The Source of the Call to Church Planting

Where is the source of the “voice“ that is calling you to church planting?

For some, the “Macedonian call” to plant a church is seen in the same way as a call to an existing, already formed Christian community. Yet, this is not the call to the apostolic-like ministry of church planting. There are at least two vital elements of a call to church planting. These are not replacing the necessary assessment of gifts and graces. Rather the response to these two urgent issues are signposts to the place where God’s will for you (see Ephesians 2:20) leads to that glorious picture of “ha eretz” (“the Land” in Genesis) described by Dr. Luke,

“So there was much joy in that city” (Acts 8:8).

I teach my students, and I have guided younger Christian shepherds, to address these two fundamental matters in discerning a call to plant a church. Read More

How NOT to Grow Your Church

There are five simple ways to make sure that your church will not reach its full redemptive potential. Follow one or more, and you can just about guarantee your church will not grow. Read More

Five Critical Reasons Church Leaders Need Networks - Revitalize & Replant #043

Isolation in ministry can be deadly for a church and career ending for a minister. Today Thom Rainer, Mark Clifton, and Jonathan Howe discuss the importance and benefits of having a network of people to help you in ministry. Listen Now

When Muslims Dream of Jesus

In 2007, Dudley Woodberry and others published a study that recounted interviews with 750 former Muslims who had converted to evangelical Christianity. Many of the reasons they gave for their conversion would be expected—the love of God, a changing view of the Bible, and an attraction to Christians who loved others. But one reason might come as a surprise: the experience of a dream they believed to be from God.

These study results aren’t isolated. Mission Frontiers magazine has reported that out of 600 Muslim converts, 25 percent experienced a dream that led to their conversion. The great missionary Lillias Trotter also reported dreams that drove Muslims to Christ.

But what should we say about the role of dreams and visions in hearing and believing the gospel? Read More

Thursday's Catch: "The Origin and Presence of False Teaching" and More

The Origin and Presence of False Teaching

Interaction with culture, difficult passages in the Bible, and the power of sin to affect the mind have contributed to the formulation and dissemination of false or incorrect teaching. Churches and individual believers make a serious mistake if they think to themselves, “It can’t happen here.” Thinking we are immune to error places us in a very dangerous position. It is exactly what the enemy wants—for us to be asleep and unaware of his efforts to attack believers through false teaching. Read More

False Teaching Out There and In Here

The recognition that heresies often start from a biblical platform and basis should humble and warn us. It should humble us, even chasten us, to recognize that we might unwittingly propagate error even as we teach God’s inerrant Word. Though we labor over our sermons and lessons, wrestling with the text, trying to get it right, there is always the possibility that we might teach error in ways that lead God’s little ones astray. Read More

The False Gospel of Expressive Individualism

There’s a newish gospel in town. Or at least some make it out to be. Have you heard of it? It’s called expressive individualism. To be sure, expressive individualism has been around for a while. But it seems to be more popular today than ever before. Read More

How To Disagree About Theology Without Kicking Each Other Out of the Church

Humans are tribal. This is not a new insight. We’ve been splitting ourselves into groups based on any and every available characteristic for millennia. Christianity does not erase our tribalism. But it should transform it—recreate it into something useful in service to God and others. At its best, our tribal instinct can help motivate us to love our neighbors well, to put down roots, and serve our communities in love. Read More

‘I Don’t Know How You Do It’: God’s Grace for Foster Parents

It’s not easy, but the Lord’s grace is sufficient. His strength is perfect to overcome every frustration and obstacle in foster care. Read More

How might your church serve foster children in some way? How might it minister to foster families and CPS workers?

When You Suddenly Realize the Pastor’s Sermon Is Missing Something

My wife was commenting on a sermon she heard recently. “It was a fine sermon in many respects. It called for the right kind of actions and spoke of the Holy Spirit. And then it hit me. Nowhere does this person’s preaching deal with the gospel, mention Calvary, or call for repentance.” Read More

5 Steps to Restore Your Staff Team to Full Health

Is your staff team a healthy team? How do you know? Read More

20 Bible Verses About Leadership: What Did Jesus Teach?

If you’re looking for advice on being a good leader you should start by reading Bible verses about leadership. There are many. Read More

Five Truths from 10 Years of Discipleship Research

Scott McConnell just celebrated ten years of leading LifeWay Research. We recently met to discuss all he has learned about discipleship, from a research vantage point, in his ten years of leading this important work. Here are five big truths from ten years of discipleship research.... Read More

Three Common Mistakes in Designing a Church Discipleship Strategy

As church leaders think about their overarching discipleship process, here are three common mistakes.... Read More

Paige Patterson Fired by Southwestern, Stripped of Retirement Benefits

New details of mishandled sexual abuse allegation lead to Southern Baptist seminary president emeritus losing honorary title and on-campus residence. Read More

Reaching and Revitalizing Rural America: Overcoming Misconceptions, and Answering the Call (Part 2)

In reality, rural America is in a perilous position — perhaps in greater danger of decay and decline than many cities.

