Mark Dever on Signs of Spiritual Growth

Mark Dever:

1. Growing numbers being called to missions—“I’ve enjoyed sharing the gospel with my neighbors from South America. I wonder if God is calling me to …”
2. Older members getting a fresh sense of their responsibility in evangelism and in discipling younger members—“Why don’t you come over for dinner?”
3. Younger members attending the funerals of older members out of love—“As a single man in my twenties, it was so good to be taken in by Mr. and Mrs.…”
4. Increased praying in the church and more prayers centered on evangelism and ministry opportunities—“I’m starting an evangelistic Bible study at work and I’m a little nervous. Would the church pray that …”
5. More members sharing the gospel with outsiders.
6. Less reliance among members on the church’s programs and more spontaneous ministry activities arising from members—“Pastor, what would you think if Sally and I organized a Christmas tea for the ladies in the church as an evangelistic opportunity?”
7. Informal gatherings among church members characterized by spiritual conversation, including an apparent willingness to confess sin while simultaneously pointing to the cross—“Hey brother, I’m really struggling with …”
8. Increased and sacrificial giving—“Honey, how can we cut fifty dollars from our monthly budget in order to support…”
9. Increased fruits of the Spirit.
10. Members making career sacrifices so that they can serve the church—“Did you hear that Chris turned down a promotion three times so that he could continue devoting himself to being an elder?”
11. Husbands leading their wives sacrificially—“Honey, what are several things I can do to make you feel more loved and understood?”
12. Wives submitting to their husbands—“Sweetheart, what are some things I can do today that will make your life easier?”
13. Parents discipling their children in the faith—“Tonight let’s pray for Christian workers in the country of …”
14. A corporate willingness to discipline unrepentant and public sin.
15. A corporate love for an unrepentant sinner shown in the pursuit of him or her before discipline is enacted—“Please! If you get this message, I would love to hear from you.”

Read the rest.

Books by Mark Dever:

• Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
• The Church: The Gospel Made Visible
• The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (Ixmarks)
• The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made
• The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept
• Preach: Theology Meets Practice
• The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel

5 Things Mistaken for Evangelism

Mark Dever writes a helpful post dealing with what is and what is not evangelism.


Books by Mark Dever:

• Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
• The Church: The Gospel Made Visible
• The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (Ixmarks)
• The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made
• The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept
• Preach: Theology Meets Practice
• The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel

Mark Dever Interviews David Platt on Disciple-Making

Books by David Platt:

• Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
• Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God
• Follow Me: A Call to Die. A Call to Live.

Why Church Membership is a Big Deal

Good stuff here from Mark Dever. RSS readers, click through to view.



Books by Mark Dever:

• Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
• The Church: The Gospel Made Visible
• The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (Ixmarks)
• The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made
• The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept
• Preach: Theology Meets Practice
• The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel

"Recent Cultural Changes Have Made Our Job Zero Percent Harder"

Helpful post here from Mark Dever.


Books by Mark Dever here.

How To Grow in Reaching Out

I recommend these books:

• The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever 
• The Heart of Evangelism by Jerram Barrs 
• Learning Evangelism from Jesus by Jerram Barrs

A Good Discussion on Church Size and What Difference it Makes

Create a Culture of Reading & Reflecting

(HT: Steve McCoy)

Worst Preaching Mistakes

One time in a sermon on adoption I said, "God hates babies!" Uh... Not good. I was trying to say that Satan hates families and discipleship and reproduction because it is commanded by God, but I was getting worked up and going too fast and said, "God hates babies!!"

It's good to be humbled.


Preaching Goofs from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

The Church is the Proof of the Gospel

Mark Dever:

“Many Protestants have begun to think that because the church is not essential to the gospel, it is not important to the gospel. This is an unbiblical, false, and dangerous conclusion. Our churches are the proof of the gospel. In the gatherings of the church, the Christian Scriptures are read. In the ordinances of the church, the work of Christ is depicted. In the life of the church, the character of God himself should be evident. A church seriously compromised in character would seem to make the gospel itself irrelevant.

The doctrine of the church is important because it is tied to the good news itself. The church is to be the appearance of the gospel. It is what the gospel looks like when played out in the lives of people. Take away the church and you take away the visible manifestation of the gospel in the world. Christians in churches, then, are called to practice ‘display evangelism,’ and the world will witness the reign of God begun in a community of people made in his image and reborn by his Spirit. Christians, not just as individuals but as God’s people bound together in churches, are the clearest picture that the world sees of the invisible God and what his will is for them.”

- Mark E. Dever, ‘The Church” in A Theology for the Church, edited by Daniel L. Akin (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2007), 836.

(HT:  Timmy Brister)