Fierce Wolves and Bold Shepherds
In order to save the life of the sheep, the shepherd laid down his own life.
Since there is a danger in God’s church for wolves to come with false doctrine, God has established under-shepherds who are responsible to protect the flock. Paul tells the Ephesians elders: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church... Continue Reading
Gethsemane and the Prosperity Gospel
Once we understand what God did for us at the cross, nothing else matters except knowing Christ and making him known to others.
If we know God then we know he has been incredibly merciful to us, and our gratitude manifests itself in our obeying God’s commands and purifying our lives of sin; because we know what sin cost Jesus, we therefore hate it and want nothing more to do with it. To me, this is perhaps the... Continue Reading
The Almost Invisible Church
We spend our time wishing that we could be part of what God is doing, all the while missing what God is doing right under our noses because it looks small and insignificant and because it’s hard work.
Thirteen years later, the church has grown, and so have the people. I sat with the pastor and listened over coffee to what God has been doing. It’s still messy. It’s still an almost invisible church. The room can hold a hundred no matter how they configure the church. You would probably never visit that... Continue Reading
Church Leaders, Value the Souls of People
Comprehending the value of the soul is what makes the work of the church so important.
Every soul that crosses our path in church leadership should be viewed with great dignity. In the works of the church father John Chrysostom known as the Six Books of the Priesthood, he urges pastors to think upon how the devil wages war on the human soul. The immediate and eternal impact of the harm of... Continue Reading
Mentor Us
From all accounts, William Still was the quintessential ministerial mentor.
As a young seminarian, I frequently heard Sinclair Ferguson speak about the impact that Still had on his own life and preparation for ministry. As he expressed affectionate gratitude for the ways in which his mentor poured into him, welling up in my own heart was a longing to have that same blessed experience. ... Continue Reading
Time to Rewrite Our Leadership Playbook
Just as Jesus taught his disciples about a Messiah who suffers, Paul teaches the Corinthians (and us) about Christian leaders who struggle.
Which Christian leader has ever been as honest as Paul? “We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.” Paul sees God’s hand in all of this: “But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on... Continue Reading
The Board of Incorporate Members of Dallas Theological Seminary has Named Current Vice President as President
Dr. Yarbrough has a long history with DTS, first as a student, having earned both his ThM (1996) and PhD (2008) degrees in Bible Exposition at the seminary; and later as a member of the faculty and administration. For the past seven years, he has served as the vice president for academic affairs and academic... Continue Reading
God Created Us for “Exceeding, Inexpressibly Great Happiness”
Nothing is more important or practical or relevant to your daily struggles and problems and purpose in life than your joy in Jesus.
If you are a pastor, your purpose, whether you have realized it up to this point or not, is that by the grace of God you might lead the people of God into the enjoyment of God, for the everlasting glory of God. Everything else is subordinate to and must serve that ultimate aim and... Continue Reading
Good News: You Can’t Buy Your Salvation
Simple, heartfelt faith in the crucified and risen Christ secures God’s richest blessings.
Luther did not imagine that he was advocating a religious revolution in his Ninety-Five Theses nor that he was being critical of the papacy. Yet he did remark, with a degree of grim humor, that if the pope had the power to remit the sins of the faithful in purgatory, why did he not deliver... Continue Reading
The Servers and the Servicers in Every Church
They are offering a form of worship to God.
Servers are identifiable by their willingness to miss the worship service if it means they have the opportunity to serve others by ushering, caring for children, helping with parking, or whatever else needs to be done. Servicers are identifiable by their willingness to miss serving if it means they have the opportunity to be present... Continue Reading
