Jesus sends us into our calling in the same manner that He was sent to earth. By understanding what Jesus was sent to do, we can understand how to fulfill all the different facets of our calling.   Pray for Your Church: Members (3) So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the... Continue Reading

Consider the years of rigorous training required to become a neurosurgeon or an army general. Harvard Medical School does not train doctors virtually, nor does West Point ready officers online. Such callings demand commitment, sacrifice, and years of focused preparation. I contend that those called to the sacred task of shepherding Christ’s church and stewarding... Continue Reading

Spurgeon is right that true worship does not forget that the veil is torn, and we are beckoned to come to God as a child draws near to a father. Corporate worship needs to be blended: solemn reverence for God and affectionate joy in God.   If you spend enough time in a church, the... Continue Reading

Our preaching must center on Christ–on both His first and second comings. The reality of His first advent, culminating in the resurrection, provides hope for His second advent as conquering King. The only way to prepare for His kingdom is to believe the gospel.   Preach the kingdom? Is that the same as preaching the... Continue Reading

If we spent more time praising God, we would not indulge the flesh, which produces a cacophony. We wouldn’t have time to complain and find fault. Instead, we would be filled with the Spirit, who makes us sing.   What makes good music? My father was a lover of great music. As a young boy,... Continue Reading

“I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27).   How good are you at self-discipline? The chances are that you are reading this article on a mobile device, and mobile devices may discourage self-discipline more than anything else in our world.... Continue Reading

As we consider how we worship, we need to acknowledge that God calls each one of us to sing. We are to sing even if we are untrained, even if we are unskilled, and even if we are self-conscious. And if we are to sing, don’t you think God means for us to sing out,... Continue Reading

Even in the midst of his dark trials, Job maintained faith in God. He believed in God for salvation and continued to believe God during his suffering.   Introduction Why does God allow suffering? This question has been asked and debated across the centuries. Some believe that a Christian should never suffer—to them, suffering indicates... Continue Reading

God has given us many tasks that are both a duty and a blessing. God blesses us to be able to fulfill His will/desire for our lives. This involves bearing the image of God to the world around us. Video games take me away from those types of thoughts and fill my mind with a... Continue Reading

Luke’s Acts and Paul’s letters give but a few snippets from his life of missionary service. Timothy would at times be separated from Paul (Acts 17:14–15), sent to churches with specific tasks (Acts 18:22), such as checking up on them (1 Thess 3:1–10), helping in handling their problems (1 Tim 1:3), and doing so in... Continue Reading