Category: CHURCH & MINISTRY
Creating a Culture of Hospitality
Church doesn’t just happen on Sunday morning and Wednesday nights. We all know that. In our busy and self-isolating culture, we have to make intentional, personal contact with each other if we want to be a real community. But how do we do it? Let me...
Does Your Teaching Make People Sleepy?
Glazed over eyes. Wide, tear-producing yawns. Bobbing heads. If you are a pastor, Sunday school teacher, or Bible study leader, you’ve seen them all while you were speaking, and you may be to blame. Is there anything we can do to help people stay connected while...
A Revival of the Public Reading of Scripture
I’m risking sounding old-fashioned, uninventive, or the promoter of something that “just won’t work these days,” but here’s my conviction: We should read even large sections of Scripture when the church meets. A Concise Biblical History Throughout the Bible, God expected His people to hear His...
Better Prayer Meetings and Prayer Groups: Less Confusion, More Communion
Most of us have experienced both “good” and “bad” prayer meetings. Eventually we may find out that the “good prayer meeting” which seemed to go very well was actually tainted. Those who prayed sounded spiritual, but they were full of pride. And Peter tells us, “God...
Better Teaching By This Sunday
Every Sunday school teacher, Bible study leader, and preacher should aim to teach Scripture with accuracy, clarity, and in a way that helps the listener stay interested. We are always dependent on the Spirit to illuminate, but that’s not an excuse to instruct poorly. Here are...
Church Going Downhill?
Was your church meeting disappointing this week? Do you find that there seems to be little life in the church? Are there troubles stirring? Are there way too many parking lot conversations? What can you do as a member to make things better? Here are a...
Churches on Fire: What Goes Up and What Comes Down
“I’m of John Piper!” “I’m of John MacArthur!” “I’m of R. C. Sproul!” “I’m of Allistair Begg!” It wasn’t so bad that the Corinthian people appreciated the leaders that had come through their city (Apollos, Cephas, and even Paul himself), but that their affections moved their...
You Talk About What You Love
Leading a retreat for men several years ago, I remember being aware of the spiritual immaturity of some men who had been part of their church for years. The first night I discovered that these men were capable of knowing a lot, including much detailed information....
You’re Going the Wrong Way!
A few years ago, I was preaching in prisons in Oklahoma. In one of those prisons, I had to go into the meeting location several minutes after the pastor who had invited me. When it was time to go in, the guard opened the iron door...
What Pastors Must Do, and How to Help Them
I once heard a pastor who preaches weekly to thousands confess that he and his fellow pastors were failing the members of their church. Yes, he teaches the Bible faithfully every week. Yes, a large number of people in the church are regularly sent out for...
