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Articles by Josh Laxton
The Power of Small
I think the era of the megachurch and the celebrity pastor has cast a dark cloud on the small church and the small church pastor. In this case, church culture mirrors the larger culture. According to a Small Business Administration press release back in 2019, small businesses account for 44% of U.S. economic activity. Yet as a nation we tend to gauge our overall economic health off of the biggest and wealthiest companies.
Everyone, All the Time
Here’s an observation about today’s society: We live in a culture of specialists. In the previous generation, many like my dad and father-in-law (who both are now in their 60s) were generalists. On top of their day job, they could change oil, replace spark plugs, lay flooring, fix minor plumbing issues, install crown molding, etc. Likely, I could learn many of those things and more by just watching YouTube, but the problem is that I don’t want to take the time to learn.
Speaking Prophetically in a Post-Christian World
Thinking about cultural engagement isn’t something necessarily new to the church. In his treatise, The City of God, Augustine outlined how the “city of God” (reflected in the church) lives in and engages with the “city of man” (Rome). Fast-forward to 1951 and H. Richard Niebuhr wrote the classic primer listing five models of how […] Thinking about cultural engagement isn’t something necessarily new to the church.
10 Characteristics of Healthy Relationships
ShareTweetPinPocketFlipboard Part of the essence of being human involves relating to other human beings. We relate to our parents, spouse, extended family, friends, church community, colleagues, acquaintances, neighbors, and those we encounter during our ordinary rhythms of life. Depending on the week, we all encounter or engage at least dozens, if not hundreds of people—and for some thousands.
The Primary Apologetic for the Christian Faith
ShareTweetPinPocketFlipboard If you had to choose between a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A or Popeyes, which one would you choose? If you’re a coffee person and you had to choose coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks, which would be your choice? What about Apple verses Microsoft products? If I asked the follow up question, “Why do you prefer that product over the other one?” you would be able to give me your personal testimony, your defense, as to why you prefer one item over the other.
Three Questions Suffering People Ask Jesus and Three Responses Jesus Gives
From CHURCHLEADERS: Josh Laxton My wife is a nurse, so she has a lot of experience in dealing with those in pain. She told me about the a chart they use in triage to help people gauge their pain. Ranging from 1 to 10, the chart corresponds to faces with an increasingly pained expression with each number. Where are you today? What’s your number? I imagine there are very few, if any, who aren’t dealing with some form of pain or suffering during this .
Discipleship: The Convergence of the Missio Dei and the Imago Dei
I’ve had many conversations over the years with people affiliated with the church where I’ve asked them, “Are you a Christian?” to which they would respond, “Yes, of course.” Following their admission, I would ask them, “How do you know that you are a Christian?” This is where it got interesting. Overwhelmingly, the majority of the time people would respond with Christian activity like, baptism, bible reading, praying, attending church, and tithing.
Three Questions Suffering People Ask Jesus and Three Responses Jesus Gives
My wife is a nurse, so she has a lot of experience in dealing with those in pain. She told me about the a chart they use in triage to help people gauge their pain. Ranging from 1 to 10, the chart corresponds to faces with an increasingly pained expression with each number. Where are you today? What’s your number? I imagine there are very few, if any, who aren’t dealing with some form of pain or suffering during this COVID-19 pandemic.
When the Cultural Climate Gets Political, How Does the Church Stay Missional?
America is caught up (and has been for quite some time) in a culture war of the kind of nation it will be or become. In other words, it is a fight over the future vision of American life (Hunter, Culture Wars). Given the nature of this culture war, sides are created, and partisan politics are born. There are four characteristics to partisan politics that create a politically toxic environment.
How the Fall Affected Evangelism
David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1). Jesus responded to the Pharisees, when they told him, “Teacher rebuke your disciples,” by saying, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out” (Luke 19:10). We learn something extremely important about creation in these two verses. We learn that creation, by its very nature, is an evangelist.
Listening is an A.R.T.
A few Mondays ago, while I was taking my eldest son to school, I asked him “if he learned anything from the message on Sunday?” He replied that he did, to which I eagerly asked, “What did you learn?” As I was taking my eldest son to school this morning, I asked him “if he learned anything from the message yesterday?” He replied that he did, to which I eagerly asked, “What did you learn?” Then I got the preteen recording, “I don’t know!” I’m learning a lot at this phase of parenting, but I’m...
Preaching is an A.R.T.
I don’t know what comes to your mind when you hear the word “art,” but I tend to think of paintings like the Mona Lisa. But art is much broader than paintings.
Sharing the Gospel With a Post-Christian World: Insights From Thessalonica
Paul the missionary-church planter came to Thessalonica in the Roman province of Macedonia on his second missionary journey eager to tell those he met the good news. Luke’s account in Acts gives us some information: Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” (Acts 17:2-3).
