A bit of wise, if somewhat cliche, advice suggests, “God is in control, but He doesn’t expect you to lean on a shovel and pray for a hole.” The proverb suggests that the Lord’s sovereignty does not absolve people of their responsibility. And it is right.
iStock
Should we plan and prepare, or should we trust and obey? Yes, we should! As we seek to serve the Lord, any dichotomy we place between the two is a false one.
Adobe Stock Photo. Do not publish.
This spring, Lifeway Research released the results of a study on how Protestant churches welcome first-time guests. The results, as they say, speak for themselves.
Adobe Stock Photo. Do not publish.
For every Gospel minister, the New Testament letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are to be lifelong companions. The Pastoral Epistles are letters we return to again and again, guiding us on our journey of life and ministry. Indeed, I know of no better way to ensure ministerial faithfulness than for the minister to live in these three books.
Christians are called to the nations. At the same time, though, Jesus called us to reach our Jerusalem - our community where we live - even as we go to the ends of the Earth.
I admit the topic of this blogpost might not quickly grab your attention – but I challenge you to keep reading. The world needs us to have this discussion. In fact, our basic Christian obedience is at stake if we ignore this topic.
For many years now, I’ve asked students about their quiet time with the Lord. Frankly, many struggle with consistency, especially with prayer. Anecdotally, though, here’s what I’ve learned: the students who struggle least tend to have had parents who modeled quiet times for them. Sometimes they did that intentionally, but at other times it just happened. Their parents did their quiet time in a more public place, and their kids took note.
Over my years of studying churches, I’ve watched for ways they recognize and honor volunteers – the folks who faithfully serve the Lord through serving in their churches. Here are some of those ways. 1. Commission them at the beginning of the year. Make a big deal about praying over and supporting volunteers, and you’ll likely […]
It happens. Life s going well, it seems. You’re comfortable where you are. You’re enjoying what you’re doing. As far as you know, you could spend the rest of your life living where you live and doing the work you’re doing. Then, God unexpectedly changes your plans. Sometimes it happens excitedly, sometimes painfully – but […]
Ministry sometimes feels like a slap in the face, often when you least expect it to happen. Sometimes doing God's will still hurts. What do you do when that happens?
It happens to most of us. Ministry gets really hard, and we get wounded. Our wounds then become scars, on which other scars later develop. If we’re not alert and self-aware, our heart gets hardened. Be aware of these signs of increasing hardening in your life.
I know this post proposes a ministry lifestyle that is difficult to establish and maintain, but I state my position that I’ve taught my students for more than two decades: you should never do ministry alone. Here’s why having someone with you whenever you’re doing ministry matters.
None of us likes to confess our sin to another believer. Instead, we too often choose to hide in our sin. Ultimately, God is the one who forgives us, but here are reasons we must prayerfully consider confessing our wrong to another brother or sister in Christ:
When I became a believer at age 13, my pastor told me to begin praying for my parents to become believers. I followed his direction, and I started praying that God would save my mom and dad. These prayers would go on for 47 years.
