Colin Marshall Quotes

A commitment to the growth of the gospel will mean that we train people towards maturity not for the benefit of our own churches or fellowships but for the benefit of Christ’s kingdom.

Isso é obra da videira [pregar e orar]. Tudo mais é treliça.” (pp. 47)

Deveríamos começar com as pessoas que Deus nos deu, não com nossos programas.” (pp. 27)

His task is to teach and train his congregation, by his word and his life, to become disciple-making disciples of Jesus.

The second implication is that the growth God is looking for in our world is growth in people.

This is our aim in people work. It involves not just ministry skills and competencies, but growth in convictions (understanding) and character (godliness).

But the emphasis is not on the growth of the congregation as a structure — in numbers, finances and success — but on the growth of the gospel, as it is spoken and re-spoken under the power of the Spirit. In fact, New Testament congregations, as far as we can tell, were usually small gatherings meeting in houses. They were outwardly unimpressive, and had minimal infrastructure. But God kept drawing people into them by the gospel. Or to put it another way, Christ kept doing what he said he would do in Matthew 16. He kept building his church.

Qual é mais fácil: ter uma reunião para discutir o estado do carpete ou um encontro particular e difícil no qual você tem de repreender um irmão por seu comportamento pecaminoso?” (pp. 16)

Thus the goal of Christian ministry is quite simple, and in a sense measurable: are we making and nurturing genuine disciples of Christ? The church always tends towards institutionalism and secularization. The focus shifts to preserving traditional programs and structures, and the goal of discipleship is lost. The mandate of disciple-making provides the touchstone for whether our church is engaging in Christ’s mission. Are we making genuine disciples of Jesus Christ? Our goal is not to make church members or members of our institution, but genuine disciples of Jesus.

O próprio evangelho exige que fiquemos com nossos líderes e pregadores em profunda unidade, cooperação e solidariedade – não por causa dos seus dons... mas por causa de nossa parceria comum no evangelho de Jesus Cristo.” (pp. 75)

We have to conclude that a Christian with no passion for the lost is in serious need of self-examination and repentance.

Esta [a luta dos crentes em Filipos, sem medo, experimentando o mesmo sofrimento e engajamento de Paulo] é a razão por que unidade é tão importante na congregação e por que reclamar, murmurar e discordar é totalmente inapropriado.” (pp. 73)

Are you committed to church growth or to gospel growth? Do you want more numbers in the pew now, or more labourers for the harvest over the next 50 years?

Foi não somente um bom depósito do evangelho que Paulo passou a Timóteo, e sim uma maneira de viver.” (pp. 80)

The marvellous thing about generosity is that God loves it, and blesses it. In our experience, those churches that don’t try to hold on to their people, but continually train them and generously export them off into further training and ministry elsewhere, are the churches that God showers with more and more new people to train.