Jeremy R. Geerdes Posts
Long-Haul Faith, Pt 4: Paul
Collaborate, serve, follow, and make friends. Because in faith and life, that is the only way to go far.
Long-Haul Faith, Pt 3: Jonathan
Boldness, faithfulness, strength, wisdom, and selflessness are essential to a long-haul faith. We must, therefore, ask ourselves in which of these we excel. More importantly, in which of these could we use some improvement?
Long-Haul Faith, Pt 2: Matthew
Matthew’s faith endured for the long haul, and if we will abandon sin, never abandon sinners, and always remember our own need for a Savior, our faith will endure, too.
Long-Haul Faith, Pt 1: Elisha
To the very end of his life, Elisha was a man of powerful faith. He had a long-haul faith, and if we want to have even a fraction of the faith he did, we would do well to learn from him.
The danger of Christian nationalism
Unfortunately, the strategy of Christian nationalists is the exact reverse of this. In essence, they suggest that, if the king is godly, then the people will be godly, and the primary litmus test of the king’s godliness is whether he will support their stance on their favorite issue. As long as that is in place, then many of my brothers and sisters on the evangelical right suppose that this candidate must be God’s anointed to the exclusion of all other indicators.
Church Health & Revitalization: Be strong and courageous
Leading revitalization is neither easy nor safe. Like Joshua, we will face formidable challenges and very real risks. There will be obstacles and deficiencies to overcome, change and resistance – both earthly and spiritual – to face. These things are unavoidable, and quite frankly, there is only so much we can to mitigate them. At some point, the only option is to confront them directly.
My Redeemer Lives
This is why Job 19:25 shines so brightly as the world around us burns and we find ourselves engulfed in pain, uncertainty, and doubt. Job would never know the answers to his questions, but he knew that he knew that he knew that his Redeemer is alive; that he – that is, God – has never needed a backup plan; and that even if the whole world were reduced to dust and ash, he could and would still bring good out of it.
Church Revitalization: The necessary pain of ongoing evaluation
It is imperative that revitalizing churches and leaders conduct regular reviews of their biblical mission and specific vision, stepping back to consider the state of the church from a relatively objective viewpoint despite the emotional cost or the responsibility we may discover that we bear. If we fail to do this, it will destroy the church.
Church Revitalization: Contending with the frustration of one step forward, two steps back
I once watched a documentary about a Civil War battle. Though I do not remember which battle or most of the pertinent details, I do remember the commentators talking about one rather unorthodox maneuver. With enemy troops flanking them and their own numbers dwindling, one general ordered his men to advance to the rear. In […]
COVID-19: Resuming in-person worship services, Phase 1
Once we are confident that we have satisfied all of our established external and internal criteria, our leadership team has developed a three-phase plan to resume in-person worship services and other activities at the church. Once again, we have not yet set a date for when we will begin to implement this plan, but in this post, I want to share some of the details of the strategy’s first phase.