Misconception #2: Idyllic Life

The second misconception is that rural America is doing fine, while the inner cities alone are in decline. Though the general population of rural communities is diverse, there are challenges that are increasingly pervasive and common among many of these people groups. This is due in part to national trends in population migration.

Over the past century, the U.S. has seen ongoing urbanization. In 1900, roughly 35 percent of the population lived in metropolitan areas. Today, that number is 86 percent. Urban sprawl has overtaken many formerly rural counties, transforming and reclassifying them. Fewer than 50 million people currently live in the 1,976 counties that remain classified as non-metro today, and the collective population within those counties is shrinking.

The result is a smaller American countryside comprised of slower-growing counties with a reduced and stagnant economic potential. Despite a resurgence of jobs and rising wages since the economic downturn of 2008, recovery in rural America is slower. In fact, rural employment rates remain below pre-recession levels. Read More

Rainer Report: Why Church Members Are Attending Less Frequently [Video]

Thom Rainer addresses two frequently heard questions in his travels around the country for LifeWay Christian Resources: "Why are church members attending less frequently?" "What we can do about it?" Watch Now

Study: America’s Greatest Gospel Opportunity Lives in Your House

It turns out that the vast majority of young people leaving the church have not done a deep intellectual study of truth claims and come up with a theological dissent with Christianity. Most simply think a life with Jesus doesn’t matter.

They don’t know our historic beliefs, and we haven’t done a good job of instructing them, introducing them to the person and call of Christ. Most seem to think Jesus’s role in their life is to make them better people and to help them live better lives. And if you think that, when you get into your 20s and 30s and life gets busier, church becomes irrelevant, and you attend less.

So we need to re-engage with those leaving, helping them meet Christ and understand what a life with him really means. Lots of data—and Scripture—supports this simple truth: When we teach the historic beliefs of the faith and challenge young people to live them and share them, they do! Read More

Irresistible Evangelism – A Review by Nivea Schnizler

A few months ago I came across a book in the Holsby Reading Lounge (formerly the Library), called Irresistible Evangelism (Sjogren, Ping & Pollock; Group Publishing, 2003). I started reading the book with the intention of giving a short report about it to a friend, but as I read it, I got excited about the content and had the desire of sharing it with you.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “evangelism”? Few people think of evangelism as something joyful and natural. Many see it as merely a Christian duty. But what if we would think of evangelism as “drawing people closer to the Father as we move toward him”? In my opinion, that definition destroys the pride and the burden that clings to the view of the saved trying to evangelize the lost, of the righteous trying to save the sinner.

WE ALL MOVE ALONG TOWARD GOD. WE ALL NEED HIM.

The authors even suggest that the word “evangelism” should be replaced by “discipleship”, because, after all, Jesus has commanded us to make disciples. Read More

11 Ways to Pray for Yourself Every Day

One of the key elements in prayer is petitioning, or praying for yourself. Some people shy away from such prayers, thinking that it violates humility and draws attention to themselves rather than God.

Yet, it’s absolutely biblical. In fact, Jesus petitioned the following the night before He was crucified: “Father…glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was” (John 17:5).

If Jesus needed to pray for Himself, then I certainly need to pray for myself. That said, ponder these eleven personal requests I’ve started bringing daily to God. Read More

Sharing Faith Is Increasingly Optional to Christians

When was the last time you had a conversation about God? For most people, the unfortunate and surprising answer to that question is not very often. Spiritual conversations are exceedingly rare for most Americans, and even for Christians, who are at best reluctant to have them.

In 1993, Barna partnered with Lutheran Hour Ministries to research reasons why people did and did not engage in intentional outreach. A lot has changed since that initial study, so 25 years later we asked follow-up questions to see if talk of faith has become labored in a culture that is more digital, secular and contested than ever. The resulting report, Spiritual Conversations in the Digital Age, is now available for purchase. Read More

Why Japan Wants Its Past Persecution of Christians to Be World Renowned

A dozen “hidden Christian” sites on verge of gaining UNESCO World Heritage status.

This month, a dozen Christian landmarks in Japan—where just 1 percent of the population claims Christ—have been officially recommended to be named World Heritage sites.

Spanning across the Nagasaki and Amakusa region, these sites represent places where believers during the Tokugawa shogunate (1630-1867) suffered the harshest persecution and martyrdom in the Asian nation’s history.

The list includes the Oura Cathedral in Nagasaki, which memorializes 17 Japanese Christians and 9 European priests who were crucified at the order of the ruler; Hara Castle in Minamishimabara, a battlefield during the uprising when Catholic rebels were massacred, their leader beheaded, and their faith banned; and other “hidden Christian” sites, where Christ-followers carried on their beliefs in secret for hundreds of years.

