With excitement in her eyes, Sarah kissed her parents goodbye. John and Judy’s decision to let their sixteen-year-old daughter attend the girls’ summer art camp wasn’t difficult. They had heard great things about the program and believed it was an excellent opportunity. Then John and Judy learned the famous art camp was a magnet for […]
Read MoreTag Archives: First Timothy
For Dads
I don’t often recommend a volume without reservation, but I think every man should read Temptations Men Face by Tom Eisenman. I’m not saying I agree with everything in it, or that you will, but it’s one of those works that deserves being read . . . especially by men. I appreciate Tom’s candour and […]
Read MoreContentment
Laurence J. Peter and I are close friends. No, actually, we’ve never met, but we’ve visited together numerous times. We’ve never even shaken hands, but we’ve been in agreement ever since we crossed paths. Although I’ve never laid eyes on him, I’ve smiled at his comments and nodded at his conclusions . . . amazed […]
Read MoreGetting Past Guilt: Overcoming Barriers to Feeling Forgiven
Puritan minister Richard Baxter warned about the emotional toll of carrying unnecessary guilt: “That sorrow, even for sin, may be overmuch. That overmuch sorrow swalloweth one up.”1 In his wonderful old English, Reverend Baxter captured the feelings of people who have not experienced forgiveness. Grief over past sins plunges them into a depth of sorrow. […]
Read MoreDid Constantine Declare Jesus to Be “God” in AD 325?
The Da Vinci Code is not alone in claiming that in the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine changed Christianity to further his political agenda. Historians or false teachers who deny Christ’s deity sometimes suggest this event as a possibility. The truth is, Christians regarded Jesus as both God and man from the very beginning. In […]
Read MoreWhat to Do When A Leader Falls
God’s work is sacred. So when a person engaged in ministry repeatedly defies God’s high and holy standards, that individual is to be removed. The apostle Paul’s judgment and command are uncompromising. The very reason God’s work is holy is because He is holy. Those who minister will never do so without some failures, because […]
Read MoreAge is No Barrier
Age has never been a barrier for God in using a person for His purpose. Think of Joseph, Samuel, Josiah, David, Timothy…and the list goes on. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young…”. No…age is not a barrier. It’s the heart that counts. That’s what […]
Read MoreA Weekly Furlough for Your Pastor
Church folk don’t always live in reality—especially those who are on committees searching for a new pastor. In a description for the perfect pastor, one church was looking for the following characteristics.1 The perfect pastor for our church must: Be married with two children—one boy and one girl Be on call 24/7, including holidays and […]
Read MoreCharting the Course to Biblical Literacy
Christ’s church has fallen into a troubling rut. Studies show that Christians know less of the Bible than at any other time in recent history. The level of Bible knowledge has decreased even among our best and brightest. One administrator of more than 20 years at a Christian college noted, “Our assumption now is that […]
Read MoreWomen Elders, No. Women Deacons, Yes
Paul made it clear that within the confines of the faith community, women were not permitted “to teach or exercise [spiritual] authority over a man” (1 Timothy 2:12). And because this was a primary responsibility of overseers (3:2, 5), the clear implication is that women are to be excluded from serving in that office. But […]
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