The Bible urges us to exercise control over our minds and bodies. We should be deliberate and intentional, and maintain control rather than being controlled and led astray by our passions and desires. What do you and I need to do to get control over that which we currently don’t control?   “The fruit of the Spirit... Continue Reading

Great theologians never set out to be the next big name. They set out to make God’s name big. Pursue the true first thing—God’s glory—and you might, but most likely won’t, find some kind of glory in the eyes of men. Pursue self-glory first and you’re guaranteed to miss God’s glory and find your own turned... Continue Reading

One of the consequences of taking your baby’s life through the abortion pill is that it might make you lose yours. Therefore if you are abortion-minded, for your baby’s sake—for your own sake, please do not take the abortion pill or pursue any form of abortion. Amber Thurman’s mother says her last words were: “Promise me you’ll... Continue Reading

Judge according to the Word of God, yes, but never indulge in self-righteous, hypocritical, hypercritical, prejudiced, merciless judgmentalism. That is never the way of Christ, and it should not be the way of Christians either.   Matthew 7:1 is one of the most needed and one of the most abused statements in the Bible. It... Continue Reading

By engaging in God-centered preaching and pastoral ministry, we will redirect people’s natural inclination to focus on self and lead them to turn their eyes upward to contemplate and worship a holy, loving, and righteous God.    Pastoral ministry is exceedingly demanding and requires us to tackle a large number of tasks, such as preaching,... Continue Reading

Christians should grieve over the death of a fellow brother or sister in Christ. It is good and right to feel the weight of sorrow when our beloved fellow Christians are taken home. It is not a grief without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), but it is a grief, even a “sorrow upon sorrow.”   If we are citizens of heaven, awaiting a... Continue Reading

As the one who created this world and the people who live within it, God is the one who gets to determine what is a sin and what is not. It doesn’t really matter what you or I believe about it, but it matters an awful lot what God believes about it.   I’m so... Continue Reading

There is nothing stopping the majority of pastors from teaching basic systematics and biblical theology in their churches. Most could have a reasonable stab at historical theology and ecclesiology too. Assuming they’re able to teach the Bible at all, I’d imagine hermeneutics are going to be there too.    One of the great things about... Continue Reading

“Disqualified” means is that…conduct, traits, or sins come to light in the elder’s life that are not in keeping with the qualifications, and the elders realize that the person is no longer qualified…When that happens, the person is no longer a pastor or elder.   I’m always ultimately thankful when the Lord uncovers things that... Continue Reading

We should note that Paul, writing with apostolic authority, repeatedly instructs churches to imitate him (Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:6). He specifically charges church leaders to follow his pattern of life, both his faithful teaching and his sacrificial suffering (Acts 20:17–35; 2 Timothy 1:8–2:3).   In the world of evangelical missions, it’s common to appeal... Continue Reading