Monthly Archives: February 2014

Case Study: Initial Recommendations

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Don Merritt

Well, here we are again sitting around the conference table, getting ready to make a couple of recommendations to our brothers at Franklin Christian Church. FIRST: The Leadership Team needs to get together and craft a Biblical Vision Statement for … Continue reading →

Posted in christian | Tagged Bible, Christian, church, church growth, discipleship, encouragement, hope, Jesus, life, love, perspective | 12 Comments

I Don’t Want to Hear This!

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Don Merritt

Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged attitude, Bible, Christian, encouragement, hope, inspiration, Jesus, life, love, perspective | 10 Comments

Are You Driving too Fast?

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Don Merritt

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged attitude, Bible, Christian, encouragement, hope, inspiration, Jesus, life, love, perspective, photos | 5 Comments

Case Study: Leadership Basics

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Don Merritt

Welcome back to the conference room for today’s discussion about leadership basics.These basic ideas pertain not only to our case study of Franklin Christian Church, but to any leader anywhere, and if this was a book rather than a series … Continue reading →

Posted in christian | Tagged attitude, Christian, church, church growth, discipleship, encouragement, Jesus, leadership, perspective | 6 Comments

Strangers

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Don Merritt

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged attitude, Bible, Christian, encouragement, hope, Jesus, life, love, perspective, photos | 12 Comments

Living Stones

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Don Merritt

This passage, 1 Peter 2:4-10, is a really rich one, but it might seem a little confusing at first because of the imagery involved, that of living stones, but as you’ll shortly see, this, too is a simple passage to … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Life | 11 Comments

Case Study: Meeting the Leadership

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Don Merritt

Today we’ve moved into the next step in our case study of Franklin Christian Church (FCC) in Franklin, Illinois, and as promised yesterday, we will meet the leadership in this episode. If you haven’t seen the first few posts in … Continue reading →

Posted in christian | Tagged Applied Theology, Bible, Christian, church, church growth, discipleship, hope, Jesus, life, perspective | 10 Comments

Like a Newborn

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Don Merritt

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged attitude, Bible, Christian, hope, inspiration, Jesus, life, love, perspective, photos | 3 Comments

Love… Again!

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Don Merritt

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged attitude, Bible, Christian, encouragement, hope, inspiration, Jesus, life, love, perspective, photos | 19 Comments

What… me change?

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Don Merritt

At the end of yesterday’s post “Something Special” I mentioned that the challenge for FCC and other churches like it is whether or not enough people there would be willing to make changes to grow, both spiritually as a congregation and numerically … Continue reading →