Struggling with Spiritual Disciplines
I imagine most church members would find it hard to believe their pastors struggle with practicing spiritual disciplines. If any group of people should excel at personal Bible reading and memorization, prayer, worship, evangelism, fasting, and a number of other important Christian exercises, it should be the shepherds.
Chapel Rewind: How Are Christians Special?
Mark Dever, Senior Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., preaches on 1 Peter 1:14-22. He passionately exhorts that Christ’s blood is not special because of some magical force, but that it’s special because of who He is.
Pastors, Keep Fighting The Good Fight
Do you ever feel weary from the battle of Christian ministry in this broken world?Think of the last few weeks: a global pandemic, extreme isolation, escalating counseling concerns, #AhmaudArbery, another beloved pastor’s death, and on top of all that the daily pressures of the church.Seasons like this remind me of why the Apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to, “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). The Christian ministry is lived out on the battlefield of a broken world. Perhaps you are currently weary in this battle and could use encouragement to keep fighting. I would like to offer you an acrostic, F.I.G.H.T., that has been particularly helpful to me in difficult seasons. My hope is that it will aid you in your battle.
3 “Essentials” to Weather the COVID-19 Crisis
Maybe you’ve heard the word “essential” a lot during this COVID-19 crisis. Essential businesses. Essential workers. Essential supplies like toilet paper, hand sanitizer, face masks, and decent internet. Or, even more essential items such as ventilators and PPE. But, these aren’t the essentials I’m writing about today.
Chapel Rewind: Longing for God
Chuck Lawless, Vice President for Spiritual Formation and Ministry Centers, preaches on Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 about longing for God in times of despair as a follower of Jesus.
The New Normal: Preaching to a Camera
In a perfect world, preaching is normally a point-in-time experience in front of a live audience. However, we don’t live in a perfect world, and these certainly aren’t normal times. We’re currently living with a ‘new normal’ in just about every area of life and ministry, and that includes preaching.
The Psalms: A Book Designed For God’s People During Times Of Crisis
William Carey is considered a hero by many Baptists. He is the Father of the modern missions movement and called churches to spread the gospel throughout the world. He even risked his own life to practice what he preached. The Lord blessed me with the ability to spend a summer in England on the Oxford study trip. In Oxford, in the basements of the Angus Library, is Carey’s personal Bible. What makes this Bible extra special is that some pages are clearly more worn than others. You can tell which sections of the Bible were Carey’s favorites.
Chapel Rewind: Watch Your Life and Doctrine
Tony Merida, Pastor of Imago Dei Church Raleigh, preaches on how we don’t need more conference speakers; we need millions of faithful ministers who will saturate the nations with sound doctrine.
For Pastors’ Wives: What You are Experiencing is Not Normal
Real talk, ladies. What you are experiencing is not normal, but maybe you wish it were. You husband is home like you’ve always wished he would be. How many times have you begged your husband to come home early for dinner, to attend your son’s baseball practice, or take turns reading to your little ones at bedtime? Well, guess what? You’ve got your wish! He’s home. Are you enjoying this newfound togetherness, or have you found yourself desiring more space? Whatever your reaction, I challenge you.
Grace For Anxious Hearts
Unsettling. Disorienting. Strange. Unprecedented. These words dominate the conversations I’ve been having with pastor friends over the last several weeks. There is much we don’t know about COVID-19, but we are all acutely aware of how much our lives have changed.
Pastor, Are You Successful?
Pastor, what is your personal definition of “success” as a follower of Jesus? This can be a tricky question, because, the line between your role as a pastor and follower of Jesus in probably blurry, like a chalk batter’s box after nine-innings of baseball. Often, you’re unsure where one role ends and the other begins.
Don’t Look at the Mud–See the Stars!
At Mayhill Baptist, I’ve been preaching through 2 Timothy. Recently, we landed on 2 Timothy 4:6-8, and I got hit between the eyes with a quote I read in one of my commentaries. I mean, right from the beginning of sermon prep, I was battling tears as a sea of conviction swept over me in my study.
Chapel Rewind: The Gospel and “Those” People
Josh Wredberg, Redeemer Community Church in Fuquay-Varina, NC, preaches on Jonah 4 about how seeing grace as only for certain people with certain sins is a misunderstanding of both sin and grace.
Meet My Neighbors
When the pandemic is over, will you be closer to those around you? Will you know more than just their names? Movies on the lawn, dinners, and front yard bonfires are what we look forward to now. Maybe that will become the norm instead of the exception.
Trusting God When Plans Suddenly Change
I’ve never been one to journal much. A few months ago, my wife bought me a journal. I had been wanting to begin writing in cursive again, so I thought, “Hey, this is a good opportunity to track things that I’m praying for.” I know, a very holy reason to begin to practice a discipline that has greatly benefited many brothers and sisters throughout history.
The Proverbial Pandemic
If there has ever been a time that pastors could legitimately say, “They didn’t teach me this in seminary,” it would certainly be now during this COVID-19 global pandemic. We’re all having to navigate new territory and uncharted waters, whether it be learning how to use unfamiliar technology or just finding an ample supply of toilet paper. Of course, there are people on the planet who are in much more dire straits. Nonetheless, it’s definitely a season in which all of us are having to learn stuff that we haven’t been taught.
For Pastors: How to Love Your Wife Well During the Pandemic
A lot has changed in the past two weeks. Not only has your church shifted services to a virtual platform, but your family most likely is in your space 100% of the time. Both situations bring inevitable stress on you, but these changes can also impact your family, especially your marriage. It's crucial during this time that you pay attention and love your family well. If, when the Pandemic is over, we lose those closest to us, then we lose. How can you protect and prevent that from happening? I believe one way is by loving your wife well.
What a Difference a Week Makes
Perhaps you’re familiar with the saying, “What a difference a week makes.” The saying highlights how much things like the weather forecast to the price of gas can change in a short period of time. But, considering the drastic effects of recent events, this traditional maxim has proved to be even more true. From public school shut-downs, extreme fluctuations in the stock market, stay-at-home orders, to the rapid spread of disease and death, our lives have been rapidly and completely turned upside down.
Should Churches Observe the Lord’s Supper Online?
With the COVID-19 pandemic making church gatherings unwise at best, many churches in recent days have moved to live-streaming or offering their services online. My own church has been one of those. Psalm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday are approaching. In many churches, these have been times when an observance of the Lord’s Supper has seemed especially appropriate and meaningful. But should a church observe the Lord’s Supper online, with members partaking in their homes? I think we can best answer that question by reflecting on the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. Why did the Lord command us to do this practice in the first place? What are we saying when we do this?
Parenting During a Pandemic
Parenting is hard. This is a statement that rings true to anyone with children in their home on even the best of days. What about when crisis strikes and the circumstances change? What happens when all the other people to whom we have been entrusting the care of our children are all of the sudden not able to be present in their lives? This is exactly the parenting predicament in which we find ourselves in the world of COVID-19 and the Shelter-in-Place regulations. Suddenly, we as parents find ourselves learning how to be teacher, coach and counselor in addition to being a 24/7 parent.
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