Interior of the Santa Maria Goretti Church, Mormanno, southern Italy, completed in 2021. The New Testament consistently teaches that the church, the “body of Christ,” exists because of the gracious initiative of God. The Father sent the Son into the world to announce the coming of God’s kingdom and to accomplish redemption; the Son sent …
Discovering my gifts and serving others
When my eldest son Michael was about four years old, he graduated from watching me mow the lawn to actively helping out. Donning over-sized protective wear – gumboots, gardening gloves, and a full adult face shield with earmuffs – he bravely ventured out onto the lawn at Blakehurst to “help” me with the mowing. The lawn …
Celebrating God’s presence in worship
Let me ask you a question: What is the most important thing the church does? I expect, in any crowd, there would be a range of answers: prayer, preaching, teaching, fellowship, pastoral care, social justice, mission, evangelism. Probably not committee work, or building maintenance! Each of these features is vital to the life and effectiveness …
What is the church? Part 2: Its purpose
Pastor Rick Warren preaching at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest,California. A sermon by Rod Benson What is the purpose of the church? What is its reason for being? Paul says in Ephesians 3:10-11, “[God’s] intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities …
All Told 