All Posts (Page 5)
“Conversation About House Churches”Podcast
This is the Revitalize and Replant Podcast interviewing Jim Elliff about the basics on house church life. House churches are not the only way to be a church, but we need to be open about churches developed intentionally to replicate what we see in the New Testament form as one clear option for church starts. Enjoy!
Are We the Witnesses in Acts 1:8?
In Acts, the use of the word “witnesses” relates to the Apostles themselves, who were “witnesses of his resurrection.” It doesn’t seem to be used of the normal believer throughout Acts. Acts 1:8 was a commission and a promise given to the Apostles only, which was fulfilled in their missionary journeys (Mk 16:15; Col 1:23). See it in that light: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in…
Speaking Bible
There are a variety of ways to be obnoxious in our interactions with people. One of them is to always speak in holy tones as if we are super spiritual. Another is to use trite Christian phrases when we greet people, such as, “How’s the Lord blessin’ you today?” We may mean well with such words, but they often come across as disingenuous and sometimes create embarrassment. But, we should speak Bible truths. I don’t mean that we should quote…
Gospel Advance in Rome and an Ethiopian Hospital
When hard times come, what do people hear from your lips? Suffering in Rome Those who saw Paul in Rome under house arrest awaiting trial (see the end of Acts) probably didn’t think he was doing so well. After all, he was in chains! I can imagine the guards who were chained to Paul in four hour shifts initially thought Paul would be like any other prisoner. Even the believers throughout the Roman Empire who were aware Paul was in…
How Do You Recover From This?
When a child leaves the home abruptly and angrily, with a vow not to return, how do you recover? When you receive termination papers from your work with no prospects of another job, how do you keep from losing it all? When bills pile too high and the income is too low, where do you turn? When your companion of decades has a stroke and leaves you alone, what can help you keep balanced through the lonely days and nights?…
Leaving One Church for Another Close By
At least initially, no one who believed and was baptized and came into the membership of the church in Corinth could then leave that church and join another close by. That was not an option since there was only one local church in the area. Each Sunday, and possibly other days of the week, all of the believers in Corinth gathered at Gaius’ house (cf. Romans 16:23). Church shopping was still a future phenomenon. Times have changed. I live in…
The Pronouns Preach: Lessons on the Glory of the Church
When reading the Bible, parts of speech make a big difference in our understanding. There are many examples, but here is one that demonstrates my point perfectly. It is found in Ephesians. I will be so bold as to say, “If you miss the pronouns, you miss the entire meaning of the epistle,” and you will miss a particularly important lesson we need today. An Illustration Ephesus was a center of pagan worship boasting one of the seven wonders of the…
Seen by the Unseen
“For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.” Proverbs 5:21 Perhaps you do not consider the implications of being watched. Among the panoply of spiritual beings said to see into our world, none is more pervasive, interested and involved than God himself. Everything is in his preview, without any strain to his perception or cognitive reach. This means that we are never truly alone. As really as a person who is standing…
You Can Never Love Too Much
You can never love too much. You can dote too much, cuddle too much, stare at a picture too much, and even fix more cookies than are acceptable, but you cannot love too much. Paul emphasized this to believers in Thessalonica: Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren…
$833.33 Exactly: A Letter From Jim
Dear CCW family, Just a few years after we married, we decided we would never ask for support for our work or for our personal expenses, or for any CCW ministry expenses. Rather, we would look to the Lord alone for such provision without telling anyone about our needs. We wanted to demonstrate through our dependence on Him how God loves His children and answers prayer. This decision to live life this way didn’t come out of nowhere. There was…
How I Introduced Daniel 7
I spent seven weeks teaching through Daniel 1-6. It was so enjoyable and fairly easy to keep people engaged. But in the back of my mind I knew that the sometimes dreaded second half of Daniel was looming. I understand why some Bible teachers exposit the first half of the book and then punt with a line like, “Sometime in the future, we’ll come back and work through the much more complicated chapters 7-12.” Most who have said that haven’t…
To Teach My Poor Mind
A man traversing an ancient stone bridge over a fast moving stream encountered a meditative old soul tossing sticks into the water and straining to see what she had done. She did not lift her head or shift the focus of her eyes from their downward gaze to even acknowledge his presence as he came close. There was nothing trivial about her motions or about the look in her fixated eyes. She anticipated no watchers. She intended no words. She…
A Little Light
Is this so for you?
Happiness, Hospitality, and Hundreds: The Most Loving Church I Have Ever Experienced
The Lord saved me when I was a freshman in high school in the context of a para-church ministry. Unfortunately, I didn’t commit to a local church at that point in my life. Oh, I attended church — actually, more than one. But I wasn’t taught the importance of baptism nor the necessity of having godly leaders over me and the accountability of fellow believers in an individual church. During college, I was a Bible major, ironically to become a…
The Old Ways
The old ways. Do we want them? Some of you are older (though I’m glad that hasn’t happened to me). And all of you are older this year than you were last. Was it better before? Do we have the right perspective about the way it used to be? There is something charming about what things were like before smartphones and social media and so much public anger…..the pace of life, the emphasis on relationships, the steadiness of it all.…
Ten Most Popular CCW Articles in 2024
Though the following articles were not all written in 2024, these were our most popular. A snippet of each article is included. 10. Confessionism: the Misuse of 1 John 1:9 — Jim Elliff “For many years earlier in my ministry, I made statements such as the following: ‘In order to be restored to fellowship with God and to be filled with the Spirit you must confess every known sin to God.’ What am I to think fo such instructions now?”…