 8 individuals with different gifts, abilities, and backgrounds. We wouldn’t be so effective as a team if we were all the same as Mez. God intends for His church to be a diverse body of believers (Rom 12:4-10, 1 Cor 12:14-31), and the ministry team benefits from a similar diversity. It would be…
Does social action lead us away from the gospel?
Very often I am asked what my ‘position’ is on social justice and the gospel. Usually, I will feign a quizzical look before asking said person, ‘what do you mean by that?’ Generally, what they mean is how do I balance ‘loving people and providing for their needs over…
Communion – it’s meant for sinners!
A thought provoking little article here by Luke Stamps on how we should approach the Lord’s Supper.
Doctrinal Discernment
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3zvxk7ue4&feature=related]
The trouble of joy (2)
by Andy Constable So we saw last week that Paul was going through some difficult circumstances but that he doesn’t seem upset, or in despair, or angry but quite the opposite. He is a man full of joy. Why is Paul joyful despite the circumstances he faces? To begin with it’s important to note that joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness is an emotion that depends on…
‘Preach Like a Calvinist, Pray Like an Arminian – If you’re a loser!
Great little post here on avoiding some of the sayings in Christian land which confuse people about the doctrines of grace. Please take some time to read it here. I will be posting further on the doctrines of grace and how they relate and motivate Christ-centred ministry and church planting.
Showcasing Niddrie Community Church
For the past 10 days, I’ve been putting together this short video that showcases some of the work of Niddrie Community Church. It includes: What Niddrie’s like What the church is doing How the gospel is impacting lives What our plans are for the future It’s 5½ minutes long. I’m pretty sick of the video by now, but I hope you enjoy it!…