church health

The Psalmist certainly professes a great truth when he remarks “how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.” But if we’re honest, this passage can often sound like an unattainable rhetorical ideal; not a commonly celebrated experience. Perfect unity within the body of Christ has got...

“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” - Romans 13:8 As of late, the contents of Romans 13 are being slung around every which way like a Frisbee on a nice summer day. There is much discussion and division on what our relationship to...

10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. – Romans 12:10 (ESV) 8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. – 1 Peter 3:8 For though friends are at liberty to think differently, yet to do so is a...

Carl and Todd meet to discuss a prevalent problem in the church: spiritual abuse. We know it happens, but pinpointing spiritual abuse in the church—then, working to resolve it--requires a great deal of care and wisdom. What actually constitutes “spiritual abuse?” Do being confronted, offended, or...

In our last post we considered Paul’s warning to believers in the Galatian churches, ‘If you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another’ (Ga 5.15). And we noted that, sadly, this warning needs to be repeated to every church in every generation. The family of God...

Now here is a Psalm that will keep your soul from getting pummeled by conspiracy theories, media melees, cancel culture, soft totalitarianism, and fifty other social causes of depression. Psalm 73 is medicine. Like many prescriptions, it targets a specific problem, envy: “For I was envious of the...

This week’s conversation brings in a New Englander, and--mind you--a Grove City College alum! Megan Hill is a pastor’s wife living in Massachusetts. She’s a pastor’s daughter, a mom, an editor, and the author of A Place to Belong - Learning to Love the Local Church . The image we personally hold of...

As many states' governments are talking about a “phased” reopening from the COVID-19 lockdown, our quarantined trio –bound in three different states—is asking some important questions concerning going back to church. When might Christians be able to congregate in person? How will we “do church” as...

After a quick break, the crew just had to return to the pandemic topic, as they remain in bunker lockdown. Stay-at-home orders and global shutdowns have had a huge impact on how we do almost everything—including, how we “do church.” What do church membership and commitment to the local body look...