Christian Community is a gift of God's grace

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, more than any other, has reminded me over and over again that Christian community is a gift of God's grace. He writes:


"It is easily forgotten that the community of Christians is a gift of grace from the kingdom of God, a gift that can be taken from us any day—that the time still separating us from the most profound loneliness may be brief indeed. Therefore, let those who until now have had the privilege of living a Christian life together with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of their hearts. Let them thank God on their knees and realize: it is grace, nothing but grace, that we are still permitted to live in the community of Christians today." [Dietrich Bonhoeffer from his book Life Together]

Recommended Resources on Idolatry

In my sermon, "Keep Yourselves from Idols, Part 3",  I recommended these resources for further study on idolatry or 'the idols of the heart'.

David Powlison’s article “Idols of the Heart and ‘Vanity Fair’.”
Tim Keller’s Counterfeit Gods. [Available at the Bethlehem Bookstore]
Elyse Fitzpatricks’s Idols of the Heart. [Available at the Bethlehem Bookstore]
The “How People Change” seminar at Bethlehem Baptist or class that is offered here.
Mark Driscoll’s messages on idolatry.