A Prayer of Petition and Praise, Part 3

In the contemporary Church, the success of the ministry is often measured by the wrong standards. We’re impressed by large congregations, celebrity pastors who preach clever sermons based on popular movies titles, and multimedia and stagecraft worthy of Hollywood. These pulpits provide just enough truth to placate the conscience, and an abundance of entertainment to amuse the mind. But this doesn’t make for relevant and vital ministry. We should look for churches that are yielding themselves to God’s commands, and who are living expressions of faith in Christ. God did not save us to wallow in immaturity. He desires that we fully grasp the greatness of His power as it is demonstrated in the love of Jesus Christ. He wants us to not only know this love with our minds, but to experience it in our lives. Refresh yourself in the humbling truth of the gospel, and commit yourself to obeying God, yielding to the sanctifying power of His love, and encouraging fellow believers to do the same.