These landmarks, if granted recognition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) next month, would join 14 other cultural World Heritage sites in Japan and over 800 around the world. Read More

Western Europe’s Christians Are As Religious As America’s ‘Nones’

However, Pew researchers find Christianity across 15 countries is “not just a ‘nominal’ identity devoid of practical importance.”

Religiously unaffiliated Americans are, unsurprisingly, less likely than their Christian countrymen to attend church regularly or say religion is important in their lives. However, on several common measures, “nones” in the United States exhibit nearly equal levels of spirituality as self-identifying Christians in Western Europe.

A new study by the Pew Research Center, surveying more than 24,000 individuals across 15 countries in Western Europe on their religious beliefs and practices, reveal striking disconnects between Western Christians across the Atlantic.

Equally striking is how similarly religious nones in the United States and Christians in Western Europe match up.... Read More

Opinion: The Baptist Apocalypse

Among Trump-supporting religious believers, the long odds he overcame to win the presidency are often interpreted as a providential sign: Only God could have put Donald Trump in the White House, which means he must be there for some high and holy purpose.

The trouble with this theory is that it’s way too simplistic about what kind of surprises an interventionist deity might have in mind. Such a God might, for instance, offer political success as a temptation rather than a reward — or use an unexpected presidency not to save Americans but to chastise them.

We’re a long way from any final judgment on God’s purposes in the Trump era. But so far the Trump presidency has clearly been a kind of apocalypse — not (yet) in the “world-historical calamity” sense of the word, but in the original Greek meaning: an unveiling, an uncovering, an exposure of truths that had heretofore been hidden. Read More

This article brought to mind this passage from the New Testament: "Jesus said, 'Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates wheat from the husks'" (Luke 22:31, CEV).

Wednesday's Post: "Is the Church Being Taken Over by Success-Seeking Pastors?"

Is the Church Being Taken Over by Success-Seeking Pastors?

Some are recognizing a trend in the church toward focusing less on humility, weakness and sacrifice, and instead prioritizing triumph, power and boasting of success. Read More

Changing Our Posture Through Prayer

I just watched an online video of a pastor-friend calling for prayer and “a new posture” in the Southern Baptist Convention. I think this is an appropriate challenge to SBC pastors, as well as other tribes, because God has called us to walk in a posture of humility instead of a posture of pride. Read More

What Proverbs Teaches about Being Teachable

If there is any quality that helps in every area of life, it is being teachable. Teachable people don’t have to be the smartest to succeed—they seek to learn and grow in any and every situation. Being teachable is a foundational quality for everybody: workers, students, husbands and wives, and especially those in leadership roles. If you’re wondering how to grow in teachability, perhaps there’s no better place to turn than the Bible’s wisdom book. Read More

5 Ways Churches Can Support Foster Care

There are many things churches can do to support foster families. These ideas will help you build a vision for foster care. Read More

Lord, Deliver Us from Passive-Aggressive Conflicts

Every church has elephants in the narthex. Here are four ways to root them out. Read More

7 Common Traits of the Best Leaders I Ever Followed

Looking back...the best leaders I ever had shared some common traits. There were things, which set them apart from other leaders, helped them be successful, and caused me to take notice in them. Read More

Why All Christian Leaders Need Prayer Warriors

I’ve written it before, and I’ll say it again today: we need to pray for each other proactively, not just reactively; that is, we must pray for each other before the enemy wins. Every day, it becomes more apparent to me that all of us who lead in Christian work need prayer warriors intentionally praying for us. Here’s why.... Read More

Despite Disappointing Some, New Mark Manuscript Is Earliest Yet

Bible scholars have been waiting for the Gospel fragment’s publication for years. Read More

Tuesday's Catch: "Small Church Pastors: A Tribute To The Forgotten Heroes" and More

Small Church Pastors: A Tribute To The Forgotten Heroes

Is it possible that we have as much to learn from small church pastors as we have to teach them? Read More

7 Ways to Tell if Your Church Is Friendly

I don’t know a church that thinks they’re unfriendly. If you want to find out if your church really is friendly, try these strategies.... Read More

Legal Issues Facing Churches Today - Rainer on Leadership #436 [Podcast]

Legal expert and lawyer Josh Bryant joins Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe to discuss the five most important legal issues facing churches today. Listen Now

How to Empower Your Volunteers

Many senior pastors are hiring paid staff or handling tasks themselves that could effectively be delegated to qualified volunteers. Here’s how to adjust. Read More

Whatever Happened to Gifts of Language, Prophecy, and Healing?

