Article

David Brainerd: Preach for holiness by preaching the gospel

David Brainerd was a missionary to the American Indians in New York, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania. Brainerd’s primary method in his mission work was Christ-centered preaching. According to Brainerd, Christ was the energizing center of every sermon but he is also the mark, or the goal of every sermon.

Pastor, make prayer a priority

Pastors, I know your schedule is busy. But don’t forget to pray for your people this week.

Ten reasons to choose a Christian college

Go to a college that recognizes Jesus as the Lord of the world and encourages students to follow Jesus as Lord.

Summer reading: For every new book, read two old ones

J. I. Packer urged Christians to read two old books for every new one. We asked a we a few faculty members to recommend one new book and two old ones in the same category for summer reading.

Parents, don’t waste your lazy summer days

Is it really such a bad thing to have wide open spaces in our planners? Might this be the very thing we need in order to refocus our priorities and make the most of the short season of time we’re given with our children?

Homosexuality, Leviticus, and Orlando

Leviticus 20:13 does not permit violence against homosexuals because the Bible is fundamentally different than the Quran and Islam’s other holy books.

A fruitful summer ministry for stay-at-home moms

One of the most helpful assets to a pastor in the local church in regard to caring for elderly widows is a stay-at-home mom. Here are five practical ways a pastor can train young moms in his church to take their children and visit elderly widows. First, the church should create a list of widows…

Ten lessons on biblical manhood I learned from my father

Though he was far from a perfect man, my father exemplified biblical manhood in many respects and taught me many lessons by example. Here are 10 things that my father’s example taught me about biblical manhood.

Are we engaging the culture or just ranting?

Some Christians are not engaging unbelievers, they are only reacting to what is wrong and what they don’t like.

6 Reasons pastors and future pastors should attend the SBC annual meeting

It is rare to find an evangelical Christian under 50 who has been a part of one denomination for their entire church life. I was born into a family that was deeply committed to the local church and equally committed to the vision and mission of the Southern Baptist Convention. I have many cherished friends…

Social media and middle school

“Everyone has it, why can’t I have it!” “They’re leaving me out of everything!”. . . cue the tears, bring up the music, and now the dramatic finish. . . ”you’re ruining my life, I’ll never make real friends!” This year’s winner of best actress in a pho-drama goes to a middle schooler for her role in…

The Christian life isn’t meant to be effortless

When we’re born again from above by the Spirit of God, the Lord makes a “new creation” of us (2 Cor 5:17). But when he accomplishes that radical, regenerating transformation of us, he does not eliminate our minds, our bodies, our emotions, our will or anything that’s a part of what makes us human. God’s…

Waiting for work and trusting God amid trials

Graduation season is upon us, which for many graduates means the frightening reality of finding a ministerial position. We have all heard the horror stories of the same scenario countlessly repeating itself. The graduating student applies himself both in church and school, only to find few ministry positions available providing both adequate financial security and…

What should a pastor do in his first few years at a church?

So many of the mistakes and missteps a pastor makes in a church as the new pastor comes from a lack of knowledge of what to do. The absence of clear thinking on this matter causes a pastor to listen to all kinds of different voices and hastily react to what he finds and hears…

Are you a closet annihilationist?

National Geographic has an interesting article on the doctrine of hell. Chris Date, Preston Sprinkle, Clark Pinnock, and Edward Fudge are all quoted in the piece. The gist of it is that evangelical belief in the traditional doctrine of hell is in decline. Over the last 20 years, the number of Americans who believe in…

Five keys to ministry in the Deep South

In his sovereignty, Christ has turned the roadblocks of language, culture, geography, and sports into an avenue for the gospel. Here are some lessons we’ve learned while ministering in Louisiana.

We must be governed by good news

As followers of Jesus, when we look at our American culture we cannot help but be troubled by what we see. Marriage has been legally redefined. Now, agreeing with the almost unanimous testimony of human history, that using the restroom ought to be a gender specific activity will get you labeled a bigot. Planned Parenthood…

What is a disciple, anyway?

For followers of Christ, discipleship is not an optional extra for interested Christians.