Father of the Inklings

Christian teaching is built on maturity not celebrity. Gray hair not star power is the guide for leadership in the church. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

The "young prodigy" and "famous star" syndromes represent constant temptations for modern Christendom, especially in an era of worldwide entertainment and media exposure. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

We climax this series of commands to build mature beliefs (Hebrews 6:1: Let us...go on to maturity) with an exhortation that expands maturity out of the merely personal. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

It has been mentioned before that Jesus occasionally uses overstatement and exaggeration to get his point across. This is obviously again the case here. No one seriously believes this Command is to be obeyed literally. None of Jesus' own disciples, to our knowledge, obeyed this Command as it stands, nor did Jesus expect them to. 

From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips.

The two "D's" we considered earlier are intrinsically linked--Discernment and Deception. Obviously they are opposites. It is discernment that guards against deception. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

What was the favorite intellectual pastime of Christians? We all know the answer because we've engaged in it ourselves probably more times than we can count--arguing over doctrine. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

It has been customary in recent years to equate what we call "discernment" with the spiritual gift mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:10. But discernment exists in a much broader and more life-encompassing context than what might be evidenced in a worship setting as a singular "gift." 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

Three kinds of shallow beliefts are constant internal battles for the serious Christian. If we are not alert, they will infiltrate at every opportunity, and turn rigorous, practical, dynamic, growing faith into shallow, dogmatic, formularistic religion. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.

The Commands of Jesus seem to come in two broad categories: Those that are straightforward and relatively simple to obey...and those that are impossible to obey.  

From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips.

It is customary to think of religious "legalisms" as superficial rites, rituals, and observances such as those Jesus identified in Mark 7. 

From The Commands of the Apostles by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands of the Apostles and other books by Michael Phillips.