Let’s ask the early church fathers. Read More

It’s Submission, Not Subjection

Tim Challies examines the difference between submission and subjection and why this difference matters. Read More

What to Do When You Meet a Beggar

A hand is outstretched before you. Do you put money in it or do you decline? Read More

Why ‘Gospel Appointments’ Are So Effective

You’ve probably heard of relational evangelism and initiative evangelism, but ‘gospel appointments’ blend the best of both. Read More

Reaching and Revitalizing Rural America: Overcoming Misconceptions, and Answering the Call (Part 1)

To paint any people with a broad brush is not to see them for who they truly are.

We live in a world of paradoxes.

As in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, it is the best of times and somehow also the worst of times. It appears to be the age of information and knowledge, yet proves to be an age of foolishness. It is an era of belief and a time of faithlessness, a season of light in a world of complete darkness, a spring of hope amidst the winter of despair. This seems to be the narrative of many churches in America, but especially in rural America.

The story of rural America is one of grit, resourcefulness, independence, craftsmanship, and sheer determination. It is the story of community, lifelong relationships and family bonds. This image holds a nostalgic place in many hearts.

Those who live in, or have spent significant time in, rural areas may have witnessed its endurance — the warm-heartedness of neighbors, the firmness of family values, the closeness of relationships and community. There are still examples of this today throughout rural America. It is a wonderful narrative to embrace and catalyze in ministry and mission, an ideal worthy of aspiration.

But it is not the full picture.

There is another story of rural America, and it is much more troubling. Read More

3 Things Millennials Aren’t Finding in Church

Yet another study shows that millennials are leaving the church in droves. The question that haunts me is “Why?”

I have a theory and it’s this…millennials (those born between the early ’80s and early 2000s) are yearning for purpose, community and authenticity. Unfortunately, they aren’t finding it in the typical church. It’s interesting that this is exactly what the early church provided.

“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.” Acts 4:31-35

Millennials are yearning for three things.... Read More

Related Posts:
Millennials leaving church in droves, study finds
Millennials Are Leaving the Church (But Maybe That's OK)
Dear Millennials, This is Why You Need the Church

Monday's Catch: "Why You Should 'Replant' Your Church Each Year" and More

Why You Should ‘Replant’ Your Church Each Year

If you could plant a new church with the same community, building, staff and people, what would you do differently? Read More

10 Church Growth Strategies That Cost Zero Dollars

Faced with a lack of resources, too many church leaders throw in the towel and believe growth isn’t possible. But that’s a fallacy. Vision always precedes resources. If you’re waiting for people and money to show up so you can get on with your mission, you’ll wait forever. So how do you start growing now, even with zero dollars? Here are 10 ways. Read More

Five Ways to Engage Your Community Through Existing Events

As a church leader, I understand that outreach events can be very taxing. The planning, advertising, and implantation can take a toll on you and your leadership team. One way to alleviate this stress is to engage through existing community events. At our church, we have stopped creating so many events and started engaging in existing ones. Read More

Caveat: If your church opts to design a t-shirt, make sure that the logo is simple and the name of your church is in large, easy-to-read print (NO Gothic, Old English, ancient Runes, and the like!) and that the members of the congregation are encouraged to wear the t-shirt in the community that your church is seeking to reach while shopping, doing volunteer work, attending community events, and so on - and NOT at home, in a community miles away, while doing the laundry or yard work! The t-shirt should also have the URL of church's website printed on it. Avoid the use of more than two colors. Use a bright color for the t-shirt and a dark, contrasting color for the logo and print or visa versa. Avoid colors that blur together. The Journey here in Murray, Kentucky has at various times in its existence purchased extra t-shirts and given them away to first-time and returning guests as well as to its regular attendees.

7 Signs Your Church Is (Finally) Reaching Unchurched People

When you see these 7 signs pop up in your church, you will know that you are finally (really) reaching the unchurched. Read More

Discipling Families in a Multi-Ethnic Lifestyle

You don’t have to know the best words for each situation. Sometimes simply how you pray—sad and heartbroken—might be all that is really needed. Simply acknowledging to God, in front of your children, that things aren’t as easy for our brothers and sisters of color can raise some great conversations. It sets the context for race conversations in our kids’ minds. After all, I’d much rather stumble through my words with them than trust society to do it for me. Read More

Your Best Years Are Not Behind You

God needs willing workers, not necessarily young ones. Read More

Memorial Day: For What Shall We Live?

Whether we wear a uniform or not, we all have sacrificial service to offer. Read More

Millennials, Women Driving LGBT Growth in US

The percentage of Americans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) continues to increase and is now at its highest point since Gallup began tracking the group in 2012. The increase has been driven almost totally by millennials Read More.

4 Steps To Start Moving From Teaching A Crowd To Equipping The Saints

Teaching requires two things: a competent instructor and receptive students. Equipping and discipling require much more.

So, my last blog post stirred up a lot more response than I expected.

