Thursday, October 31, 2019

Reformation Day-All Hallows Eve Special Edition


Your Church is a Lampstand

The book of Revelation gives us several beautiful, and often overlooked, pictures of the church. The reason these pictures are often missed has to do with interpretive approaches to Revelation that project the book’s symbolism onto the future rather than anchoring it in the Old Testament, where it originates. Another common interpretive fallacy is to view the book as all or mostly dealing with the future and ignoring the fact that it speaks about the church and to the church in all ages. In this series of articles, we are looking at a number of these pictures with the hope that we will grasp some profound truths about the church. Since the images of Revelation come from God, we need to remind ourselves that this is how He sees the church. Our view from earth is often quite different. It is good to get our perspective re-oriented! Read More

What An Expert on Sexual Abuse Says About Sleepovers

In Protecting Children from Predators Beth Robinson offers good advice to parents whose child has been invited to a sleepover at a friend's home. Read More
Even the homes of grandparents, aunts, and uncles may not be a safe environment for a child for a sleepover. Children are most often sexually abused by someone whom they know and whom they trust. This includes members of their extended family.
Reformation: Can the Roman Catholic Gospel Get You into Heaven?

This Reformation season, let’s look objectively at a critical question. Can anyone get to heaven through the Roman Catholic gospel? If so, how? If not, why not? Read More

Modern Medieval Protestants: Why We (Still) Need the Doctrine of Justification

At its core, the Reformation was a sharp turn from the sinner to the Savior. Turning back toward ourselves and away from Christ is the perennial temptation of our sinful condition, even as Christians. Read More

3 Dangers of (Merely) Messy Christianity

If we’re not careful, a merely messy Christianity fails to do justice to a biblical view of the Christian life in at least three ways. Read More

The Reformation’s African Roots

It’s stunning how well-represented Africa is in many Reformation confessional texts. It’s myopic, then, to think of the Reformation apart from the influence of African theologians. Read More

5 Myths about the Reformation

What is the best way Protestants today should look back on the Reformation? Should we think of it more like a happy birth or an ugly divorce? Wisdom favors a balanced attitude that can appreciate the gains achieved by the Reformation while accurately appraising its context and goals. To this end, here are five myths about the Reformation that we should avoid. Read More

How to Gain Trust Before Leading Change in Your Ministry

Leaders must earn their followers’ trust before asking them to undertake major change. Followers must trust their leaders in proportion to the change being proposed before they will take the risks needed to get it done. Leaders gain trust in two primary ways: sacrificial service and demonstrated competence. Both rest on a foundation of character qualities like integrity and transparency. Read More

Equipping Younger Leaders to Reach the Next Generation

It’s time to stop complaining and start investing in the next generation. Read More

8 Reasons Leaders Should Be Fasting

Nobody talked to me about fasting until I was in my first pastorate. The fact that many of us have never learned about or emphasized fasting, though, is not positive. Here are some reasons why church leaders ought to be fasting.... Read More

The Quiet Habits That Aid Our Spiritual Growth

Spiritual habits shape our desires as they condition us to follow Christ. Read More

Lord, We Don’t Know What We Should Be Asking of You

For anyone who struggles to pray, Pete Greig’s new book offers an easy and approachable guide. Read More

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