Virtues 3 and 4: church attendance and following the rules
- Does following Jesus include obeying his commandments, or is that trying to righteous your way into heaven?
The hosts cover 'perfect church attendance' (Powell's line: God cares more about the condition of your heart than the location of your butt) and 'following the rules.' The hosts agree attendance does not equal a life lived for Christ, but argue community and gathered worship are irreplaceable, so attendance still matters. On rules, they push back hard: Jesus said 'if you love me, you will obey my commandments,' the Sermon on the Mount describes kingdom life, and treating obedience as legalism cuts out half the Bible, even as imputed righteousness remains entirely Jesus's work.
More on Church
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Church, emotions, and the self-focus of affluence
- How do you help people in an affluent, self-focused culture see that they need Jesus?
Ben revives a question from two or three shows back: are church services and worship tunes postured toward certain personality types — predominantly emotions and dealing with emotions?
From No. 603 · Found Out
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Leadership training for church leaders: get a business manager
- Do people who lead churches need leadership training?
Mike's real question: to what extent do people need leadership training to lead churches? Ben gives two distinct answers.
From No. 602 · Relationship Counseling
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The New Testament case for human shaping
- What does the New Testament actually say about spiritual authority and submission?
Ben walks the New Testament texts: Hebrews 13:17 ('obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls') presumes a soul-watching laborer, not a rule-maker;…
From No. 600 · Rage The Elephant
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Confetti and lasers: what should God's people be known for?
- Do we want to be known as the confetti and lasers people?
- What should God's people be known for?
Ben redirects to the docket's denomination question: when someone hears Silas's church described as 'the confetti and lasers people,' should that sting?
From No. 598 · Emphasis | Accountability, Worship and Praying with Strangers