In The Biggest Mistake Teaching Pastors Tend to Make – And How To Correct It, I encouraged pastors to move from being a teaching pastor to an equipping pastor, based on the Pastoral Prime Mandate of Ephesians 4:11-12.

But what I didn’t do, as pointed out by several readers, was give any ideas of how to do that – which was simply due to the limitations of time and space. That’s a lot of ground to cover in a short blog post.

To remedy that, here are a handful of previous posts that give you a few “how to’s”, (which I have also added to the end of the previous post).

• The Best Way To Avoid Pastor Burnout? Equip The Saints
• Mentoring Is Better than Curriculum: Seven Steps to Better Discipleship
• Five Simple Steps to Mentor New Believers (Without Overworking the Pastor)

And now, in today’s post I’ll lay out a simple (you might say simplistic – and you’d be right) breakdown of four essential elements we must do to move from being a teaching pastor to an equipping pastor.

This list is not exhaustive. That can’t be done in a single article, or even a single book, for that matter. But they can serve as a starting line for those who want to move beyond teaching into discipling. Read More

The Problem with Scapegoating the Next Generation

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

There is a common and disturbing trend today of scapegoating the next generation for the myriad of problems we see in the world. It looks something like this:

"This is the most entitled generation I've ever seen."
"In my day we didn't get trophies for participation. We had to earn rewards."
"Young people today are pampered too much."
"Most teenagers don't know the value of hard work and sacrifice."

No doubt there are aspects of recent generations that are disappointing. But, that can be said of every generation. For decades parents have pointed out the failings of their children. Most children have heard their parents say, "In my day we didn't do . . . " And, children have pointed out the failure of past generations to be relevant to the issues of the modern day. Most parents have heard their children say, "You just don't get it."

Here are four things to consider when scapegoating the next generation.... Read More

Here’s What You Need to Know About the Southern Baptist Divide

The headlines reveal there is a change underway in the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest protestant denomination.

Just about everyone involved agrees there is a schism to some degree among Southern Baptists leaders, but nailing down what is at the heart of the divide is harder to pin down. Read More

New to Ministry? 5 Things You Should Know and Do

Are you new to ministry? If so, there are some things that you should know and do.

So, to the new youth minister, children’s minister, associate minister, lead minister, etc., here are some things you should know. Read More

When You Are Insulted in Public

“…who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously….” (I Peter 2:23).

 Public speakers and entertainers know that hecklers can be their best friend. By their response to someone interrupting and insulting, a speaker can win over an audience. That is such a given that some comedians have been known to pay hecklers to attend their performances and ply their trade.

In his book Mud Hen in a Peacock Parade: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven, retired seminary professor Dan R. Crawford tells of a put-down he received in the most public of gatherings. Read More

5 Things Preachers Must Do With the Biblical Text in the Sermon

Okay, you’ve studied the biblical text. You’ve prayed through that process. You’ve taken notes. You understand the flow of the immediate text you’re preaching on and you understand the context it fits into. Now, it’s time to start thinking through the sermon writing process and how you’re going to present the biblical text in the sermon.

Here’s the question we’re going to examine: what are some things preachers must do in order to preach the biblical text well? When it all comes down to it, how we handle the biblical text is all that truly matters. If we have an amazing story to begin, but our preaching of the Bible passage is ‘meh’ then we’ve missed the mark by a mile.

For those of you familiar with the sticky sermon structure, we’re going to be working through the truth and application sections of the sermon.

So let’s dive in....Read More

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How to Structure a Sticky Sermon
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Decisions Are Emotional, Not Logical: The Neuroscience behind Decision Making
4 Tips for Compiling Everyday Sermon Illustrations
20 of the Best Sources for Sermon Illustrations
Have You Bought into These Common and Twisted Beliefs about God and Life
3 Simple Steps to Preach the Gospel No Matter the Passage

Tell Your Church What They Are

I recently met with a pastor who leads a thriving church in my area. He planted the church in 2003 and it has grown from three families to 2,500 people in attendance today. He spent an hour sharing a lot of fantastic insights about casting vision, setting direction, and bringing people along on mission to reach the community. I want to share with you one of the most valuable things he told me: Tell your church what they are. Read More

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image: preachingdonkey.com

How to Ditch Your Plan When You Feel God is Leading in a Different Direction

I recently preached a sermon where I felt God was leading me to change up the introduction entirely. This occurred to me minutes before I was about to preach. I sat on the front row during worship and it was clear to me – the plan I had for the sermon opening just didn’t fit. The direction I felt like God wanted me to go was to share a personal story of my dealings with sexual temptation as a teenager and into college. This was a risky proposition when completely extemporaneous, but I’ve told the story many times so I went with it.

