Reinventing became the rage in industry a couple of decades ago. This included reinventing everything from basic organizational structure, to how the process of making a product was done, to how it was marketed and delivered. This was helpful to many industries and businesses, but for others it only helped them to make and distribute the wrong product better, and of course they still failed.

Reinventing then became the rage in much of the church. Likewise many churches really needed a makeover, and this helped them. Others may have changed their style and even their basic organization, but...

The real strength of any church will be seen through how strong the people are, not how great the preacher or pastor is. One of the greatest weaknesses in the modern church is that the people are rarely being equipped and released to do the work of the ministry as is mandated in Ephesians 4:11-16. We can therefore also expect its fulfillment to produce the strongest churches. Because the following Scriptures are the most concise and articulate of the purpose of true ministry in the church and its result, let's read it again before proceeding.
 

One of the most important churches in the first century was not planted by apostles, but actually gave birth to apostles and a whole new kind of missionary apostle that would "turn the world upside down." This was the church at Antioch, planted by believers simply preaching the gospel. Yet this church set the course of history for much of the world, and is one of the great inspirations of how the Lord can take any little church and impact the entire world through it.

In contrast to the original twelve apostles who mostly stayed in Jerusalem, the...

We have discussed two of the most basic elements of a healthy, thriving church life. One element is openness to both the old and the new, which would be both the historic church and the new breakout movements in our own time. For this to be demonstrated in local church life would mean having a ministry for children, youth, and the elderly, with a healthy interchange between them.

The second element is a healthy interchange and fellowship with the rest of the body of Christ. These two are essential for a healthy, thriving church life that will have...

Last week we discussed the attitude that will keep us moving, growing, and pressing on to maturity in Christ, as the Apostle Paul expressed it in Philippians 3. If Paul, who had one of the most powerful, fruitful ministries of all time had the attitude near the end of his life that he had not yet attained, but needed to press on and not look back, how much more should we have this attitude?

For this reason, one of the greatest gifts that anyone could have is hunger for God that keeps them in pursuit of Him. Only...