NUGGETS
Hide, Replenish, and Go – “The Great Commission doesn’t just tell us what we will do. It also tells us what Jesus has already done. Scripture is not about you; it is about Jesus.” Eight Questions on Addictions for Pastors
Continue reading“Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors.” – Psalm 119:24
Recognizing Satan’s Crafty Scheme
Genesis 3 opens with the presence of an evil serpent in the garden. He is “more crafty than any other beast of the field.” Sometime between God’s pronouncement of all creation as good, and the temptation of man, was the
Continue readingNUGGETS
Five Reasons Many Pastors Struggle with Depression – “Too many pastors have been taught that depression is a mark of them being a failure in ministry.” Did You Know Charles Spurgeon Struggled with Depression? – “Spurgeon believed that God had
Continue readingExercising Faith Muscles – Personal Bible Study for this Weekend
This week, another pastor and I were talking about the analogy of faith as a muscle that needs to be regularly exercised in order to grow. This is based upon the simple understanding that true faith is living faith, as
Continue readingDesigned for Relationships
As the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always lived in relationship, so we were created to live in relationship—first with God and then with others who are made in the image of God. In other words, when God created
Continue readingSix Steps to Becoming a Church that Welcomes People with Disabilities
Thinking theologically about disability is a massive need in today’s church. That’s one reason I’m thankful to the Lord for recently bringing the Beyond Suffering Bible onto my radar, and into my life and home. In addition to many “Connection
Continue readingNUGGETS
Here are two videos that I encourage you to watch, and one article to read, this weekend. Biblical Counseling and Mental Illness – In their latest podcast, the Biblical Counseling Coalition graciously speaks to the issue of mental illness. Don’t
Continue readingA Wonderful Sermon for the Depressed
Yesterday morning, through my involvement in the training of another pastor who wants to be more effective in the personal ministry of the Word (counseling), I became aware of a wonderful sermon Ligon Duncan preached at Capitol Hills Baptist Church.
Continue reading
Seven Truths to Affirm from Genesis 1:1-2:4
The Bible begins with a dramatic display of the glory of God. The historical account of creation is nothing short of pure majesty. God is clearly the center. Genesis 1 describes the set which God builds to show the drama
Continue reading8 Advantages of Heart-Changing, Expository Preaching
Gospel ministry has been the main vocation of my life for over 25 years and expository preaching has been the main part of my calling. Therefore, I am continually blessed and challenged to read books that aim to help guys
Continue reading
How to Take Communion
Imagine the Lord Jesus Christ is in attendance when we gather in our churches for worship. Imagine he listens to us sing and pray, and peers into our hearts. I wonder, would He find us prepared to take Communion? Or
Continue readingRERUN: Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
Trusting God is one of those challenges we as Christians talk about, but may not necessarily define. We encourage one another to “trust the Lord,” but we are not sure what it really means. We also tend to view it
Continue reading
What about Restitution?
In the past few weeks, we visited the book of Philemon twice. There we learned of what true, gospel-motivated forgiveness looks like in both heart and actions. One of the actions we saw modeled by the apostle is restitution. Restitution
Continue readingCommendation for the LIFELINE MINI-BOOKS
It’s a privilege to serve as the series editor for the LifeLine Mini-books from Shepherd Press. Todd Friel of Wretched Radio and TV recently gave this commendation: The Shepherd Press Help! series is the single most helpful counseling resource a
Continue reading5 Reasons to Practice Church Discipline
Although in recent decades the biblical expectation of church discipline has fallen on hard times, there is a renewed understanding of its importance and practice among those whose desire for a faithful church is greater than their desire for a
Continue reading4th Reason to Study Lamentations
Previously, we noted three reasons God gave us the book of Lamentations. First, to show us the awful reality of sin so that our hearts will long for reconciliation with God. Second, to remind us how much we need God’s
Continue reading3rd Reason to Study Lamentations
Last week, we noted two reasons God gave us the very sad book of Lamentations. First, to show us the awful reality of sin and its devastating consequences so that our hearts will long for reconciliation with our holy Creator.
Continue reading2nd Reason to Study Lamentations
In yesterday’s post, I encouraged you to study the Old Testament book of Lamentations because of it’s description of the sobering realities of sin. Sin never ultimately delivers its promises. Rather, it brings only pain and misery into our lives.
Continue reading
