Yes, local churches are very imperfect. They have problems. There are attitude issues. Leaders make mistakes. But God is doing a work. Instead of withdrawing from the local church, why not invest yourself in it, and commit yourself to humbly serving the body of Christ and helping people?
In this audio clip, Randy Alcorn answers the question, "Does the church need to teach a theology of suffering?"
In this audio clip, Randy Alcorn talks about the need for more teaching on the subject of Heaven.
In this audio clip Randy Alcorn answers the question, "Why don't more Bible schools teach a theology of money?"
In this audio clip, Randy Alcorn addresses the role of organizations and the role of the church.
Randy Alcorn asnwers the question, "How would you encourage pastors in the face of materialism and consumerism?"
It is God’s will that you be active in life-long ministry, in your church. You are called to edify, build up and encourage a local body of believers by utilizing your own unique giftings by the power of the Spirit. How are you to be equipped for this ministry? Through the ministry of the local church itself.
The story behind "Great is Thy Faithfulness" should encourage every Christian who thinks of their life as ordinary. There’s no tragic story (think “It Is Well” by Horatio Spafford) associated with this hymn. It’s just the fruit of a faithful man with a simple faith in a faithful God.
Thomas Chisholm, who sometimes described himself as “just an old shoe,” was born in a Kentucky log cabin in 1866. He was converted when he was 27, became a pastor at 36, but had to retire one year later due to poor health. He spent the majority of the rest of his life as a life insurance agent in New Jersey. He died in 1960 at the age of 93. During his life he wrote over 1200 poems, most of which no one will ever hear.
What distinguished the first Christians from the world around them? It certainly wasn’t their buildings—they had none. It wasn’t their programs—they had none. It wasn’t their political power—they had none.
Read Acts 2 and Acts 4 and you see a radical difference in the church, a profound transformation in the way people treated each other. Christians were different in the way they behaved, in the way they lived. They were characterized by visible acts of love and generosity and joyous sacrifice for the good of others.
In this six minute clip, Randy Alcorn answers the question, "Why should the local church be important to us?" at a Cannon Beach Conference Center Retreat.
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