11 Comments
User's avatar
Daniel Mayfield's avatar

I appreciate this and I’m right there with you. Been the subject of a lot of personal reflection lately.

Brandon Wilborn's avatar

"As Ivan and Alyosha teach us, arguments aren’t won with words but by the fruits that result from those words."

In other words, ideas have consequences. Most people need to see the consequences before they're willing to change ideas.

Church Reset | Jack Wilkie's avatar

For sure. And if the ideas aren't creating the consequences, either the ideas are debunked or the people pushing them are proving themselves unfit to promote them.

Sid's avatar

Love this! Great thoughts! I have been thinking about this a lot too. We can't get people to Y and Z if they haven't gone from A to B.

Sarafollowstruth's avatar

As long as we are all on the right page as far as the gospel goes, all other "problems" will fall into place . . . eventually.

Church Reset | Jack Wilkie's avatar

It depends on how we're defining Gospel. If we mean the full counsel of Jesus' Lordship, then yes. But if it's just preaching the basics, we'll have to get more specific since the human default is to not get these things right.

Sarafollowstruth's avatar

The true gospel. Too many people are confused about what the gospel is even if they were baptized decades ago.

Lawana Perrault's avatar

Great article! I agree! Speaking the truth, encouraging, correcting to help others must come from a loving heart. We must examine ourselves daily.

David Mark's avatar

That was awesome, thanks brother Jack. Wow do things seem bumpy right now.

Jeffrey Kent's avatar

What you're talking about, brother Jack, is something I've been teaching for years. Deut 5:32 - in keeping God's word "you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left." Balance. We can err in either direction with our doctrine, our faith, our love, our application of scripture. We can be too tight or too loose. My father used this analogy when asked about rearing his two boys. It's like having a beetle under your finger. Push too hard, and you squash it. Not hard enough, and it runs off. You need just the right amount of pressure. This is where, of course, we need God's wisdom Blessed balancing!