In many cases giving care to those with dementia is harder than experiencing dementia itself. The early stages of dementia can be very frustrating for a patient increasingly conscious of their cognitive decline. As the disease progresses many are quite content living in the present tense. They are not bothered by mistakes of the past... Continue Reading

We must be careful not to treat people, especially young people, as unintelligent (much less as apostates!) for simply having questions, or for having thoughtfully investigated a viewpoint different from the church’s position. Sometimes church leaders do this without realizing it.   As a society, we’re scrutinizing much more closely the adults and young adults... Continue Reading

“I hear these people singing and I am reminded of the victory and power of the gospel. There is no weakness, no stain of sin, no power of temptation, no spiritual darkness that can ever conquer the power of God working in the lives of His people. Their voices remind me of the freedom and... Continue Reading

Sharing “the hope that is within us” goes beyond knowing the bare facts, having great training, using techniques, or employing a variety of tools or tactics. It’s not less than any of that, but there’s a lot more than that to share our faith with others. Here are five things that must happen every time we... Continue Reading

I want to consider a church member’s responsibility to hold elders accountable. The first area concerns what they teach, and the second area involves how they live (and lead). Paul’s exhortation to Timothy comes to mind to frame this up: “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by... Continue Reading

Our ever-blessed, ever-joyful God wants to be proclaimed by those who are brimful of the joy his grace in Christ brings. He calls us to delight in him and, out of that joy, to call others to the feast. Preacher and sermon must be filled with gospel joy. “With joy you will draw water from... Continue Reading

This is a great question—not least because this brother was not awash in pessimism. While working faithfully in a day of small things, he retained confidence that the Lord’s arm is not shortened, such that he could not save. By this time, the pastor in question has a pretty good idea of what godly ministry... Continue Reading

Good preaching reveals our hearts, shows us our spiritual need, and enhances a church culture of openness. Hearers discover matters that have been covered up, and they don’t even know where to start. But they do know that a church with this kind of preaching is a place where they can speak with someone.  ... Continue Reading

Historically, preachability was one of the objections Erasmus made to Luther’s doctrine of the bondage of the will.  How could it make sense to preach the law when nobody could fulfill its commands?  Or predestination when it would only subvert any notion of real moral accountability?  But this kind of objection to certain doctrines –... Continue Reading

Most missiologists estimate that we need at least twice as many new churches started each year simply to keep up with the increases in population between now and 2050. One thing is certain: We’ll never hit those numbers while our strategy remains fishing from a fishless pond.   What’s the greatest hindrance to effective church... Continue Reading