This is part two of this article. You can read part one here. We’ve already seen from Acts 13 that the context of God’s strategy for missions is the local church and that He calls Christians who are already engaged in service.  Let’s see one more step in this biblical strategy.

The Commencement of Missions

It wasn’t enough for the missionaries at Antioch to be called—the church had to send them to the field. It does the heathen little good if the church is full of called missionaries. The sending step is crucial. (more…)

Two thousand years ago, Christ delivered the marching orders for the local church: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). With nearly seven billion people in the world, separated by political, cultural, and linguistic boundaries, this is a staggering mission.

How can we accomplish this Great Commission? Is there a technique or element of technology we can use to boost our success stats? What should be our strategy? (more…)

We are creatures of habit, and when our schedules change in the summer we can get off track. We take much needed vacations, but if we are not careful, we begin to think our lives would be better if we moved to our favorite vacation spots. Enter your summer with intentional goals and practices in mind to spiritually flourish. Here are twelve thoughts I shared with our church family about summer growth. (more…)

Living on God’s Economy—Giving Positions Me for God’s Blessings

In God’s economy, giving is like planting a seed. Just as planting seed positions a farmer for harvest, so giving our resources positions us for God’s blessings. Second Corinthians 9:6 explains it this way, “…He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

Jesus also explained the direct relation between giving and blessing in Luke 6:38: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” This verse reminds us that giving follows four basic laws of harvest.

You reap what you sow.
“Give, and it shall be given unto you…”

You simply cannot out-give God! And every Christian who has been giving to God long enough to reap the harvest can attest to this truth.
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Living on God’s Economy—The Mission of the Local Church is Worthy of My Investment

I love the local church! I praise the Lord for the opportunity to have been raised in church. God used my many Sunday school teachers, each sermon I heard, the church camps I attended—every aspect of the church to influence and shape my life. Even as a child, He used the local church to give me a desire to live with eternal values. Today, I’m thankful for the love and fellowship of my church family. I’m thankful that God has allowed me to be a part of something so awesome, so needed, so eternal as the local church.

Do you love your church? Thank God for the many ways the local church has benefited you—salvation, spiritual growth, opportunities for service, help in directing your children’s hearts to God—the list is long.

The Mission of the Local Church
Your church has the responsibility of reaching every person in the community with the Gospel of Christ. Christ has commanded His church to “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23). What a joy to be a part of such an awesome responsibility!
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