The pastor’s home, as they say, is his first congregation. His home life is his primary ministry and a test of his qualifications for leading the church. To “succeed” in ministry and fail at home is to fail.   In most professions, one’s personal life remains private. But pastoring is different. It’s more than a... Continue Reading

How hope full are you?  Be honest with yourself.  Do you need to resolve to behold your hope?  Do you need to ask someone else from your church to help you feed and fuel your hope?   Have you got any dimmer switches at home?  You know how they work you can dial down the... Continue Reading

At the center of every hard heart is pride. God warns Ezekiel, “But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart” (Ezek. 3:7). Do you laugh off being... Continue Reading

When the world caves in, will you still believe? Will you remember that the gospel is good news because the world is full of bad news? Will you admit that beneath your strength runs a current of weakness that only grace can hold?   About two years ago, my mom went in for what they... Continue Reading

Christian shepherds must only feed the LORD’s sheep the food that they themselves have received from the Chief Shepherd – the Word of the LORD Jesus Christ himself. All of this is reinforced by one of the most magnificent declarations of what it means to be a Christian teacher in all of the Bible.  ... Continue Reading

We tend to think that ordinary pleasures are distractions at best and evils at worst. The Gnostics thought our human body and the physical world were obstacles to divine life. But Irenaeus and the early church pushed back. That’s why he said something close to “The glory of God is a man fully alive”.  ... Continue Reading

James Boice pointed out that in all three parables, Jesus begins not with the sinner’s misery, but with the owner’s sense of loss. The woman’s urgency reveals the heart of God. She doesn’t sweep because she enjoys cleaning. She sweeps because the coin still has value. That’s what God sees when He looks at you.... Continue Reading

No doubt we need to pray for daily bread, but the greater need in our lives is to pray for wonder for the bread. We need a fresh appreciation for what the Lord provides every day. Day in and day out. When we lie our heads down at night, wake up in the morning, and... Continue Reading

We pray for wisdom as to how to address the situation and people involved. We pray for just outcomes, for truth to win, for self-control, for respectful, rational and acceptable dialogue.   May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May He send... Continue Reading

All things that happened in redemptive history from Genesis to Revelation and all things that occur now, are disposed toward the good for his Church. All of creation is ordered this way, Scripture has revealed it to be so, and Church history and our experiences prove the goodness of God.   Thanksgiving is not just... Continue Reading