How the Minor Prophets Help Us Enjoy Jesus
Why not begin your journey to greater joy in Jesus through reading the Minor Prophets?
If we believe what Jesus says about our joy in him hinging on the words of God, then we need the whole Bible. To maximize our joy in him we need maximal Scripture. So let’s look at how one often-neglected section of the Bible helps us enjoy Jesus: the Minor Prophets. When it comes... Continue Reading
How To Grieve Like a Christian
The gospel informs all we do, including our grieving.
How do Christians grieve? Paul provides helpful instruction and begins with these words: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). his life is full of loss and full of grief. Though there... Continue Reading
Biblical Encouragement
As believers, we are called to encourage one another. But what does such encouragement look like?
Biblical encouragement doesn’t have all the answers. It doesn’t attempt to solve the mystery of someone’s trial or answer the question, “Why?” It’s not about advice giving. It is comfortable with grieving and lamenting, with tears and cries. It often encourages just by being present. It comforts through hugs, a hot cooked meal, or a... Continue Reading
4 Ways Pastors Can Help With Mental Health
In all honesty, we are not adequately trained to assess, much less diagnose, many mental health issues.
A 2013 LifeWay Research survey found nearly half (48%) of evangelicals believe that serious mental illness can be overcome with prayer and Bible study alone. If we found out that 1:4 of our people had cancer, would we encourage them to blow off their doctor and join a cancer Bible study instead? Most pastors... Continue Reading
Can Our Sins Derail God’s Plan For Our Lives?
Because of Jesus’ incredible sacrifice, nothing we do can separate us from God’s love.
Maybe you have really messed up. Derailed your life. But does this mean you have derailed God’s purpose for you? Is God finished with you? No! In his infinite sovereignty, he still has an incredible plan for your life. He knew every sin we would ever commit, before and after we believed in Jesus. He... Continue Reading
John 3 Might Not Mean What You Think It Does (1)
We should say, “I do not know precisely when I was given new life but I know that I have believed for a time and that I believe now.”
The work of the Spirit is so mysterious we should not try to pin it down. We should and must affirm that it is, that new life has been given. We should and must affirm who gives new life (the Holy Spirit). We should and must affirm the necessity of new life. Our Lord could not be... Continue Reading
The Nashville Statement: A Test of Orthodoxy?
What the Nashville Statement attempts to say has already been said and, in my opinion, said better by the authors of our historic Reformed confessions.
Instead of a new statement, what we need as believers, especially those of us in confessional churches, is to teach the Scriptures and catechize our congregations so that we are well-equipped to answer the many challenges made to biblical orthodoxy. When society asks, “Did God really say?” we will be ready to respond. When... Continue Reading
Wisdom New and Old
We aren’t satisfied with the old, proven answers God has revealed.
We don’t look to past wisdom to get the answers to the deep questions: Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? How do we define what is true, what is good, and what is beautiful? We are people who are always looking for what is new. The new is where we are... Continue Reading
Rescuing Souls from Death
Rescuing souls is accomplished wherever a soul, a human being, is in danger of death, both physically and spiritually, both temporally and eternally.
Rescuing souls is accomplished wherever a soul, a human being, is in danger of death, both physically and spiritually, both temporally and eternally. Rescuing souls involves evangelizing, preaching, teaching, disciple-making, disciplining, rebuking, exhorting, comforting, encouraging, and praying. Rescuing souls even involves rescuing the lives of the unborn from being murdered, helping to care for those... Continue Reading
The Greatest Burden of Leadership
The burden of responsibility is light compared to the burden of insufficiency, inability, or just plain failure.
There are many parts of leadership I find difficult. It is difficult to bear the responsibility of charting vision and deciding between different directions; it is difficult to resolve interpersonal conflict; difficult to motivate people to rally around a particular vision; difficult to have to ask forgiveness for making poor decisions; difficult to be ultimately... Continue Reading