Everyone Lives. Everyone Dies. Not Everyone Walks.
We relate to God—walk with Him—to the degree we consciously decide to do so.
There are all kinds of choices we make on a daily basis with regard to our walk with God. We choose to engage with Him in His Word. We choose to pray. We choose to be a regular part of the gatherings of God’s people. But at the heart of all those choices is choosing... Continue Reading
The Pulpit Is Not the Place to Lay Out Various Interpretive Views
Don’t mistake the pulpit for the lecture hall.
The sermon aims at taking the main point of a text, delivering as best we understand it and calling people to change in line with God’s word. Laying out all the potential options rather than preaching what we understand the text to be saying blunts what we are aiming to do. The bible is... Continue Reading
A Closer Look at the Qualifications of Elders
As we continue in ministry, we should see in ourselves a steady growth in grace.
The grace which saved, sanctified, and qualified us is the same grace that enables us and keeps us qualified. Others should be able to testify to its presence in our lives as well. The entirety of the Pastoral Epistles is really an extended discussion of the qualifications of elders and their duties toward God’s... Continue Reading
How to Read the News Without Losing Your Soul
The believer who trusts in the Lord does not need to fear.
If our hearts melt at bad news, whether actual or sensationalized, we should spend more time seeking the Lord than with the daily news cycle. Trusting in the Lord is the only thing that can make us firm and steadfast. If we are in Christ Jesus, our salvation is as sure and unshakeable as our... Continue Reading
Gaming and Godliness, Part 2
While some may feel that they can play games in moderation, many cannot.
As church leaders can see, both knowledge and wisdom are necessary to answer questions about video games. Pastors and elders need to know what games are, what effects they can have, what proclivities inquirers (and their children) have, and what the Scriptures say. Read Part 1. Counsel Church leaders should exhort everyone to “[k]eep thy... Continue Reading
Christian Nationalism and the Local Church: Still Hacking in the Rough
There is disagreement about how to implement the theory proposed by Christian Nationalism.
In dealing with the ideals of a society, the Christian’s appeal is not to the Constitution of the United States, but rather to the word of God. Though Christian Nationalism does have plenty of material that lands on the green, there are also concepts in which its ideas land in the rough. These are... Continue Reading
Pastors Need Pastors, Too
Pastor, before becoming a shepherd, you were and always will be, a sheep.
How often do we forget that we, too, are members of the flock? Be intentional about creating a culture among your church’s leadership of caring for one another. Share your burdens. Confess your sins to one another. Pray for one another. Ask how you can serve one another. You stand alert and watch with... Continue Reading
The “Rest of the Story” Hermeneutic
Understanding the “rest of the story” leads us to appreciate the education and preparation that equipped our biblical heroes to rise to their callings.
The fact that our children face challenges and pressures is not in dispute. Their response is not assured or given. However, we can do much to prepare them—church, family, and school functioning in community and grounded in a biblical worldview afford the best opportunity for necessary formation. My first car was one of Honda’s... Continue Reading
Who Was Paul?
Coming to a fuller appreciation of the ministry and message of the Apostle.
Paul’s place of birth, his heritage, his education, and his vocation were all means by which God was molding and fashioning Paul to be the servant whom God had purposed him to be. Paul’s life was a testimony to the gospel that he preached, so knowing something about his life helps us have a... Continue Reading
100% Yeast Free
In Deuteronomy 16, God tells the Israelites how to observe the Passover.
The Passover is fulfilled, but Christ still calls us to be unleavened. It’s not about the bread on the communion table. It’s about us. Will I be pure in heart for my Saviour? Everything about this festival was meant to call to mind the events of the great exodus from Egypt. There was even... Continue Reading
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