Leaders and 3 Types of Stress
We want to do all we can to avoid “no stress” and “debilitating stress” and to courageously walk into opportunities of “performing stress.”
“There are three types of stress. There is ‘no stress’, which means you don’t care and don’t bring your best. There is ‘debilitating stress’, which is not good for you or your family. And then there is ‘performing stress’, which helps you pull out the best you have in the moment. That is my level... Continue Reading
Salt and Light: Practical Applications for Today
Your faith in Christ and love for God must be translated into visible terms.
We must be willing to be hated of all men for Christ’s sake. Nor can we bring the light of God’s Word to bear on the life of the world if we retreat into a safe place of our own where we hide from the world and preach only to ourselves. The church is not... Continue Reading
Can You be a Christian without Going to Church?
One reads the scenes in heaven and it’s never, never about being an isolationist.
The Great Commission directed gospel work to be done within the ongoing framework of Christian community. The continual teaching and shepherding toward faithful observance of Christ’s teachings is not done in isolation. Nor is the accountability necessary to hold our spiritual feet to the fire of obedience done alone. We need the body of Christ... Continue Reading
Preacher, Study the Text—But Also Study Your People
A sermon isn’t a TED Talk; it’s a family talk.
Simply put, pastors, consider your people as you preach. Now, this might be easier for me because the church I serve isn’t very large. But even if our church had 500 members, I hope that I’d be active enough in my personal shepherding that I’d be able to consider individuals’ circumstances and spiritual health as... Continue Reading
Together for the Gospel Announces Theme, Speakers For 2020 Conference
T4G20: Entrusted with the Gospel will encourage pastors and church leaders to consider their sacred responsibilities as stewards of the gospel.
While many interests and activities may be worthy pursuits, pastors must be careful to cherish the gospel of Christ above all. Together for the Gospel 2020 will remind pastors of this important responsibility and encourage fidelity in their ministry. Together for the Gospel 2020 will encourage church leaders to remain focused on the sacred... Continue Reading
William Twisse: a 17th-century Polemicist
William Twisse didn’t understand the primacy given to the Lord’s Supper.
Twisse agreed, as the Reformed confessions stated, that the Lord’s Supper points to the realities of Christ’s death and resurrection, but aren’t the same realities expressed in baptism and in the preaching of Scriptures? If forced to bow to the altar, he could do so, but would also bow to the font and the pulpit.... Continue Reading
Little Greek Gems: The Great Commission: Soul Winning or Disciple Making?
When I took Greek in college, I was quite relieved to find out that I could still fulfill the Great Commission anywhere God placed me.
What I learned was nothing short of a Copernican revolution in what the Great Commission is and who could fulfill it. On the first day of my college Greek class, the professor put on the chalkboard a little linguistic nugget to illustrate why knowing the original languages is important. This has stuck with me ever... Continue Reading
Faith in the Faith
Reciting the Apostles’ Creed brings us to join our voices with God’s people over the centuries in proclaiming the gospel of salvation.
The Creed serves a variety of purposes. By it we confess the faith. It provides a syllabus to catechize in the faith. It provides dialog for the liturgy of worship in celebration of God’s majesty and mercy. The Creed is also missional, holding aloft the banner of the kingdom of God, beckoning to belief and... Continue Reading
The Pastor’s Job Isn’t To Fix Things
Success is not measured in fixing the issue but in ministering the truth.
The pastor’s role is not to fix, but to minister. It’s not to repair what has been broken, to restore what has been separated, to heal what has been wounded. Rather, the pastor’s job—and his great delight—is to minister. “To minister” is “to tend to” or “to provide.” A father who cuddles his hurting daughter... Continue Reading
A Passage for a Pastor Called to an Established Church
Whatever your giftedness may be, build upon the foundation in such a way so that it survives the fire of judgment in time to come.
In context, an example of how to build a church upon something else is to build it upon someone else. Not understanding how the ministries of Paul, Apollos, and Peter (Cephas) complemented one another, people were dividing themselves as being followers of one or the other (cf. 1 Cor 3:4, 22). They were boasting in... Continue Reading
