Category: Church Leadership
Should We Still be Devoted to the Public Reading of Scripture?
Is the Bible read much at your church’s meetings? Should it be? At the beginning of 1 Timothy 4, Paul says the false teachers in Ephesus were “devoting themselves to . . . teachings of demons” (v. 1). Later in the chapter, he charges Timothy: “Until...
False Teachers: What to Do with the Poison in the Water
In telling the fictitious story of Barnabas Sackett coming on a ship from England to America in the 1600s, Louis L’Amour describes Sackett’s shipmates like this: “They were rascals, no question of that, and a dirty, poisonous lot, enough to kill the fish for miles if...
The Foibles and Fallibility of Christian Leaders
The inconsistencies, unattended weaknesses, eccentricities, normalizations of subtle sinful habits, relational neglectfulness or awkwardness, sometimes grating quirks, phases of tiredness and even laziness, and susceptibility to pride — just to begin the list — illustrate what kinds of things can be found in almost every Christian...
His Truth Will Triumph Through Us
“We will not fear for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.” This victorious line is found in the English version of Martin Luther’s famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” It has often bolstered my faith. The truth is bigger than you...
Timid Timothy?
If a group of believers were asked to describe Timothy in one word, I’m confident that some (most?) would use a word like “timid.” They may be right, based upon Second Timothy 1:6-7, “For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which...
The Pronouns Preach: Lessons on the Glory of the Church
When reading the Bible, parts of speech make a big difference in our understanding. There are many examples, but here is one that demonstrates my point perfectly. It is found in Ephesians. I will be so bold as to say, “If you miss the pronouns, you miss...
Slogging Now, Reward Later
In a recent blog post (at www.thegospelcoalition.org), Ray Ortlund honored his father by highlighting a 486 page book that recorded decades of his father’s ministry activities (such as sermons preached and weddings officiated). Ortlund asked, “How many hours of preparation and prayer and study are represented...
What to Ask Myself Before I Teach the Bible
The results of our teaching are entirely God’s business. But it is our business to be as prepared as possible. This not only means that we must know our subject, but that we must be spiritually-minded and intentional. The following are questions to ask yourself before...
What if You Were Preston’s Teacher?
His Sunday school teacher just might have driven him to crime. When seven-year-old Preston Scarbrough woke up early one Sunday morning in July 2009, he just didn’t want to go to church. He slipped out of the house while his family slept, got in the car...
The Theology of Coloring
I learned how to teach Sunday school from the women who taught me as a child. We’d go to class, sing a few songs, repeat a memory verse, listen to a Bible story with a moralistic application and then get out the big box of broken,...
