If the social pressures against historic Christianity do increase—as I expect they will—pastors and ministers will need a deeper doctrinal foundation, one that enables them to effectively catechize and instruct congregations embedded in a neo-pagan West.
We should all be Timothy and Paul. That is the Kingdom of God. Disciples making disciples and the faithful learning from the faithful.
In life we can be confused about many issues and not know many things, but to be confused about who Jesus is and what he has done and to not know him as Lord and Savior is a life and death issue.
The short answer is that it identifies only two offices and categorically limits the pastoral office to qualified men. The basis of this limitation is not arbitrary but based on God’s design as it is revealed in Scripture.
It requires patience to lead a congregation to see itself as body, family, temple, and bride—not an optional religious organization to make them feel better about themselves.
There is no greater need for the church today than to think rightly about Jesus.
We look forward to the day when decisions about short-term trips are made comparatively simply, but we’re not there yet, so we need wisdom.
“I know of no other couple in Christian history who loved one another more demonstratively than Charles and Susie Spurgeon.”
In theology, we are seeking to grow in our knowledge of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is not merely abstract knowledge.
While we may grasp the need for running to Scripture as the source for our faith and practice, where are we looking for our family history?
Discerning God’s call is often a difficult, and prayer-filled, endeavor.
If dreams are valid today, they must be coupled with gospel proclamation. Any replacement of the gospel with dreams undermines the very economy of salvation God has revealed in Scripture.
The answer requires nuance, a full look at Scripture, and especially attention to the changes between the old covenant and the new.
Either he speaks, or we guess.
Jesus never contrasts different amounts of heavenly rewards for those who inherit God’s kingdom.
It’s always a good time for a new book on our communications struggles and how Christ empowers us to overcome them.
Credit for the success of any church plant is a zero-sum game.
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.
