I am joined by two of my brethren in the work, Phillip Martin and Tony Mauck. Phillip is the cohost of the Do the Work podcast. He preaches and serves as one of the shepherds for the Eastside church of Christ in Sharpsburg, Georgia.
Tony is one of my oldest friends in preaching, currently laboring with the Decker Prairie church of Christ in suburban northwest Houston.
I’ve been preaching about the variety we find in our fellowship. It strikes me that many of our brethren over the years have deliberately limited the degree to which we differ in local churches — skin color, native language, clothing styles, you name it. We would all agree that drawing lines of distinction over doctrinal matters is a good thing and occasionally even a necessary thing. But can variety — even in spiritual matters — be a good thing? And if so, is there a way to embrace our differences without compromising Biblical truth?
I’ve been reading a variety of Bible versions in recent years, a hard left turn from my “NASB only” past. Three times the Proverbs writer extols the value of a multitude of counselors. But clearly some counselors are wiser than others. How many versions do you read from, do you have a single go-to version, and how important is it for the congregation and the preacher to be (pardon the expression) on the same page?
I’ve been playing Ticket to Ride a lot more in recent days. We’ve had the original North America map for years and played it to death. But over time we have collected various expansions with different maps and slightly tweaked rules. And we’ve not only found our interest in the general concept renewed, we have even found ourselves finding joy in the original worn-out version. In short, variety can bring life to old, worn-out forms and rejuvenate our interest. What are some ways we can diversify the service we offer to God and still offer Him what He wants without letting it grow stale in our own minds?