This week’s featured article by Mike Riccardi is perfectly paired with a good reading through Philippians. Philippians is chalk-full of great material and a heartfelt message from Paul to the church.

When I began to preach the book of Philippians a couple years ago, I noticed that Paul immediately identifies himself and Timothy as slaves of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:1). Now, most of the English versions have “servants” or “bond-servants” there, but the Greek word is doulos, which is properly rendered “slave.”

In identifying himself as a slave of Christ at the very beginning of the letter, Paul intended that the Philippians—who had been struggling with issues of steadfastness amidst conflict (Phil 1:27–30; 4:1), unity among believers (Phil 2:1–2; 4:2–3), humility (Phil 2:3–9), and joy amidst persecution (Phil 2:17–18; 3:1; 4:4)—would be reminded that they too are slaves of Christ Jesus, and that that identity would inform their responses to those situations.

You can read the full article here.

Every person who calls on the name Jesus Christ, is invited into an entirely new way of doing life. A brand new Kingdom that Christ is building called the church. That Kingdom has a mission which requires workers. The mission of the Kingdom being to make disciples that will make disciples.

Paul in the New Testament speaks to one of those he had discipled, Timothy, and encourages him in his Kingdom work.

Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. [2 Timothy 2:15 CSB]

We are called to be Kingdom workers. Not just to work, but to be diligent and work hard. So what are the distinguishing factors of a Kingdom worker? What do they look like anyway? There are 5 key distinguishing factors that point out a Kingdom worker, a disciple who is making more disciples.

Know God’s Will

Obey God’s Will

Conquer Yourself

Hard Work

Hold Firm

See the full article here.

If current events have left you with more worry and fear, they may have also left you with more time for prayer and reading, and more space for faith.

This articles summarizes five classic stories in the Bible centered around faith.

Bible Stories About Faith: 5 Great Scripture Summaries

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/bible-stories-about-faith-5-great-scripture-summaries/#ixzz6GuaqHbMs

Whether you are aspiring to do so or aspiring to support, knowing the role of a church planter can help any disciple understand more deeply the needs of a church, its members and its work. This article by Mark Hallock discusses just this!

The most basic responsibility of the shepherd-planter is to know his sheep. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:14). This means it’s not enough for pastors to know their sheep as one massive whole on a macro-level. Rather, we must know each person individually, from the nursery to the nursing home.

You can read the full article here.

This week’s featured article might hit close to home if you are the type of person who spends as much time browsing for the perfect movie as you will watching it!

It seems that the more options we have, the more afraid we are of choosing. We become enslaved to being noncommittal.

The fact is that we live in a world of many options. Our daily decisions are much more complicated than learning your father’s trade and working to survive.

We worship the god of open options. And he’s killing us. He kills our relationships, because he tells us it’s better not to become too involved. He kills our service to others because he tells us it might be better to keep our weekends to ourselves. He kills our giving because he tells us these are uncertain financial times and you never know when you might need that money. He kills our joy in Christ because he tells us it’s better not to be thought of as too spiritual.

What’s most frightening about the god of open options, though, is that you may not even know that you’re worshiping him. Because he pretends not to be a god at all.

In fact, he promises you freedom from all gods, all responsibilities. “Keep your options open,” he whispers. “Worship me, and you don’t have to serve anything or anyone. No commitment necessary. Total freedom.”

You can read the full article here.

This week’s featured article touches on a vitally important subject — the prosperity gospel.

What’s behind this article is deeper however, as you will read, the author, Dieudonné Tamfu, left his life in America to return to Cameroon, solely to preach the true gospel message of Christ. Tamfu’s heart is to carry the pearl of great value to the people without it, his work is missions. The sad thing about this is that even in this country where there are churches and preachers, what is missing is the true gospel.

Who will say with Isaiah, “Here am I, send me”.

When the passion for material things becomes god, God and his word become means. The movement dethrones Jesus so that his word becomes merely a manual for mammon, a guide to gold, a footpath to fitness, and a means to might. Ministry becomes business. Preachers “see preaching as a way to make money. In fact, the Greek word translated exploit could be used to refer to a business transaction, as it is in James 4:13, which talks about people discussing business plans. For the false teachers, ministry has become a business aimed at satisfying their covetousness.” The idolatrous and insatiable love for things leads to gross distortions of God’s word. 

Read the full article here.

If you’re thinking about taking the One Year Challenge, chances are you have already been praying about the decision. And for those who have taken the challenge, prayer continues to be important, but it isn’t always easy to do.

This article, by Jeremy Linneman, discusses this intersection of desiring to pray, but not finding it so simple, and dissects the book “Possibilities of Prayer”, by John Starke.

God invites us to know and enjoy him in prayer. It’s the place we meet with God and discover his healing and peace. Therefore, the major work of prayer has already been accomplished; at the cross, Jesus has made the way for us to sit before the Father without fear or shame. 

You can read the full article here.

Does the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 shock you? Certainly it isn’t easy to process. This article takes a deeper look into how we can understand a truth behind it in our lives today.

The church’s great need for integrity is directly linked to the needs of our lost world, for the world longs for liberation from dishonesty. Sure, it cultivates and promotes deception, but deep down inside, many people long to escape the pretense. A substantial number of people outside the four walls of the church will eagerly embrace the faith of believers who model the honesty and integrity for which they long.

You can read the full story here.

A striking scripture and stance Jesus takes. How are we to take it?

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Sell All and Buy Christ 

“Jesus is not demanding that you literally hate your family. He is using hyperbole to illustrate the steep cost of following him. Any prospective follower must be glad to give up everything, to love him unreservedly—to sell all in order to have him as your highest treasure (Matt. 13:44–46). Our affections for Christ must be of such an intensity and quality that, by comparison, all other loves seem like hate.

This is the first of three sobering warnings in Luke 14:26-33 against making a hasty decision to follow Jesus. A genuine disciple must:

1. Love Jesus even more than your earthly family (v. 26).
2. Take up your cross and follow him (v. 27).
3. Be willing to lay down everything—even your life—and go hard after him (v. 33).”

Read the full article here.

That does not mean a life of prayer is not perplexing. My aim is to encourage you in your prayers by answering three especially difficult questions: (1) What does it mean to ask God for things “according to his will” (1 John 5:14)? (2) Why are we not told to pray for the forgiveness of “sin that leads to death” (1 John 5:16)? (3) What does “whatever” mean in 1 John 3:22, when it says, “Whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him”? I think a text-based answer to each of these questions is a great encouragement to pray.

John Piper’s article on prayer can bring encouragement to begin and persist in making 2020 a year of powerful prayer. It is reliance on God and an act of faith to turn to a father that we cannot see, but trust in. A father who hears us and blesses us with every spiritual blessing!

You can read the full article here.