How does a Church measure success? Is it with numbers? Activities? Size? By any of those measures, the church at Philadelphia was a failure – and yet Jesus praised them more highly than any of the other churches. What can we learn about how to be faithful from this weak church?
Continue readingWhat does it mean for a church to have a good reputation in the world? After all, reputation is rooted in values, and what should matter to a church isn’t always what matters to Jesus. The Church in Sardis got it wrong; how can we get it right?
Continue readingPart of the pain of growing older is learning the world isn’t as black and white as we thought it was. We struggle to navigate a life – and a faith – that is messier than we wish it were. The Church in Thyatira faced similar problems – with different teachers advocating different solutions to their tension. They needed a Jesus with burning eyes and bronze feet (what?!). And so do we.
Continue readingHow often do we examine the roots of our values? Why do we really care about the things we care about? How did we decide what our vision for the Good Life is? Christians in Pergamum had the same problem we do – they assumed the values of their culture were compatible with Jesus’ vision for their lives. Jesus warns them – and us – that’s not the case. How can we know what Jesus wants for us?
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