7 Disappointing Reasons People Leave the Church
One disappointment I have had in ministry is watching people come to church, get excited for a time, then disappear
“The biggest disappointment is not people who transfer to another church. I’m okay with that if it helps them better grow in their relationship with Christ. I’m talking about people who quit going to church altogether. They are in one day — out the next. What happens to them? Why do they leave?” One... Continue Reading
Pastors Shouldn’t Have Trade Secrets
Your willingness to share your experience and knowledge can be of great help to others in ministry
“I remain firmly convinced, based upon Scripture and my experience, that pastors should not be in competition with one another. They should support, root for, rejoice in, and serve to ensure the other’s growth. One major implication of being gospel-centered is that we actually want to see the gospel advance. In order to do this... Continue Reading
How To Frustrate Your Children
The fact that our children become discouraged or frustrated does not invalidate our instruction, but discouragement flowing from provocation does
“More than just dealing with children, the fifth commandment also covers our obligation toward our children. “The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism Q/A 64). The 17th century divines teach us that children... Continue Reading
The Scandal
Thoughts on Mark Driscoll and other pastors who have gone before him
First, the best thing that is coming out of the Mars Hill debacle is a discussion about accountability. If Christians require accountability within the church, pastors require at least a double measure of accountability. Genuine accountability is not found in para-church structures or corporate-style boards. Elders need to be accountable to one another in the... Continue Reading
Petty Tyrants in a Tyrannical Age: Annise Parker
Our Lord commands us not to hate, but we will fight your unjust power as mayor to protect the First Freedom: the freedom of religion.
Don’t be confused or distracted: Parker is trying to chill religious speech. Challenge her politically on the basis of Christian ethics and she will come after your Christian minister. She wants her morality publicly applauded and we call her morality a false morality: immoral. She accuses us of making morality political by making her immorality... Continue Reading
20 Ways to be Refreshing in the Local Church
How do you refresh the hearts of the saints?
It is only possible by one who knows the love and grace of Christ in such a way that it overflows to those around them. It is consistently present and abundantly evident. As I have inquired of those who I find to be such a refreshment to my own soul, they almost always testify that... Continue Reading
God, the Infallible Author of the Old Testament
An excellent reminder that the Scriptures of the Old Testament are authored primarily by God himself
The fact that certain critical scholars choose to refuse to discuss the theological questions involved in the formation of the Old Testament canon need not deter us from so doing. When men endeavor to account for the Old Testament canon upon the basis of historical considerations alone, how unsatisfactory their attempts are! In reality they... Continue Reading
Houses on Sand
If we build our house on our own righteous works, it will never stand
It is not the world’s system as we tend to envision it. It is not the danger of power or ambition or the love of money or lust or greed. Jesus is warning against the danger is self-reliance. We must not place our confidence in our ability to exceed the “righteousness of the scribes and... Continue Reading
The Bible Is For Women Too…
Something is missing from many women's ministries
So why are women so timid to do the same thing when we are in a group together? Why do we feel the need to rely on the author of a devotional book to do that for us? Why is it that topical series on things like motherhood or releasing your inner Esther or breaking free... Continue Reading
Will All My Sins Be Seen On the Last Day?
How would it possibly be just for the Judge of all to judge us according to our past sins, which he himself has taken away?
It’s true that the Last Judgment is a terrifying reality for those outside of Jesus Christ. But for those united to Jesus by faith, it is the day when we will be judged, not according to our sins, but according to Christ’s righteousness. Rather than expecting shame, we can and should expect joy. Whenever God’s... Continue Reading