This past Sunday I completed our class on “True Spirituality,” with a lesson arguing that one key work of the Spirit is empowering believers to speak the gospel boldly (and often to suffer as a result). This can be seen in 2 Timothy 1 and as a theme in Acts where, I argue, speaking the …
Brian Denker recently posted this quote from Kierkegaard and I thought it was a wonderful portrait of the church. Here we have a pastor accomplishing his duties well, but even more a godly individual in the congregation making a powerful impact. “The church itself attracted me greatly, the clergyman who I heard every Sunday was …
Last Sunday Lee Tankersley preached a searching sermon on 2 Kings 14-17, “A Sobering Call to Turn from Sin.” Walking through the text, the refrain of the continuing impact on the Northern Kingdom of the deeds of Jeroboam is unmistakable. The picture is clear- the first king of this group set an example and trajectory …
Another Baptist voice from the past on the importance of oversight and pastoral care: “The leader of a church must love his people. He must watch over them with the tender solicitude of a shepherd. He must exercise wise oversight of their lives, thinking ahead and planning ahead for their welfare, keeping them busily and …
I am finishing our class, “True Spirituality,” at church seeking to argue that biblical spirituality is earthy, everyday and communal, rooted in the gospel. This quote from Donald Bloesch is very helpful: “A spirituality that can ignite the church will furthermore be churchly. It will seek not the elevation of believers to a higher spiritual …
Walter Russell Mead has written a strong article on the decline of the mainline church. Though he is speaking to the mainline, he makes perceptive points that apply to any church. These are important points worth hearing. Here are some excerpts: At the deepest level, this involves the sustainability of the church itself…. Religion will …
At our church each person who wants to join the church shares their testimony with the church in our prayer meeting as part of the process. It is wonderful to hear about the work of God in another person’s life whether the account be long or simple. Yet, when I have commented on this here, …
In John Gill’s exposition of Matt. 13:52, he gives a good description of the work of the pastor: “…of which indeed Christ is properly the householder and master, but Gospel ministers are deputies and stewards under him, and under him preside over the household, and have the government of it, provide food for it, and …
On Thursday, April 29 Greg Thornbury & I will be speaking at the “Communicating Familiar Bible Stories in Unfamiliar Ways” conference at FBC Goodlettsville. The basic schedule is as follows: 8:30- Registration & coffee Session 1- “Staying Alive to the Living Word”, Ray Van Neste Session 2- “The Bible is Strange When You are a …
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