One stunning building in Manchester, England, is now a climbing center. In Bristol, one is now a circus school, with trapezes hanging from the rafters. Others are now grocery stores, car dealerships, libraries and pubs. All over England, many are now Islamic mosques. What do these venerable buildings have in common? Until recently, all…
The church desperately needs a new generation of pastors and preachers who are ready to be kind and courageous shepherds of Christ’s flock. Do you remember the conversation between Peter and our Lord after his resurrection from the dead? When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you…
[tweetable]The church desperately needs a new generation of pastors and preachers who are ready to be kind and courageous shepherds of Christ’s flock.[/tweetable] Do you remember the conversation between Peter and our Lord after his resurrection from the dead? When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John,…
In Part 1, I discussed two of the five categories that I think of when answering young ministers about how to balance their family and ministry. This part discusses the rest of those five principles that, while not hard and fast rules, have been helpful for my family and ministry. 3. Unique Situations Beyond…
Over the last several weeks I have been pulled aside by several young pastors asking me for advice. They want to know how to balance the demands of ministry and the demands of their family. These are younger guys in their 20s and 30s and they are stressed out. They’re feeling the pull to produce and be…
The young man who declared he wanted to be a pastor but didn’t want to deal with people was contradicting himself. You can’t be a shepherd without living among the sheep.
Rightly understood, marriage is all about permanence. In a world of transitory experiences, events, and commitments, marriage is intransigent. It simply is what it is — a permanent commitment made by a man and a woman who commit themselves to live faithfully unto one another until the parting of death. That is what makes…
Editors note: Read also Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3 of this series. Read the Bible When I was 13 years old, my mother gave me a photocopy of a hand-written guide for reading the Bible through in a year. Thus began the most important part of my theological education – immersion in Scripture. [tweetable]In…
A pastor must never forget that God sent him to love the people, not merely to imbue them with biblical facts.
False teaching often comes from imposters who are not really Christians (2 Tim. 3:8). Sometimes error comes from those who are Christians (Gal. 2:11). At other times, it comes from those whose spiritual condition is not altogether clear. In any case, pastors have a responsibility to refute error whatever its source (Titus 1:9). But…
Editors note: Read also Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. Be Aware of Historical or Cultural Background Issues The 66 books of the Bible often assume a reader’s familiarity with various cultural practices, geographic markers or political figures. Thus, when an untrained reader simply opens up the book of Isaiah and…
The recent racist rant of LA Clippers’ owner, Mr. Donald Sterling, caused an enormous outrage throughout the NBA and beyond. Virtually every major news and entertainment source, from ESPN to late night talk shows, applauded the NBA’s decision to ban Mr. Sterling from any association with the team that he owns or with the…
EDITOR’S NOTE: In what follows, Timothy Paul Jones, C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Family Ministry and associate vice president for online learning at Southern Seminary, discusses his new book — co-written with Sojourn Community Church pastor Daniel Montgomery — PROOF, with Towers book review editor Matt Damico. A brief review of the book…
Even though your life in Christ is supernatural; it’s not superhuman. If you do not ever come apart, you will eventually fall apart.
*Editors note: You can read part 1 of this series here. Let Scripture Interpret Scripture The hermeneutical guideline of “Scripture interpreting Scripture” has long been espoused by Christian interpreters, going back at least to Augustine (A.D. 354-430) and Irenaeus (A.D. 130-200). If we believe that all the Bible is inspired by God and thus…
What’s old about the “new” atheists? The title “new atheists” has less to do with the content of their arguments than the way in which they argue. The “old” atheists were not very good at PR. But these new atheists are much more engaging, likable and savvy. Former atheists seemed really to grasp the…
[tweetable]Good theology is of little value unless the church is able to speak eternal truths into ever-changing cultures.[/tweetable] This is especially true with respect to the relationship between our faith and the areas of work economics and human flourishing in this age. The population of the earth and the ability to create wealth have…
God has preserved for us an invaluable gift and resource in the canon of Scripture. In it we have the very words of God, written over many centuries by many men, and all inspired by one divine mind. He could not have given a better gift with more profitable guidance than he has in…