This experience made me think about the best ways to ditch your plan when you feel like God is leading in a different direction with the sermon. Here are seven pointers to keep in mind.... Read More

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image: preachingdonkey.com

Should We Sing of God’s ‘Reckless Love’? [Podcast; Transcript]

“Reckless Love” — the mega-hit worship song. Its lyrics have reached millions and inspired over a dozen emails our way in the last month, like this one from Tim, a regular listener to the podcast. “Pastor John, hello! Over the past couple of months, I’ve been hearing the song ‘Reckless Love’ playing in churches and on the radio. One of the main lines in the chorus celebrates ‘the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.’ My question — is this a biblically and theologically correct way to describe God’s love? Is the term ‘reckless’ too reckless? I don’t want to sound judgmental, but every time I bring it up, I get called a Pharisee for focusing on just the one word rather than the message of the whole song. Just hoping you could shed some light because I truly believe that words matter, especially in songs of worship and praise.”

My response to this concern needs to be expressed to two different groups of people — pastors and lead worshipers, and the congregation. On the one hand, I’m lumping pastors and lead worshipers together as worship-service shapers, and the congregation as the other group. You have the shepherds to feed the flock with songs, and the sheep who are asked to savor the truth and the music that they’re being fed.

I have two words for the pastors and lead worshipers and something for the rest of us. Read Transcript or Listen to Podcast

What Happens When You Pray

Most Christians are familiar with what Christ has done on the cross and what Christ will do when he returns in glory. What may be less clear for some of us is the continuing work that Jesus is doing for us now.

The answer to that question is, Jesus Christ is interceding for us.

He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)

The word intercede means literally, to move or pass between.[1] It is to stand in the gap between two parties. This is what Jesus Christ is doing now! He stands in the gap between us and the Father, bringing us to the Father and holding us in relationship with him. He lives for this purpose! There is never a time when he is not actively engaged in this ministry on our behalf. It is his continuing work. Read More

Also See:
What Is a Praying Life?

7 Things Never to Say at a Funeral

Some of the most difficult moments of our lives are after the death of a loved one. Some of the most awkward moments are when we go to comfort friends after the death of their loved one.

Though we all are confronted with death and must deal with personal loss, we never seem to know what to say to someone else going through grief.

Sometimes, even if we have the best intentions, we can say something that is emotionally hurtful or theologically off-base.

Here are seven things to avoid saying at a funeral or to someone grieving the loss of a loved one. Read More

What Is the Church?

In the language of the Westminster Confession of Faith, the church comprises the “whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be, gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof” (25.1). This is otherwise known as the invisible church. In another sense, the church is the body of the faithful (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 2:21–22; Rev. 21:2, 9), consisting of those throughout the world who outwardly profess faith, together with their children (WCF 25.2). This is otherwise known as the visible church.

The Greek word that is translated as “church” in the Bible is ekklēsia. Conscious as we should be of the etymological fallacy (the idea that a word means what its composite root means), in this case it would seem to have merit. Thus, ekklēsia translates the Hebrew word qahal, the noun form meaning “assembly” or “congregation” and the verb essentially signifying “to call.”

Often in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word qahal is translated synagōgē. Common to both Hebrew and Greek words is the idea of assembling together before the Lord. Thus, the Bible translation of Paul’s day (the Septuagint) rendered Deuteronomy 4:10 (“assemble the people before me”) using the word ekklēsia — the gathering together of the Lord’s people as a covenant community before their covenant God.

Taking this etymological clue, we can expand what the word church in the New Testament means along three lines of thought.... Read More

A Concern with Chan’s Home Church Planting Model: A Gentle Call for Correction

A modern day  atrium

Recently, a variety of people have approached me to ask my opinion on the rising interest in multiplying home church models. While Francis Chan is not alone in advocating such a model, he is one of the most prominent voices pressing the agenda today. As an aside, Chan is a remarkable man whose vision and passion for the Lord challenges me to live more vibrantly for King Jesus. I’m deeply indebted to him on many levels, including the student lives I have the privilege of interacting with on a weekly basis. His transparent and passionate teachings coupled with the free resources he provides to the Christian community makes a tremendous difference. Nevertheless, I believe the absolute and idealistic nature in which his and other home church models are presented misrepresents the nature of what is happening in the New Testament.

Advocates of multiplying home church models consistently reference Acts and the Pauline Epistles. The argument is that in Acts the church was meeting in homes and Paul is speaking to churches gathered in homes. Thus, these texts are presented as the ideal for creating disciples in the modern context. Furthermore, it is often noted that Paul did not take years establishing bureaucratic structures and leadership. Rather, in quick fashion, he entrusted the church to others, and he commissioned them to pastor. The question that must be asked is whether these texts are given as prescriptive for us to follow today or descriptive of special circumstances in the establishment of the Christian Church. I believe it is the latter. Read More

In Jerusalem the early Christians in all likelihood gathered in the central courtyards of the larger houses or on their roofs. The central courtyard or roof were the usual places for activities which required light (see "Houses in Bible times.") Rooms opened off the central courtyard and were small and dark. The Acts of the Apostles tells us that Paul preached and taught in a variety of buildings and even outdoors. What we can glean from the early Church fathers and archaeological sites is that in better times the early Christians met in the homes of the wealthier members of the congregations - in all likelihood in the atrium, or central courtyard. The main difference between the Roman atrium and the Mid-Eastern central courtyard was that the atrium usually contained a rectangular pond. In times of intense persecution the early Christians also gathered in the catacombs which are underground cemeteries. When Christianity was legalized, they began to meet in basilicas, large public buildings. If anything can be said about the gathering places of the early Christians, it is that these places were determined by their circumstances.

