3 Ways October 31, 1517 Affected Your Life Today
We may take for granted the impact of Martin Luther’s actions had on Europe in 1517 and are still having on our lives this very day.
What you did not do is compare the dogma Rome churned out with the plumb line of God’s word. Even if you could read Latin, and did have access to a rare and expensive copy of the Bible, you still didn’t question the Pope’s teachings. This explains why monks and priests and cardinals and bishops who could... Continue Reading
We Are, At Least Sometimes, Called to Serve Out of Weakness
God may call us to ministries for which we feel ill-equipped and largely unable.
The Lord may call us to serve in our weakness to do a work, not so much through us, as in us. It is not the Lord’s only purpose to save a people for himself. The Lord intends to glorify his people as they glorify him. The Lord may call us to do things that are entirely... Continue Reading
3 Myths about Leadership Boundaries—and Why We Need Them
We want them, know we need them, but most of us didn’t go to “leadership boundary school” to help us manage and implement the steps.
Not long ago I started a social media discussion on boundaries through this Instagram meme: “There’s room in your heart for everyone, but there’s not room in the car.” The idea behind the meme: We should love and be willing to serve everyone without exclusion, but we ought be selective with our close travel companions,... Continue Reading
The Pastor’s Job Isn’t to Fix Things
The pastor’s job—and his great delight—is to minister.
A father who cuddles his hurting daughter is ministering comfort, a doctor who tends to a wound is ministering healing, and a pastor who carries out his calling well is ministering truth. His unique role is not to solve problems but to minister the Word to the people under his care. He ministers the Word... Continue Reading
Muslims In Your Pulpit And A Question Of Context
When we meet with our Muslim friends, it is for the expressed purpose of sharing our faith with them and learning about theirs.
But there is something of a problem if, amid a service of worship to the one true God, centred on the glory of Jesus Christ who is himself God – who attained for us our righteousness at the cross and our justification in his resurrection – we invite someone to preach who manifestly does not... Continue Reading
Church Membership — Like a Marriage
A marriage is supposed to be nearly unbreakable
The Bible gives very few legitimate reasons for breaking a marriage vow. The words, “till death do us part,” captures the nearly unbreakable bonds of marriage. Now, while church membership is not a marriage, we should nevertheless treat our membership vows like a marriage vow. It seems like far too many people treat relationships... Continue Reading
Are You Becoming More Or Less Of An Encourager?
The church must be an "oasis" for the true Christian
“As we get more comfortable around each other, and as we get more comfortable in a certain place, we tend to become more critical. We quickly blow things out of proportion and end up growing in our discouragement of others. But the writer of Hebrews is looking at his contemporaries of the first century and... Continue Reading
4 Lessons I Learned About Pastoral Ministry from Francis Schaeffer
Schaeffer reminded me that I am a shepherd who needs to be available for the sheep.
I was struck by how often Schaeffer responded to people. He was somewhat of a Christian household name at this time in his ministry (although I doubt he would have liked for me to call him that) and still took the time to write thoughtful letters to hard questions often to people he barely even... Continue Reading
We Don’t Need to Go Back to the Early Church
When we talk about the New Testament church, we can fall prey to the "chronological snobbery" C.S. Lewis cautions us against. Oldness doesn’t constitute betterness. Nor does newness.
We must always go back to the teachings of the early church, the New Testament, but the church itself was a mess. Much like today. We are a mess, too, so we go back to the teachings that went to our messy brothers and sisters. We learn from them and the teachings—not to be like... Continue Reading
UPDATED: A Call to Help Rebuild From the Damage of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, FL
Helping with hurricane relief and rebuilding in Panama City, Fla.
Ron Brown, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Panama City, Fla., has put out a call for help to rebuild from the effects of Hurricane Michael. Here are a number of requests that Pastor Brown has posted. Contact information is provided below. UPDATE: October 24, 2018 In our brief process of the long road to... Continue Reading
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