How to Keep Christ in Christmas While Allowing Santa to Tag Along
One of my favorite Christmas movies is Fred Claus, with Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, and Kevin Spade. Needless to say, the Laxton’s have watched this movie many times over the last couple of years. There is a point at the conclusion of this movie that I want to highlight. Santa’s brother, Fred (played by Vaughn), expresses that there are no naughty kids and urges his brother to begin the practice of giving every child a gift at Christmas.
Four Ways to Kill a Gospel Movement
In his book, Movements that Change the World, Steve Addison notes five characteristics of a movement. They are white hot faith, commitment to a cause, contagious relationships, rapid mobilization, and adaptive methods. It definitely seems by reading the book of Acts, these five characteristics were present in the early church movement.
Three Kinds of Lost People Who Need to Be Found
Human beings naturally play “Hide and Go Seek” with God. This is what Adam and Eve did after they sinned, and God came walking in the Garden; this is what human beings still do. I know there are those who exclaim, “They found God.” But, in my understanding of Scripture, that simply isn’t theologically correct. God wasn’t and isn’t lost, humans are. Sinful, flawed, and broken humans need to be found. This was true in Genesis 3 when God sought out Adam and Eve after they sinned; this is true today.
Accelerating the Great Commission: Do We Need More Research?
In the previous post, Part 5, we shared three answers North American church leaders gave to the following question that Lausanne Global is asking church leaders across the globe: Where is further research needed to accelerate the Great Commission? Here are the final three areas where more research needs to be done in order for the church in North America to become more effective at participating in the Great Commission.
Accelerating the Great Commission: Where Do We Need More Research?
Question 4: Where is further research needed to accelerate the Great Commission? We live in a world that’s always conducting research. Because we are bombarded by various kinds of research every day, we tend to forget the purpose of research. The purpose of research can range from information gathering to problem-solving or to increase our understanding in an area, field of study, or discipline.
Renewed Thinking in a Post-Everything Society
Paul exhorts believers, as they offer their bodies as living sacrifices, not to be conformed to the ways of the world but be transformed by the renewal of their minds. This way, they will discern the will of God. There’s much to be said about, not to mention the application of, the truth contained in Romans 12:1–2. It could fill commentaries and books, which it has.
Keeping Your Cup Filled in a World That Empties It
By now you’ve probably seen the articles that address the state of many pastors in America. Navigating through the crisis of the pandemic, not to mention the other crises the wave of the pandemic has caused, has taken its toll on many pastors. If you are one of those pastors, please know that you are not alone! As pastors, we are constantly pouring our cup into others. Essentially, that is ministry—giving our lives in the service to others.
Accelerating the Great Commission: Better, More Effective Together
Question 3: In what areas is greater collaboration most critical in order to see the fulfillment of the Great Commission? Christians have been told since the inception of the church they are to be unified. By our unity, according to our Savior and King, the world may believe that God sent Jesus (John 17:21). Let us be clear upfront, unity isn’t attending church together. Unity isn’t Twitter shaming other believers for their social media posts. Unity isn’t you do your thing, I’ll do mine.
The Individual’s Responsibility in Church Discipline, Part 5
Read part one here, part two here, part three here, and part four here. After looking at the previous four parts of church discipline regarding the biblical foundation, the purpose and pattern of church discipline, and the principles of discipline in non-profit settings, one could be left thinking that church discipline is reserved only for the pastors of the flock or the leaders of an organization.
Church Discipline in a Christian Non-Profit? Church Discipline Part IV
Although church discipline is reserved for the shepherds of God's people within the church, what about Christian organizations? Should they, like Christian schools or non-profits, exercise church discipline? The short answer is no. However, we believe there are some principles Christian organizations can extrapolate from the biblical purpose, pattern, and practice of church discipline.
The Pattern and Practice of Church Discipline, part 3
In Part 1, the practice of church discipline was grounded in God's character and work as the Good Shepherd and how it informs church discipline. Part 2 considered the ultimate goal of church discipline: to redeem and restore the person to the church body. But when the person continues in rebellion, denial, or other ways that contradict the faith, church discipline offers a way to protect the church while still holding forth the hope of repentance.
The Purpose of Church Discipline, Part 2
As we noted in Part 1, God compares himself to a shepherd and promises to seek the lost, heal the broken, judge between his sheep (Ezekiel 34:10–22). Despite thwarting God's authority as Shepherd and harming other sheep around them (Ezekiel 34:17–22), God earnestly seeks out sheep who've strayed from his flock and desires to restore them to his care (Ezekiel 34:11, 22).
