527 results found
Podcast: How to Radically Pursue Justice While Living in the Suburbs (Amy DiMarcangelo)
Amy DiMarcangelo discusses how our lives can often look relatively comfortable, and she shares her own story of learning what it means to live sacrificially for God in the midst of everyday life.
An Unnecessary Pastoral Disconnect
Pastoral leadership should be by appointment of Christ and in union with Christ and should prioritize preaching the word of Christ on the mission of Christ.
The church is led to maturity on her mission through intentional, earnest, persistent intercessory prayer. A man of God leads from his knees!
Why Use Written Prayers? A Personal Reflection
I understand and respect the hesitations that some believers have regarding the use of written prayers—either privately or publicly. I have close friends who fall on both sides of this discussion.
Dear Pastor . . . Don’t Settle for the Status Quo in Your Preaching
We take up our call to the ministry believing the gospel is the power of God for salvation. Fatigue, fear, and even temptations to doubt the message we are preaching can cut the nerve of our zeal.
4 Reminders for When You’re Hurt by Someone at Church
We live in a fallen world. As glorious and wonderful as life in the church is, God’s people have not yet been fully delivered from the effects of sin.
Podcast: The Secret to Reaching the Next Generation (Kevin DeYoung)
Kevin DeYoung encourages youth leaders to remember that reaching the next generation will not be done through relevant pop culture references or harnessing the power of social media.
An Open Letter to the Church Member Hurt by Their Local Church
Local churches hurt people. People hurt people, of course; but since churches are people, churches have the capacity to inflict severe relational pain.
A Guide for Your Personal Worship Entering Holy Week
A sample day’s readings from O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, a 48-day devotional liturgy to help readers effectively prepare their hearts from Pascha (Easter) to Pentecost.
Why the Church Is More Important than Any Other Christian Organization
The church is the only human institution that goes into eternity. We won’t be building the Gospel Coalition in eternity. We won’t be building seminaries in eternity.
Listening Well to Preaching Is a Spiritual Discipline
We need to listen well—attentively and prayerfully—remembering that as our pastor preaches the word, it is the Lord who is speaking.
Dear Pastor . . . in a Lonely World, Cultivating Community Is Worth It
Of all the many things we do, cultivating spiritual community in a lonely world ranks among the most difficult, time-consuming, and personally demanding efforts.
Podcast: The Most Important Thing Our Churches Have Forgotten to Do (Paul Miller)
Paul Miller deepens our understanding of prayer by highlighting why we need to pray with one another if we really want to experience the full blessing of prayer.
Pastor, What Do You Preach to People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together?
Titus 2 tells us that it’s the grace of God that teaches us to say no to ungodliness. If people aren’t growing in godliness, Paul says they need more grace.
Podcast: Has Christianity Really Caused More Harm Than Good in the World? (Sharon James)
Sharon James makes the case that despite the many failings of many Christians over the centuries, Christianity has indeed been very good for the world.
Dear Pastor . . . Your Leadership Is Needed in the Pulpit
Pastor, the work of shepherding God’s people naturally involves and requires good leadership. There’s no more important place for that to happen than in your preaching ministry every week.
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.
Dear Pastor . . . Don’t Undervalue the Sacraments
Many pastors and churches today grant the sacraments a low status in public worship, but the sacraments have played a vital role in nourishing God’s people throughout church history.
10 Key Bible Verses on Ministry
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. . . .”
Dear Pastor . . . Let’s Cultivate Honesty in Our Churches—Starting with Us
We don’t have our Christian lives fully together. In Christian ministry, we necessarily stretch the pastoral metaphor because we shepherds are, inevitably and undeniably, still sheep.
What Should a Pastor’s Authority Look Like?
What is the authority of a pastor? The authority of the pastor is to teach and give oversight to the flock by being an example to the flock.
Podcast: How to Wait for Christmas in an Age of Instant Gratification (Jonathan Gibson)
Johnny Gibson discusses what it looks like to truly prepare our hearts for Christmas and talks about how and why the Advent season is meant to be a season of waiting.
The way deacons are described in the New Testament and the way they operate is that they are exemplary servants who function on behalf of a congregation to assist the elders by doing at least three things.
God’s Primary Provision for Our Spiritual Hunger
How does God intend to satisfy our spiritual hunger? He gives us his word. Matthew 4 says that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Help! People at Church Are Driving Me Crazy
Who isn’t discouraged by conflict at church? After all, church should be as close as we get to heaven on earth, right?
Podcast: The State of Women’s Ministry in the US (Courtney Doctor and Joanna Kimbrel)
Courtney Doctor and Joanna Kimbrel delve into the key questions and concerns that arise in women's ministry, touching on practical issues like how to get started and how to encourage discipleship.
7 Things I Prayed for My Husband through 30 Years of Ministry
Marriage to a man in any particular profession has particular difficulties. Over the years, I have learned to pray for the needs of my husband that are distinct to his calling as a pastor.
Why Do We Get Baptized One Time but Take Communion Many Times?
Many Christians today have a weak understanding of the sacraments and what they accomplish in the lives of believers.
Podcast: When Churches Get Doctrine Right and Everything Else Wrong (Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry)
Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry discuss the connection between gospel doctrine and gospel culture and share what it looks like when a church is theologically careful but culturally sick.
God’s rebuke is never about giving up on us; it’s about investing in us once again. God rebukes us because we need it.