Matt Smethurst

My 14-year-old is far more developed than my 2-year-old—physically, mentally, and emotionally. But she is not more my child. Beware of justification by sanctification.

“Laughter at yourself is the sound of self-righteousness leaving your body.”

Big week. My website is finally live: tysonplee.com It started on a football field, moved into the film room, then into scouting. Took years before I realized that's what I was actually doing in business. I just thought it was how you paid attention to people.

False freedom: “Be true to you.” Real freedom: “Be true to him.” Teaching this to children is the most revolutionary thing a 21st-century parent can do.

@joshlofthus So good. I saved this when you posted it last year. It’s quoted in my forthcoming book.

A good local church is worth moving for. A good local church is worth staying for. A good local church is worth quitting a job. A good local church is worth keeping a job. The local church should be one of our primary deciding factors in life decisions. This brings blessing.

“I don’t know” can be a terrific theological answer.

I love this ministry. Spread the word.

Peace doesn’t come from knowing what God is doing, but from knowing God is the one doing it.

If you love Jesus you should love what Jesus loves, and that ultimately means you should be an official, active, and serving member of your local church (Eph. 5:25). Church membership should be normal for Christians. Lives lived in regular accountability demonstrate the gospel’s reality to the world, particularly through the mutual love that Jesus identified as the mark of his followers. This is both biblical and strengthens evangelistic witness. Weaker and newer Christians gain feeding and accountability through membership, and mature and seasoned believers demonstrate authentic Christian living. Hebrews calls believers to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works,” explicitly warning against forsaking assembly “as the manner of some is” (Heb. 10:24–25). This suggests participation isn’t optional but essential to spiritual health. Church membership preserves biblical truth by establishing who bears responsibility for rooting out false teaching and protecting the gospel when leadership itself becomes compromised. Paul’s letter to the Galatians exemplifies this. I say this as a positional elder in my church — Paul appealed to the whole congregation rather than leadership alone to address doctrinal corruption. Think about it: how are you to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2), which positions mutual care as a central Christian obligation, if you’re not actively in a membership role? Thessalonians similarly exhorts believers to “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thess 5:11), framing encouragement as a reciprocal responsibility that requires presence and investment. Healthy membership equips believers to recognize heresy when taught or communicated and transforms them from passive consumers into active defenders of the faith. Acts depicts the early church persevering in apostolic teaching, communion, and gathering daily, with believers holding possessions in common (Acts 2:42–47), a portrait of intensive communal engagement rather than individual isolated devotion or nominal affiliation. Ultimately, practicing membership glorifies God as Christians gather to form his body, living under the life giving words of scripture, fellowshipping with one another sacrificially, and reflecting his character.

You have no sin too large for God’s mercy, and no trouble too small for his care.

Mark Dever recently suffered a serious cardiac event. The Lord graciously spared his life, and Mark is recovering well. In God’s providence, listen to what he said on his most recent appearance on @9Marks’ 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬. Praying for this dear brother.

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“History began on July 4, 1776. Everything before that was a mistake.” — Ron Swanson 🇺🇸

If you like a post that mentions America 250, the like button becomes a little 250 firework. Try it out.

Amazing. 🇺🇸

The Bible is not a rough draft.

an excellent book. buy it!!

@BenjaminSWatson Beautiful family, brother.

21 years of marriage. Lord, you are so good.