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Pastor, you are a Christian first. If you did not carry out your calling effectively, rest in the finished work of Christ and in the knowledge that you are a child of God by faith alone.

In May of 1792, William Carey powerfully argued that the clear teaching of the New Testament was that Christ had accomplished everything necessary for the ingathering of the nations.

In my prayers, I rarely fail to be grateful for God’s saving grace in Christ, but I realized that I seldom thank him for the daily grace that keeps me saved.

These habits are not unique to long-tenured pastors. But they do seem to be most consistent among those pastors who have been at one church for at least ten years.

Only a life fully exposed to God’s Word and soaking in the community of Christ can bring to light the mess our social media feeds seek to avoid, and properly develop our growth in Christlikeness.

The first five years were brutal. There were three different movements to get me fired. In the midst of all the hostility and adversity, God was still building his church.

Do you love the members of your church enough to minister to them through song?

Jesus laid out a good rule of thumb for all of our online interactions when he said, “love your neighbor as yourself.”

It seems as if everyone is talking about pastoral mentorship these days. Not a week goes by that I don’t receive something in the mail at my office that reminds me of the importance of training younger men in pastoral ministry—a task that I embrace and seek to practice wholeheartedly. But most of the material…

The aim of change for any declining local church is revival, growth, and maturity in Christlike love for God and His people. As a pastor, nothing gives me greater joy than to see God’s people being renewed in their desire to know God intimately, to praise Him passionately, and to love His people without hypocrisy.…

The necessity of healthy church structure has been a challenge from the time that the church began. It is not a new dilemma. Acts 2 describes how the first church developed a basic structure for worship, Bible study, and fellowship. As the church grew and additional challenges surfaced, the leaders added structure to take care…

One of the frequent questions asked of me regarding church revitalization is, “What are the requirements for being effective in church revitalization?” Mark Clifton, in his book Reclaiming Glory: Revitalizing Dying Churches, has done an excellent job in outlining the characteristics necessary for a church revitalizer. I do not want to just repeat his thoughts,…

And as we identify critical issues we must apply biblical wisdom to address them. But, before we begin with the corporate we should begin with ourselves – with our own hearts.

If you give yourself to other believers in the church, you will inevitably be using your gifts.

If you’ve got areas in your life that you are intentionally keeping in the dark, you’ve not only got to confess your sin, but you’ve got to attach yourself to people who can help keep you accountable.

Seminarians study and write papers. But when it comes to being ready for ministry, one qualification usually remains the most elusive: experience.

Don’t think that because you are a pastor you’re beyond using the common means that porn strugglers typically use.

Whether you are revitalizing a church in critical condition, planting a new church, or shepherding a flock in stable condition, you will experience the weight of the cross.