Every now and again, as a Pastor, I get asked, Why should I join a local church? I mean, I’m a Christian, which means I’m a part of the universal church. I attend church semi-regularly. Why do I have to join a local church? For the most part, that’s an honest question. And an honest…
If we are going to live in a certain way as the church, then we need to know what the church is. So: What is the church? One popular belief is that the church is a building. Even though that belief is false, the building in which you attend church is not the house of…
In Psalm 50, Asaph confronts Israel regarding their worship and living. What they were doing isn’t much different from what many do today. Their worship was formulaic. In other words, they were going through the motions. Sure, they brought the appropriate sacrifices, but it was done more out of a sense of duty instead of…
The Bible calls husbands to love their wives self-sacrificially. In Colossians 3:19 the apostle Paul writes, “Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.” (Col 3:19) And again in Ephesians 5, comparing a husband’s love to Jesus’ love of the church, Paul says: “In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves…
Evidence matters. It matters in research papers, in the courtroom, on the news, and in churches. Evidence matters because it reveals what we know, what we’ve done, or who we are. In this series, I am focusing in on that last one – who we are – in an effort to expound on the evidence of…
Evidence matters. It matters in research papers, in the courtroom, on the news, and in churches. Evidence matters because it reveals what we know, what we’ve done, or who we are. In this series, I am focusing in on that last one – who we are – in an effort to expound on the evidence of…
Evidence matters. It matters in research papers, in the courtroom, on the news, and in churches. Evidence matters because it reveals what we know, what we’ve done, or who we are. In this series, I am focusing in on that last one – who we are – in an effort to expound on the evidence of…
When I was in seminary, almost every class I took required me to write a research paper, which meant that over a two and half year period, I wrote a lot of research papers. As I soon learned, there is a certain learning curve when it comes to writing a good research paper. I remember, at…
Ask most church goers what it means to do apologetics and you will most likely be met with blank stares, an explanation about how we are to apologize to others, or tales of boredom as they tried sitting through a lecture or trudging through a book full of philosophical arguments. While the study of Apologetics can take you off into heady arguments,…
In his first epistle, Peter writes, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” (1 Pe 3:15). In his commentary on 1 Peter, Dr. R.C.…
Why aren’t Christians growing? More specifically, why do Christians become stagnant in Christ-like growth? What Occurs in Salvation? If we think about some of what occurs in salvation, this question becomes even more urgent. When we come to Christ, we are: Delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of Christ, releasing us from…
Yesterday was the Lord’s Day, the day we gather as a church in worship. As a pastor, I always look forward to Sundays. Not only do I get to preach, but I also have the opportunity to praise God alongside others, and watch how the Lord will use our fellowship for His glory. As Christians,…
This past Sunday, our church ordained three additional men to the office of Deacon. The service, and time afterward, was filled with an air of celebration for what the Lord is doing in our church. The sanctuary was packed and fellowship hall was full of home cooked meals and dessert (we’re Baptist). While last Sunday was…
Every Wednesday, our church hosts a prayer meeting and Bible Study. During the Bible study portion, I usually throw out a question for discussion. This week the question had to do with our daily devotionals. Here is what we came up with as a group. 10 Ways to Get More Out of Your Daily Devotions (1) Do Them –…
I am convinced that the greatest devotional need for most of those reading this article – even those committed to spending time in the Bible every day – is to meditate on Scripture. It seems a common experience for people to read the Bible and then, as soon as they close it, to forget everything…
Every Friday morning at 6:30am for the last two years I have gathered with a group of men at IHOP for breakfast and Bible study. The Plan – One Chapter When we get together, our plan is to cover one chapter in God’s Word. As we cover that chapter, we work to understand what it…