338 results found
Dear Pastor . . . Your Shepherd Doesn’t Care How Big Your Church Is
What the Lord requires of us is faithfulness. And while it’s perfectly normal for every pastor to want his church to grow, it’s also idolatrous to marry our validation and our justification to our attendance.
5 Stumbling Blocks to Pastoral Honesty
Why isn’t humble candor more of a regular part of our ministry leadership culture? Why aren’t we more ready to confess spiritual discouragement or struggle?
5 Questions about the Local Church
Ultimately, the local church makes visible what is invisible, and reflects in words and deeds the kingdom life that is to come.
10 Disciplines of a Godly Pastor
As we sweat out the disciplines of a godly pastor, remember, with Paul, what energizes us to live them out.
6 Things to Look for in a Pastor
What are some things to consider when searching for a new pastor to lead the church?
Dear Pastor . . . You’re a Shepherd, Not an Entrepreneur
If we plant churches as pastors, not entrepreneurs, whose aim is to love Christ and feed and tend the sheep of Christ’s reward, then we can sleep well knowing our work will endure.
What Are the Limits of a Church’s Authority?
Christians today tend to give little attention to the idea of church authority, just like we give little attention to church membership and discipline.
5 Guidelines for Preparing Congregational Prayer
Effective public prayer must be well-prepared prayer. This is the engine that will move all the other principles.
Is the Pope Really the Appointed Successor to the Apostle Peter?
Evangelical theology dissents especially from Catholic theology’s doctrine of apostolic succession.
5 Myths about Being a Pastor’s Wife
What every congregation really needs to see is a family serving God with wholehearted devotion while dealing with the realities of sinful parents raising sinful children.
Dear Pastor . . . You Need to Recognize Your Limits
Our limits and weaknesses are not in the way of what God can do through us, but our denial of limits and our delusions of independent strength are.
The Church and Homosexuality: 10 Commitments
Of the many complexities involving the church and homosexuality, one of the most difficult is how the former should speak of the latter.
The Hidden Value of Pastoral Gentleness
As leaders of God’s people, we all long to make a difference for Christ. We don’t want to be unfruitful. The main reason to nurture gentleness is neither pragmatic nor historical, but biblical.
We instinctively recognize that the solution to bad authority is seldom no authority, but almost always good authority.
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach.
3 Ways That Scriptural Leadership Differs from Secular Leadership
Preaching is inherently a form of leadership. But in order for our preaching to qualify as scriptural leadership, we must be careful to exercise it according to biblical standards rather than worldly principles.
The Importance of Preaching the Theology of Suffering
Preach to your people a theology of suffering that places all our trials in the hands and will of a loving Father.
The ministry of the deacons is an extension of the ministry of the elders to care for the flock of God.
5 Hats That a Lead Pastor Must Wear
If the quality of our elder plurality determines the health of our church, then we need to know which hats will best help us to cultivate solid teams. Here are five hats senior leaders should wear.
How to Prioritize Your Spouse in Ministry
She’s not been called to serve. You have been called to serve and she’s been called to serve alongside of you as your helper.
An Open Letter to a Children’s Ministry Worker
The children entrusted to your care have ears, and they use them. So teach these little ones the big truths. God willing, it will yield fruit for many years to come.
7 Tips for Planning a Sermon Series
How can pastors approach teaching the whole word of God to the people of God? It can be a daunting task.
The Story of the First Ordained African-American Pastor in US History
If the church is to prosper and mature, she will need faithful men to lead and care for her.
A Church Is Not Just a Truth-Dispensing Center
The church is the household of God, so we can expect relationships, interaction, and shared identity to be fundamental aspects of its life.
Deaconing is not for the faint of heart. Much of it is thankless: grunt work, not stage work.
Dear Pastor . . . Let Christ Preach
If preaching isn’t simply transferring data or trying to make people feel something through our charisma, what is it?
Help for Humanly Impossible Acts
The languishing come to drink at the fountain of God’s life-giving word. That too is worship. It magnifies the necessity and desirableness of God.
Douglas Sean O'Donnell, Leland Ryken
Parables feature what the whole of the New Testament covers: gospel need, gospel proclamation, gospel response, and gospel ethics. In your preaching, follow Jesus’s pattern.
John Calvin on the Role of the Pastor
Calvin did not imagine that the New Testament gave us a precise liturgy or church order, but he was convinced that it gives us clear guidelines.
7 Checklist Items for Your Next Church Search
Consider these seven key items to look for and prioritize when you embark on your next church search.