The Way of the Shepherd: The Biblical Foundation of Church and Church Discipline
Church discipline. Those two words can bring a multitude of feelings and images to the reader who has had any experience with it. Frequently, people associate church discipline with "church hurt," evoking negative emotions of harsh, judgmental treatment which can cause division and church splits. On the other side, believers see discipline as something that Scripture speaks about, yet it is mainly absent from their local congregation in actual practice.
Accelerating the Great Commission: Breakthrough and Innovations
Question 3: What promising breakthroughs or innovations do you see that can accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission? We live in an age of constant innovation and breakthroughs in science, medicine, and technology. Just so we are on the same page, let me define innovation and breakthroughs. I’m borrowing from Ted Esler’s innovation definition where he writes, “Innovation is the use of something new to create solutions.
Towards Participating in the Great Commission: Remaining Opportunities in North America
Question 1: What are the most significant gaps and remaining opportunities in North America toward the fulfillment of the Great Commission? In our last article, we outlined four significant gaps that we, as evangelicals in North America, need to close in order to continue to participate and fulfill the Great Commission. In this article, we turn our attention to the “remaining opportunities” that evangelicals need to address in order to fulfill the Great Commission.
Learning From Each Other: What are the Most Significant Gaps in Reaching North America?
Question 1: What are the most significant gaps and remaining opportunities in North America toward the fulfillment of the Great Commission? In this question, Lausanne wants each region to assess the church’s ground-game in advancing the gospel in its context. In this post, we want to note the four most recurring gaps people shared with us on our listening call. 1. The Credibility Gap The credibility of Christians has been on a downhill trajectory since the Jimmy Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart days.
Christ-centered Nonprofits and Churches Ended 2020 Surprisingly W...
The pandemic’s much-feared financial toll on churches and nonprofit ministries failed to materialize in 2020. That’s the verdict from a survey of 1,292 members and friends of ECFA (the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) published March 4 in a 12-page illustration-rich report titled “Remarkable Resilience.” Every three months since the nation’s coronavirus-driven financial upheavals began last spring, ECFA has polled its membership, plus other likeminded churches and nonprofits.
Silent No More: Political Activism in the Asian American Church
In light of the Atlanta shooting of six Asian women on March 16, 2021 and the subsequent outrage and rallies over racist attacks against Asian Americans, are Asian Americans now ready to fully engage in public demonstrations against social injustices?
Four Ways to Kill a Movement
In his book, Movements that Change the World, Steve Addison notes five characteristics of a movement. They are white hot faith, commitment to a cause, contagious relationships, rapid mobilization, and adaptive methods. It definitely seems by reading the book of Acts, these five characteristics were present in the early church movement.
Fewer Churches Held In-Person Services in January
A new study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research found 76% of U.S. Protestant pastors say their churches met in person in January, down from 87% who said the same in September. Even among those who are holding in-person services, few are near pre-pandemic attendance levels. Around 3 in 10 pastors (31%) say their attendance in January 2021 is less than half what it was in January 2020, months before the coronavirus prompted national lockdowns.
The Church in the Digital Age: Ways the Church Can Step into Digital
COVID-19 has, at the very least, forced churches to think about conducting ministry and mission in the digital space. While I understand some churches are ahead of the curve, my goal in this post is to provide a few ways churches can increasingly step into this new age of digital engagement. Focus on the weekend gatherings I think this is a given, however I don’t want to gloss over it.
Missional and Missions: Getting Our Priorities Straight
If in your travels you have ever passed by another country’s embassy, you may see people standing guard, usually in uniform and with their national flag. Those soldiers and the ambassador they guard inside are living, breathing representations of their own country living sent lives in a foreign land. Their task is to represent their home country and its interests while in that land. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul refers to himself as an ambassador. It is an appropriate description of all Christians.
How’s the COVID-19 Dance Going 10 Months into the Pandemic?
Early in the pandemic, we compared COVID-19 to a dance that the church needed to learn. The dance terminology was adopted from Tomas Pueyo, who published an article entitled, “Coronavirus: The Hammer and the Dance.” In this article, Pueyo explained that the months-long period between the Hammer (strict measures taken to address the virus) and a vaccine will require a broad variety of approaches and a constant flexibility (the Dance), due to spikes and dips of coronavirus cases.
Three Words for 2021
While I was pastoring, I would pick a theme that would drive us for the year and then do a mini-series on it. I’ve also observed over the years that many leaders pick a word that speaks to how they want to approach the new year. Given the abnormal year 2020 was, I figured it was appropriate to pick three words that describe my themes and approach to 2021. “New” I love the word new. Who doesn’t like new things?
