A Recipe for How To Grow the Church

·31 min·3 clips

Why does the preacher call evangelism the 'flower of preaching' and compare it to the essential flour in bread?

The episode is a sermon delivered by Phil at St. Peter's Fireside, focusing on Acts 11 and titled 'A Recipe for How To Grow the Church'. Phil begins by clarifying that the sermon is about growing the universal church, not just his local congregation or megachurch strategies. He introduces a four-ingredient recipe for church growth, comparing it to baking bread with flour, water, salt, and yeast. The first ingredient is the 'flower of preaching', where Phil explains that evangelism is foundational, citing Acts 11:19-21 and Romans 10:14-15. The second is the 'salt of encouragement', exemplified by Barnabas in Acts 11:22-24, who encourages the church in Antioch. Phil shares a personal anecdote about learning to prioritize encouragement over critique. The third ingredient is the 'water of teaching', where Barnabas brings Saul to teach in Antioch for a year, leading to believers being first called 'Christians' as a slur in that multicultural city. Phil highlights how teaching unifies diverse groups. The fourth is the 'yeast of the Holy Spirit', described as activating all other ingredients, based on verses like Acts 11:21 and 24. Phil then shifts to application, arguing that each ingredient is brought by different people, likening it to a potluck where everyone contributes their gifts. He discusses spiritual gifts from 1 Corinthians 12, emphasizing that living into one's gifts fulfills the church, not just the individual. Phil shares a personal story about misidentifying his own gifts for years until a pastor's referral letter corrected him, leading to freedom. He encourages listeners to ask others about their gifts and to call forth gifts in the community. The sermon concludes with a response activity where the congregation writes down their gifts to offer them, connecting it to an Anglican offertory ritual where gifts are presented to God and received back as the body of Christ.

As heard by us

A sermon on Acts 11 finds church growth in Scripture-shaped belonging and outward generosity.

This single-episode review frames a sermon on Acts 11 as a turn away from church growth measured by full rooms, polished plans, or inherited assumptions.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

When church growth starts sounding like a recipe, you get Acts 11, Antioch, and a very different set of ingredients.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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