Six Lessons on Shepherding: A Pastoral Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 2
In the Bible, leadership is likened to shepherding. In the Old Testament, God shepherded his people; he called shepherds like Moses and David to lead his people; and kings were often likened to...
View ArticlePlaying Your Part in the Gospel (pt. 1): Planning, Giving, Going, Hosting,...
Playing Your Part in the Gospel (pt. 1): Planning, Giving, Going, Hosting, and Helping (1 Corinthians 16:1–11) When Paul finishes his doctrinal defense of the resurrection, he says, “Therefore, my...
View ArticleHospitality is Not Optional: Five Ways to Pursue Other People
Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. — Romans 15:7 — A few months ago I wrote about the importance of hospitality and five ways to show hospitality in the church....
View ArticleStraight Talk about the Church: A Biblical Meditation on Church Membership
For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. — Acts 11:26 — For the last year I have spent a lot of time thinking...
View ArticleGrace on Display: In Paul’s Ministry and Christ’s Church (Ephesians 3:1–13)
Grace on Display: In Paul’s Ministry and Christ’s Church Most of the time when we read the Bible we seek to make direct application to ourselves. Because the Bible is for our instruction and...
View Article“Disciples Make Disciples”: A Vital Truth That Needs Further Elaboration
“Disciples make disciples” It’s an axiom that is thrown around by Christians who rightly make “making disciples” a priority for genuine discipleship. But is it really true? Do disciples make disciples?...
View ArticleDiscipleship and the Church: 12 Quotes from Mark Dever’s Book on Discipling
Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus by Mark Dever is one of the most practical books on discipling I’ve read on the subject. And the reason why it is so practical is its unrelenting focus on...
View ArticleWhere Do Elders Come From?
From the beginning of the church, there were designated leaders. And though given various names (e.g., elders, pastors, overseers) they served the same function. As God-given leaders of God’s flock...
View ArticleThe Drama and the Doctrine: How Faithful Deacons Gain a Hearing for the...
The Drama and the Doctrine: How Faithful Deacons Gain a Hearing for the Gospel (1 Timothy 3:8–13) When you hear the words “church” and “drama,” what comes to mind? At best, church drama conjures up...
View ArticleGlorifying God in the Grind of Life
Q. What is the chief end of man? A. To glorify God and know him forever. — Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 1 — There is nothing more important than knowing why you exist. And nothing provides a...
View ArticleBuilt on the Word: A Theological Vision for Ministry (Audio and Handouts)
In February, our church joined with Redeeming Grace Church (Fairfax) and Grace Church (Gainesville) to host a seminar on doing ministry built on the word of God. In an age when churches are...
View ArticleSeven Pastoral Cautions for Bringing Biblical Theology to Church
Recently, I received an email asking how to incorporate biblical theology in the church. If you are familiar with this blog, you know the value I place on this discipline and how it impacts so much of...
View ArticleA Heart for Excellence: Thinking Biblically about Skill in Singing
Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. — Psalm 33:3 — They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and...
View ArticleOn Plagiarism and Preachers: Why Plagiarizing Sermons is Popular, But...
It seems, frankly, utterly unthinkable to me that authentic preaching would be the echo of another person’s encounter with God’s word rather than a trumpet blast of my own encounter with God’s word....
View Article“But He Just Gets Me”: Three Responses to Pragmatic Arguments for Plagiarism...
What do you say to the person who laments that the former pastor of the church, the one who was disqualified from ministry because of his verbal and physical abuse, is no longer preaching? Never mind...
View ArticlePreach the Manuscript: Ten Ways to Improve Sermon Delivery
A few years ago I led an online class on the subject of preaching. As expected, we discussed all sorts of questions pertaining to preaching—sermon length, the use of illustrations, the necessity of...
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