The Gift of 2020: Perspective
I’ve said it, and I’ve heard countless other people say it as well, “2020 has been a very trying and difficult year.” I’m sure all of us cannot wait for the ball to drop and usher in 2021. However, before we leave 2020 and enter into 2021, I want to challenge us to think deeply about 2020. When I think about 2020, I’m reminded of Joseph in Genesis 50. In his exchange with his brothers (who had sold him into slavery years earlier) Joseph shares, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
Christ as Hero, Santa as Helper: How to Keep Christ the Center of Christmas
Both the traditional view of Santa, delivering presents to “good” little girls and boys—which is a works-based reward system; and this more modern view of Santa, delivering presents to “all” little girls and boys because no one is bad—which is an entitlement reward system—are both contradictory to what Scripture teaches. The Scripture teaches there is no one good, not even one (Ps 14:3; Rom 3:12). Scripture also teaches that man is born inherently sinful (Rom 5:12,18,19).
Seven Identifiers for those Blinded by Self-Righteousness
We live in a world filled with self-righteous people, groups, and institutions. Self-righteousness is more than a trait—it is a state, a condition, or a way of life. It refers to those who are holier-than-thou, pharisaic, or sanctimonious. It’s a prideful reliance on who one is and what one does—in other words, someone full of themselves. While it can be subtle, it is clearly manifested in the antagonistic pious postures that people or groups have towards others.
Shifting the Church: Adapting to New Church Models
In the “Back to the Future: Changes and Shifts within the Church” series, Josh Laxton covers changes within the church that COVID has either exposed or expedited as well as shifts that churches need to make (in light of the changes) to engage in effective ministry and mission. Read part one, on learning to operate from the cultural margins. Today, he covers another change and shift within the church. Change: Simple church may no longer be effective in a changing environment.
Observing the Presidential Race and Exhorting the Church
Tonight is the end of what has been an ugly and vitriolic presidential election. While American politics have always been ugly even since the inception of our country—just watch Hamilton—an argument certainly could be made that American politics is messier and more toxic than ever before in our lifetimes. However, I believe, at the very least, Americans sense the filth and dirt of American politics more than ever because of the public mediums that display the political discourse.
People Are Being Discipled by Their Cable News
In an interview on immigration with Steve Inskeep on NPR’s Morning Edition, I concluded by talking about discipleship. It was a bit tricky because I was a little unsure about mentioning the idea of “discipling” in that context. Inskeep specifically asked me whether evangelicals were hitching their wagon to the wrong horses. I explained, cautiously using the term “discipleship” on NPR’s flagship program: Well, it’s a fair question.
20 Truths from ‘The Sacred Overlap’ by J.R. Briggs
Today I am glad to feature another installment of my ongoing 20 Truths series. This edition of 20 Truths examines what we can learn from J.R. Briggs’ latest book The Sacred Overlap: Learning to Live Faithfully in the Space Between. J.R. Briggs is the founder Kairos Partnerships, an organization whose purpose is to serve hungry kingdom leaders through coaching, consulting, speaking, teaching, and equipping.
Let My People Meet: Mark Dever, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, and Inconsistent Government Rules
In recent news, Mark Dever and the members of Capitol Hill Baptist Church has filed a complaint against the mayor of Washington D.C. Muriel Bowser.
The Kingdom of God and the Supreme Court of the United Sta...
The phrase, “The Kingdom of God,” has been in the news recently given that Amy Coney Barrett is on President Trump’s short list of nominees to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died last week. As one can imagine given our tense and toxic political environment, many Democrats are up in arms about the prospect of President Trump nominating a Supreme Court Justice between now and the election on November 3rd.
Remembering 9/11 and Its Relevance for 2020
Most people vividly remember where they were on the dreadful day, 19 years ago, when terrorists hijacked planes, weaponizing them as bombs to be flown into buildings. As a sophomore studying at Union University (Jackson, TN), I remember the images flashing across the TV screen as we paused our “Becoming a Global Christian” class. The professor, the students, we were all speechless as we witnessed live coverage of the second plane hitting the second tower.
10 Leadership Qualities of the Post-COVID-19 Church
We are almost six months into a world changing pandemic, and it’s now clear that many things that are changing will remain changed. So, we have a choice. We can either lament the losses that we’ve encountered, or we can navigate forward, by faith, into a new chapter of our God-given mission.
The Apostle Paul: Partnership in Evangelism and Mission Part One
I’ve lived in the Global South my entire life and have served in ministry in the nations of Botswana and South Africa. I love what God is doing around the world, and especially in the Majority World. For too long, Africa has been seen as the ‘dark continent’, where the light of the gospel shines dimly.
Global Summit Celebrates the Tenth Anniversary of Diaspora Missions
In 2010, the most representative gathering of Christian leaders from around the world joined together in Cape Town, South Africa for the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization. It was this congress that produced the Cape Town Commitment, which represented the convictions brought together by the Global Church. One of the convictions that were brought to the forefront of the world stage was Diaspora missions.
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