Sunday I began preaching a series of meetings at a small church in the next county. I am attempting to do the same basic thing I mentioned here once before, preaching to the people about what the church should be on the ground that a true work of renewal begins with the people of God. I have so far preached on the same texts I mentioned before:

1 Tim 3:14-16– on the nature of the church
Eph 4– on the necessity of every
member supplying
Heb 3:12-4:16– on the responsibility of members to exhort
(encourage & rebuke) one another every day as a key to our perseverance.

My intention is to preach on 1 Cor 5 tonight on church discipline as the logical outcome of Eph 4 and Heb 3-4. This is how we show that we truly do love one another and that we love the glory of God. I have also stressed to the people that one of their primary fields of evangelism in this area will be people who profess faith but demonstrate by their life and lack of concern for the things of God that they do not know God (Titus 1:16).

I will hope to post in the next few days some other encouraging things I have seen during these meetings.