One of the disciplines that has been a personal priority of mine since I was a college student is the memorization of, and the meditation on, scripture. This is also a discipline that I want to instill into my young children. I want my family to be one that has a firm foundation that is built on God’s Word so that we will know how to act, what to think and respond to the various situations and circumstances of life in a way that honors our God and encourages others. My friend and mentor Steve Gaines refers to this as “thinking Bible.” I think that is a great way of describing what I want to be true in my life and the life of my family. Continue Reading…

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4

No one ever becomes great simply through his own ability or personality.  Greatness is only achieved through the life of another.  Think about that for a minute. What makes a patriot so revered? It is because his life is found in the larger life of his country.  What makes the humanitarian so distinguished? It is because he’s a member of the larger body of humanity.  Why is the artist so loved? It is because his spirit is a part of the larger spirit of creation. Continue Reading…

Last week we began to look at and deal with the call of God to ministry.  I am more convinced each day that it is of first importance that there be God-called men serving as pastors and preachers in the local church.  I do not say that lightly, but only after great thought and observation of the current condition of the modern, and primarily, American church.  In fact, I believe that one of the main reasons why we see so much sin and silliness in the modern church comes from a decline in the caliber and calling of the men filling the pulpit and leading those local congregations.

I have a hard time accepting that a man who was “nothing” before the call and is “nothing” apart from the call would lead churches to do the things and to accept the current carnality that is now so prevalent in our churches. It seems that what we have far too many men today who think more of their abilities and achievements than they should who are attempting to use their intellect and personality to accomplish that which in reality can only be achieved through the power and Spirit of God. Continue Reading…

As a pastor one of the things that comes with the ministry is seeing families at the best times of their lives – weddings, births, graduations, great accomplishments – as well as the worst times of their lives. I’ve stood with a family at four o’clock in the morning as a nurse pulled the body of their college-aged daughter out of the wall – killed in a single car accident.  I’ve sat on the floor of a hospital waiting room with the adult, grieving daughter of a man who took his own life. I watched as she in essence reverted to a little child, holding herself, rocking and shouting, “NO! MY DADDY WOULDN’T DO THIS! MY DADDY LOVES ME TOO MUCH TO LEAVE ME THIS WAY! NO!”  I met with a family in a hospital room as they received word that their fourteen year old daughter had contracted meningitis. I stood with them a few days later as they put her body in the ground.  I’ve stood with families over a little casket as they said goodbye to a baby they never had the opportunity to know – stillborn.  I could go on with example after example of couples I know and love when they faced the fiercest storms that ever raged against their marriage. Continue Reading…

“…In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Jesus said these encouraging and empowering words when it appeared to everybody that the exact opposite was true, when it seemed that He had been overcome by the world.  When Jesus uttered these words He was standing on the very threshold of death.  Now, there were certainly times in Jesus’ life when He could have made this statement and everybody would have said, “That’s right. You have  overcome the world.”  For example, when Jesus walked out of the tomb, destroying death itself, we could understand such a statement. When Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, leaving the wickedness and weight of the world behind, again, we could understand such a statement.  But to make such a bold claim in the middle of the world’s attack upon Him – that seems a very strange statement indeed. Continue Reading…

Today I want to begin a new series of posts dealing with ministry in general, and pastoral ministry in particular. I’m a pastor. I am the son of a pastor, and I have a great love for those who have surrendered their lives to the call of God in pastoral ministry. That’s why I feel led to begin to share some very practical advice and insights that I pray will be a help to those serving the Lord as undershepherds of His flock through the ministry of a local church.  My plan is not to “recreate the wheel,” or go into great detail parsing words or giving tons of historical quotes or voluminous treatments covering every possible aspect of some particular area of ministry. There are other wonderful books – some which will be noted in my posts – that can answer some of the more minute or specific questions that you might have. My goal in the coming months is to simply share from my heart and experience. I pray that the Lord will use these practical posts in your life as you seek to serve Him.

THE CALL OF GOD TO MINISTRY

The great need of our day – in fact, the great need of any day – is that of God-called men proclaiming the truth of God’s Word and ministering in His name to the needs of people. However, we are increasingly living in a day where many are downplaying (some even outright denigrating) a specific, personal call from God to vocational ministry. Continue Reading…

“And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.” 1 Samuel 12:21

What a strange, and even anticlimactic, statement!  Samuel says to the people that they must not turn aside from God. That certainly makes sense, but his reason is rather startling. He says that if they deviate from following the Lord they will end up going ”after empty things.” Okay, I get it. They would fall for the frivolous, but is that the worst thing that could happen? Is it really all that bad that those who detour from following after God would go after those things that are “nothing”? Continue Reading…