The battle against sin is lost when the pastor thinks he is in a separate class, impervious from the spiritual warfare faced by all believers. First and foremost, he must see himself as a Christian who must endure to the end.

Until heaven, our motives will never be as pure as they should be. But how can we know if they are carnal unless we first know ourselves?

Missionaries need more than sending churches. They need a host of staying churches who will remain spiritual mothers in the days, months, and years ahead.

It’s tempting to think God, who created all things so quickly, might lead us through tribulation with greater haste. But he doesn’t. God tends to work slowly, then and now.

True community is never found by looking for it. It can only be found by pursuing Christ. He understands loneliness better than we do.

Asking about the minimal level of doctrinal knowledge a Christian must have is dangerous if one is trying to get out of believing the whole Bible. But if it is asked humbly, the answer is a sweet reminder that, as the old adage goes, the gospel is shallow enough for a child to wade in and deep enough for an adult to swim in.

Many of us want a big church. But sometimes, God has other plans.

If you are a pastor, criticism comes with the territory.

To have self-control is to fight temptation and put sin to death. Not just one day, every day. Not just one hour, every hour.

Relationships are deeper and richer when our ultimate confidence is in Christ and not one another.