The best counsel I can offer the church is for us to recommit ourselves individually, as well as corporately, to believing and living the inspired Word of God.

A local body of believers can still drift away from Jesus’ plan for His church… even with solid doctrine and genuine deeds.

when promotion receives more emphasis than the essentials—the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer (see Acts 2:42)—then the tail is wagging the dog.

Stan Toussaint (a man in his eighties) to “tell us what stands out in your mind regarding elders.” I expected some profound, theological answer from the Greek text, but instead Stan answered simply: “I’ve learned that an elder needs to be older.”

What had eroded in the Ephesian church? Not their doctrine… not even their deeds… but their devotion to Jesus.

Something is wrong if you can turn to the words of Jack Hayford’s song and sing: “Majesty, worship His majesty!” and your soul isn’t stirring deep within you.

Before this day is over, I urge you to find a quiet place and ask yourself these two questions: Is Jesus really the first love of my life? Does He truly make a difference in how I live my life?

Even our educational institutions, while they train us to make a living, do nothing to prepare us to make a life.

A new way of “doing” church is emerging. In this radical paradigm shift, exposition is being replaced with entertainment, preaching with performances, doctrine with drama, and theology with theatrics.

In a strange twist, the preaching of the cross is now foolishness, not only to the world but also to the contemporary church.

The biblical fact is there are no successful churches. There are, instead, communities of sinners, gathered before God week after week in towns and villages all over the world. The Holy Spirit gathers them and does his work in them.

The task of the church, however, is not to assemble seekers but to make disciples.…

don’t just come on Sundays to sit and listen, but come to do business with God deep within your heart; allow the Word of God to invade your mind and change your life

The People of God Must Return to a Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

The Ministers of God Must Repent of Their Failure to Fulfill Their Calling

Expository preaching is the proclamation of Holy Scripture delivered for the purpose of enabling others to understand what God has written, why that is important, and how it relates to one’s personal life.

Understanding what God has written requires the expositor to be accurate in both preparation and delivery

of the Scriptures, so that the Bible is allowed to speak for itself. Understanding why God’s Word is important calls for the expositor to be passionate in communicating the truth, so that the one receiving the message is compelled to listen and eager to respond. Understanding how that message relates to life means that the expositor uses terms that are clear, delivers the message in ways that connect with needs, and applies it so specifically the hearer realizes the relevance of God’s Word and the necessity of aligning his or her life to it.

The House of God Needs to Represent Its Biblical Purpose for Existence

The marvelous opportunity of ministry that lies before the church awaits only one thing: the church’s awakening. Stated simply, the people of God must return to a hunger and thirst for righteousness… the ministers of God must repent of their failure to fulfill their calling… and the house of God needs to represent its biblical purpose for existence. In spite of all the spiritual devastation and famine in our land, it is not too late to turn it around—by God’s grace.

The Bible affirms that a ministry is contagious when it remains strong in grace, when the older mentor the young, when it pulls together in tough and desperate times, and when it endures regardless of the challenges.

When the church fails to realize the times and react appropriately, erosion will take its toll. Please don’t forget the church of Ephesus, a ministry that began with a burning passion but whose love for the Lord cooled and eroded over the years. Each believer must regularly evaluate his or her own level of spiritual erosion and return to a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.