The Dangerous Divide Between Theology and Practicality

The perpetual motion machine

In many corners of the church today, there’s an unhelpful and unhealthy division between theology and practical ministry. This division is damaging to both the discipline of theology and the practice of ministry because one without the other causes an imbalance.

Part of the cause of this division is the large number of theologically-minded people who spurn practicality as pragmatism. This can be seen as an overreaction to the Church Growth Movement of the 1980s.

Such critics rigorously decried a methodological mania as devoid of theological foundation. They took aim at folks in large, growing churches, accusing them of having only a modicum of theology accompanied by mountains of methodology.

Unfortunately, those theologically-minded people concerned with too much practicality, strategy, and leadership, threw the baby out with the bath water. Rather than looking for the proper place of practicality, strategy, and leadership, they found no place for it. Read More

image: Norman Rockwell

10 Leadership Statements That Have Inspired and Challenged Me

Yesterday I posted “10 Leadership Statements that Spell Trouble.” Today, I’m posting the opposite – leadership statements that have inspired and challenged me. All of these have come from leaders whose Christian walk and leadership ability have been models for me. These are just simple statements, but I’ve never forgotten them. Read More

However You Treat the Lord’s Pastors, He Takes Personally.

“Whoever receives you, receives Me. Whoever listens to you, listens to Me. Whoever rejects you, rejects Me.” (Matthew 10:40 and Luke 10:16)

Pastors are reluctant to preach this because it sounds self-serving. “People, the Lord in Heaven is taking note of how you treat me. Whatever you do to me, Jesus considers it the same as though you were doing it to Him.”

He’ll not be saying that.

So, I’ll say it for him. Because it’s true. Read More

5 Reasons I Read Authors With Whom I Disagree

As a much younger man, my then-pastor instructed we preacher boys (whom he called “Young Prophets”) on how to select books. There were some we should read and some we should not read; they were not worth the money to buy them. This was probably true enough, as far as it went. But, rather than teaching us discernment, it was more a straight prohibition.

For many years of my ministry I heeded this truth, staying with “safe” authors—read: primarily those from my tribe. Getting outside the tribe meant the Young Prophet needed a security clearance. I learned theology, practice, church growth, preaching, spirituality and principles for life and pastoring from an unofficial approved reading list.

It was years before I learned how that approach limited both my spiritual and intellectual growth. There are people within the bounds of orthodoxy who have come to some theological conclusions that are different than mine. Here’s why I ultimately started reading authors with whom I disagree on any number of these issues.... Read More

3 Things You Must Do With Every Point You Make In Your Sermons

You make points in every sermon you preach. You try to communicate at least one point. One idea. One bottom line. You may have one major point but a number of supporting points. The point is, you make points. Get the point? So, what do you do with every point you make? Is it enough just to say the words. “My main point is _________. Okay, let’s close in prayer.” Well, we both know that would be insufficient.

We have to do more than just say a point for it to stick. But how do we do this? How do we develop sticky points that land on people in powerful ways? I suggest doing at least three things with every point you make in your sermons. Using these as a base line allows you to do more if you’d like, but make sure you’re at least doing these three things.... Read More

Related Posts:
3 Things that Must be Clear Before your Sermon is Ready to Preach
4 Must Do’s of Using Illustrations
Why You Should Build Tension in Your Sermons
3 Ways to Give Application in Your Sermons

image: preachingdonkey.com

5 Distracting Physical Habits of Preachers - Part 1 of 2

Every preacher has physical tendencies that unintentionally distract the audience. Sometimes these are known by the preacher and other times they are ticks and habits that must be pointed out to be changed. Public speaking in any context, and especially in a church setting, engages your whole mind and body. This means speakers can easily find themselves neglecting to pay attention to their body language and physical habits because they have to remember what to say … and everyone is watching.

All of us could use some coaching in this area. When I look back through videos of my sermons I notice more distracting physical tendencies than I care to admit! But there is hope and we can all overcome these by knowing what they are and working to eliminate them.

