Desiring God Blog recently posted this sketch of a recent sermon: How Important Is Church Membership?

Part of what it means to belong to the body of Christ is to belong to a local body, because God intends the local church to be an expression of his universal church.

The New Testament gives at least five strands of evidence that a definable, local-church membership is necessary:

1. The church is to discipline its members.
2. The reality of excommunication exists.
3. Christians are required to submit to their leaders.
4. Leaders are required to care for their people.
5. The prominent metaphor of the body implies membership.

And this two part series from Pulpit Magazine is helpful on the issue as well.

1. Why Membership Matters (Part 1)
2. Why Membership Matters (Part 2)

I was asked about the book “The Shack” today and I thought it helpful to point to two worthwhile reviews of it here.

The first I’d suggest is the audio Al Mohler’s radio program when he reviewed the book. Get it here: A Look at “The Shack”

The second review is Tim Challies review available on his site. He has two reviews — his first a bit shorter, his second a more thorough and available as a PDF to download and print.

Mohler caution’s readers to beware of The Shack’s “serious, even dangerous, theological deficiencies”.

Tim Challies says,

I urge you, the reader, to exercise care in reading and distributing this book. The Shack may be an engaging read but it is one that contains far too much error. Read it only with the utmost care and concern, critically evaluating the book against the unchanging standard of Scripture. Caveat lector!

We’re headed out for a week of camping in the morning but when I get back if I find other worthwhile reviews I’ll link to them here.

The following is a summer challenge I issued to our church family by email this week.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been enjoying an early morning, fast paced walk with Carolyn on a pleasant trail in the woods near the house. It’s really all I can do to keep up — she’s been walking about an hour a day, almost every day, for a couple of years now. On our walk this morning I saw a tall pine tree lying beside the trail. The tree looked like it had been blown over recently.

What I found interesting about it was the fact that though the tree had been standing not long ago, probably about 20 feet tall or so, a young pine, and appeared to be healthy, I saw no tap root. From what I understand about pines they grow a deep tap root that gives them strength and stability. Evidently the tap root of this tree had been compromised or was simply insufficient to withstand the severity of the storm that hit it.

How’s your spiritual tap root? Two characteristics seen in 1 John of believers who are strong in their walk with Christ are that they are people in whom God’s Word abides (1 John 2:14) and they are people who abide in Christ (1 John 2:27) — that is they yield to the work the Holy Spirit is working in them.

Let me encourage and challenge you to give attention to strengthening and growing your spiritual “tap root” by reading God’s Word this summer. Summer will go by quickly and I know there are many things we’d like to do during these wonderful but few warm days in Northern Michigan. Take time to enjoy them, but don’t neglect God’s Word. Better yet, get outside, pull out your favorite lawn chair or Adirondack and enjoy God’s Word while you enjoy His creation. And then be certain that you approach God’s Word with reverent humility, ready to obey as God’s Spirit works in you. Grow your spiritual tap root deep this summer.

Ray Pritchard shares a special prayer written for he and his wife as they prepared for a ministry trip to the Czech Republic. This is such a good idea that I lan to use it myself soon. Ray writes,

How often have we said those four words? Christians routinely promise to pray for others. And such a promise, whether deeply felt or not, is always a wonderful gift. How encouraging it is to be going through a hard time and have someone who loves you say, “I’m praying for you.”

But there is something that can mean even more.

Go read Write a Prayer for a Friend.

Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it while you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. –John Owen

I’ll be speaking tomorrow morning of the enemy of every follower of Christ, sin. This is a good time to share this timeless quote from John Owen’s writing and at the same time recommend you read his three books compiled in one volume entitled Overcoming Sin And Temptation.

How do you speak of others in their absence? I find it far too easy to speak disparagingly of others in their absence. That’s why I found this piece by Ray Pritchard so convicting today. “The Absent Are Safe Here“.

Read and be challenged.

(Via: Ken)

Carolyn writes about a slip and fall, sow and reap moment today.

March 9, 2008 - AM Service
GROW - How God Grows a Healthy Church - Acts 2:37-47 (pt. 2)
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church

March 2, 2008 - AM Service
GROW - How God Grows a Healthy Church - Acts 2:37-47 (pt. 1)
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church

February 24, 2008 - AM Service
Read The Letter - Colossians 4:15-18
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church

February 10, 2008 - AM Service
Christian Fellowship - Colossians 4:10-14
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church

February 3, 2008 - AM Service
Second Chances - Colossians 4:9
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church

January 27, 2008 - AM Service
Marks of A Devoted Minister - Colossians 4:7-8
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church

January 20, 2008 - AM Service
The Believer’s Walk and Talk (Pt. 2) - Colossians 4:5-6
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church

In the latest “Ask Pastor John“, John Piper answers the question “Is it a sin to smoke or eat junk food?”

January 13, 2008 - AM Service
The Believer’s Walk and Talk (Pt. 1) - Colossians 4:5-6
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church

January 6, 2008 - AM Service
Open To Us A Door For the Word - Colossians 4:3-4
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church

December 30, 2007 - AM Service
Satisfied in God’s Steadfast Love - Various Scripture
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church