Cripplegate Blog Articles
From time to time, pastor Eric has the privilege of contributing Biblically grounded articles to the growing theological collection on The Cripplegate. The topics he writes about are usually related to local church life and ministry. Below you will find links to all of his articles. Please check back here often as new articles will continue to be posted. Alternatively, all Cripplegate articles can be found here.
Eric was able to write a series of articles addressing many issues related to church planting.
#1 Cautions for Church Planters
#2 Church Planters and Missionalarty
#3 Church Planting and Pragmatism
#4 Church Planting and Pulpit Priority
#5 Church Planting and Idolatry
If gone unchecked, shepherding with a domineering spirit can wreak a path of carnage. Here are nine potential disasters resulting from heavy-handed leadership.
Consequences of Heavy-Handed Leadership
Perhaps you have heard (or maybe said) before, “Scripture never says that I need to be committed to only one local church.” The “attend everywhere, but committed nowhere” is a common trend among Christians when it comes to local-church commitment. But it is also one that is damaging to all parties.
#1 Church Shopping and Pew Hopping pt.1
#2 Church Shopping and Pew Hopping pt.2
Can doctrine be elevated over the Spirit? It’s a charged issue, no doubt. The bottom line is this: to say, “Don’t elevate doctrine above the Holy Spirit,” is to make a boogeyman distinction. It’s a non-existent dichotomy that sounds catchy, but is false through and through, and needs to be laid to rest.
Driscoll vs. Calvin Doctrine vs the Spirit
In light of some recent events that occurred here in Jackson Hole, which seemingly blurred the line between the mission and the method of the Church, Eric responds with an article that is helpful and relevant for the Biblically informed.
When the Mission Becomes Protesting
This article addresses from the Scriptures both the urgency, as well as the need to cautiously and carefully raise up qualified leaders within the local church. In doing so, it lays out 6 principles from the Bible for selecting qualified leadership.
En Route to Timothy: Raising Up New Leaders
Engaging a topic of debate and confusion among modern evangelicals, Pastor Eric covers the recently revived topic “Why Reformed Pastors Need Not Be Charismatic,” exposing some popular misconceptions and examining them from the Scriptures.
Why Reformed Pastors Need Not Be Charismatic
It’s a question that every Christian eventually asks. “Why did God allow the world to go the way it did?”
John Owen On Why God Decreed the Fall
Pastor Eric tackles the all-to-common situation both leaders and faithful servants face when it comes to delegation within the local church.
10 Ways to Delegate But Not Frustrate
5 Biblical and down to earth criterium for young men to heavily consider as they pray and pursue obedience to the great commission.
Discovering the Call to Plant a Church
While just a few days removed from the conclusion of Strange Fire, the 2013 Truth Matters Conference sponsored by Grace to You, Pastor Eric brings some reflection and edifying thoughts as he reflects on the helpful and critical conference.
As the Smoke Clears: A Few Afterthoughts on the Strange FIre Conference
Legalism has been poorly defined and dramatically overused in today’s modern Evangelical circles. As a result, pastor Eric labors to define Legalism and it’s implications, giving practical examples of what legalism is and is not.
Shooing Away the Legalistic Boogeyman
“Spirit-filled.” What does that mean? And are only some churches Spirit-filled? Or all of them? Or partially filled? What’s the difference between a Spirit-filled and non-Spirit-filled church? Here are 11 evidences of the Spirit’s power and presence in a local church
How to Recognize a Spirit-Filled Church
In wake of a recent article posted regarding the ecclesiological (of or relating to the doctrine of the church) methodology of Elevation Church – a mega church in Charlotte, North Carolina, pastored by Steven Furtick – pastor Eric Davis has crafted a helpful and edifying article to add to the ever expanding Cripplegate archive.
Engineered Revivals: Thoughts on Elevation’s Ecclesiatrics
In this contribution to The Cripplegate, pastor Eric provides some thoughts in wake of Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church’s recent apology, which has spread rapidly through the media.
As normal for any era between Genesis 3 and Revelation 20, these past few months have seen a far share of ministry falls, scandals, apology-kind-of-things, disqualifications, and hard-to-name-types-of-things. As the church, this provides opportune learning occasions for us to understand the times and know what to do. Eric offers seven suggestions for the church.
Understanding the Times and Knowing What the Church Should Do
In this latest entry on The Cripplegate, Pastor Eric engaged the notion that many of what evangelicals would label ‘controlling’ actually aren’t very controlling at all.
Shooing Away the Controlling Boogeyman
In this latest addition to the Cripplegate, Pastor Eric reflects on the many lessons learned over the 5 years of Cornerstone’s lifespan as a young church plant in Jackson Hole in a two part series.
Surviving Seed To Sappling: Lessons Learned From A 5-Year Old Church Plant
In the most recent article, Eric gives 10 practical reasons why you should stay away from a church that is not willing to practice church discipline.
Hazardous House: The Perils of Plugging Into a Church That Won’t Discipline You
Eric Davis, in this post, briefly looks at the idea of praying in a supposed Spirit-induced, heavenly and/or angelic prayer language as it pertains to prayer. To do so, he has us look at one verse: “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words” (Matt 6:7
).
Battaloggeo and a Heavenly Prayer Language
With the recent Mark Driscoll/Mars Hill situation (being told they were removed from the Acts 29 church planting network), Eric offers three quick items for consideration as we’ve had a few days to consider some of the responses.
Without a doubt, the thought of ‘Holy War’ is at least on the fringes of the minds of most Americans today. In thinking through the concept of a Holy War, Pastor Eric calls the believer to consider the greater Holy War described in the Scriptures.
Holy War: 7 Truths to Arm God’s People
Hypocrisy is that thing which is all-too easy to see and diagnose in others, but might be more present in us than we’d like to see and admit. It’s a deep sickness, showing itself in several ways. Eric gives us 7 characteristics of a hypocrite.
During the Reformation, great confusion existed regarding what was, and was not, the true church of Christ. Roman Catholicism had asserted itself as the true church for centuries, and continues to do so today. However, as the Reformers recognized then, Christians must follow in step today by recalling that joining hands with Rome is a departure from Christ. Eric helps to give us 6 ways to know when we can link arms with Rome.
How Christians Will Know When They Can Link Arms With Rome
In this article Eric gets an opportunity to share how God transformed his life with the gospel.