I want to offer five common physical distractions I’ve observed in preachers over the years. I’ve also seen a good amount of these in my own preaching over the years and have sought to correct and eliminate them. This is why watching your game film is so important. I watch the video of every sermon I preach. This helps me see what others see when I preach and has proven invaluable to me as it helps me know what to improve. Read More

Related Posts:
How to Stop Using Throw Away Words in Sermons
Preach What You Practice – Why Rehearsing Is Essential To Great Sermon Delivery
Guest: Three Keys to Make Your Sermon Unforgettable

image: preachingdonkey.com

Did Jesus Demand We Kill His Enemies?

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says, “But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.” Whoa, that doesn’t sound like the meek and mild-mannered Jesus we know. Did He wake up on the wrong side of the bed? What’s going on?

When I teach on “Never Read a Bible Verse,” I often cite this passage because it’s a great example of how someone who reads (or hears) only a single Bible verse out of context can easily mistake its meaning.

This verse, though, is not a command of Christ. When you read it in context, you quickly realize that Jesus is telling a parable (a fictitious story) about a king whose subjects hate him. It’s the king in the story, not Jesus, who issues the order to kill his enemies. Read More

7 Actions For When You Can’t Respect the Leader

It’s not uncommon I receive a message from a staff member of another church struggling with the current leadership. (And, I’m not naive enough to believe other senior leaders have not received similar emails from our staff at times.) The question is usually how they can continue to be where they don’t support the vision and direction of the pastor. They want my advice on how to responding during this season of ministry.

This situation is obviously not unique to churches, but also happens frequently in other organizations. I don’t believe all hope is lost during times like this. An individual can continue to grow even with a leader he or she cannot respect – sometimes even more. Read More

Five Reasons God May Not Be Answering Your Prayers

In general, unanswered prayer is a tension we need to accept, allowing it to move us to deeper trust in God and greater persistence in prayer. But in specific cases, there are a host of reasons God might not be answering your prayer.

Here are five reasons God may not be answering your prayers. Read More

The Sin That Clings So Closely

Sin’s ensnaring grasp is much like being trapped in a cave. Its smothering power can feel overwhelming and inescapable. Joy, peace, and hope can be fleeting in the darkness.

Though Christ has overthrown sin’s power, we can give into temptation and allow sin to overthrow us. Our liberty can at times feel questionable as we struggle with our abiding sin. All believers struggle with sin generally, but most can identify a “besetting sin.” I’m referring to a unique area of weakness in which we are particularly susceptible to give in when tempted. It may be anger that feels uncontrollable or lust that seems unquenchable.

The daunting power of these sins feels inescapable. Yet God shines a promise into the ensnaring darkness. He pledges that there is a “way of escape, that [we] may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13). What is this way of escape? Read More

What We Can Learn from Reformation Worship and Liturgies

Reformation Worship: Liturgies from the Past for the Present is a resource of almost unparalleled richness in its field, representing an immense labor of love on the part of its editors and translators. It gathers together liturgies crafted by some of the leading figures in the Protestant Reformation and employed by them to aid worship in a wide variety of places and churches.

We owe an immense debt of gratitude to those who have participated in this project. They would, I feel sure, tell us that the best way we can repay that debt is to read carefully, to assess biblically, and then to reach down into the first principles of worship variously expressed in these liturgies from the past, and apply them wisely and sensitively in our worship in the present. This can only lead to a new reformation of the worship of God the Trinity.

Such access to the Father through the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit can alone help the congregations of God’s people, in the place and time they occupy, to worship with renewed mind, transformed affections, and holy joy. Read More

Also See:
Review: Reformation Worship: Liturgies From the Past For The Present (Update)

Why Dying Churches Blame Everyone But Themselves - Revitalize & Replant #042 [Podcast]

There is plenty of blame to go around in dying churches. Unfortunately, they rarely look in the mirror and instead blame others. Today Thom Rainer, Mark Clifton, and Jonathan Howe discuss why that is wrong and how to combat it. Listen Now

The Wretched Art of Loveless Discernment

Christians are called to speak the truth (Eph 4:15). It is no surprise, therefore, that our enemy’s preferred tactic is deception (Rev 12:9). Consequently, because of this war between truth and deception, believers are called to exercise discernment—to be vigilant in dividing truth from error (Acts 17:11; Jude 3).

Tragically, the modern church often neglects this essential duty to contend for the truth. Even worse, professing Christians often scorn attempts at discernment as uncharitable and judgmental, subsequently dismissing it all together. This is one reason why those of us who practice discernment must be vigilant to not embody what the scoffers accuse us of. As we contend for right doctrine, we must take care to adorn it with right attitudes and behavior (Titus 2:10).

But isn’t that the exact opposite of what we see today among self-described discerners? For some Christians, what begins with a healthy interest in discernment can end in an unhealthy addiction to gossip and debate. Many of them manifest a cruelty in how they go about condemning error. There’s an almost giddiness when they get to call someone “false teacher” and a haughty attitude of superiority. These things ought not be so. Read More