The expectations of an impatient culture run counter to the reality that growth is a long term process. But the conviction of that long-term expectation does not manifest itself in frustration, or in complacency and inactivity. Rather the expectation that we are growing like Jesus produces the immediate regular actions that produce that fruit. From …
The effort to recover the priesthood of all believers can’t be an effort to impose a pastorhood of all believers. Something is lost if everyone is pressganged into some form of pastoral function. More is lost if everyone doesn’t understand that whatever it is they are doing is their expression of the priestly function we’re …
Jesus is not a life coach. He’s not providing an example to follow, or teaching techniques to get us through the day or tough situations. What he invites us to do is die with him. From Chad Bird: Likewise, to take up our cross daily doesn’t mean to shoulder our personal cares and concerns. Jesus …
Tomorrow Christians will gather and be reminded yet again that we are unlearning non-dependence and learning dependence on Jesus. Christian maturity is not learning how to develop our own strength so we need Jesus less, it is increasing in our knowledge of our inability to stand anywhere but in Jesus’ strength. From Chad Bird: The …
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