The Necessity of Prayer in Sermon Prep

Think for a moment about preaching. In that moment a man walks up to a pulpit, opens his Bible, and begins to speak. He is standing before the congregation and endeavoring to speak to them on behalf of God. He is not giving new words from God but declaring what God has already said and pressing home the implications today. For most, it’s difficult enough to speak in front of people, but how much more to do so on God’s behalf? But it’s not simply the presence of the people gathered and the content of what is said that can make a preacher’s knees knock. The fact is, God himself is there. The shadow from the King’s scepter casts an unmoving shadow upon the pulpit. God, the glorious King, is there. Sobering stuff indeed.

Little wonder then that preachers ask for prayer when they preach. Feeling the weight of the task of speaking Christ in the sight of God any honest person would likely assert their own inadequacy (2 Cor. 2:16-17). O, how we need prayer.

There is a tendency though, while feeling the weight of preaching, to forget our need for help in preparation. Most preachers I know spend about 10 to 15 hours a week in sermon preparation in order to preach for 30 to 45 minutes. This means our preaching is about 5 percent of our preparation. This is a lot of work on the cutting board before serving up the plate. And the preparation is so important. We linger long over the text: meditating upon it, carefully exegeting it, discerning the author’s intention, wrestling through interpretation, and considering how it applies in our context. This work is as vital to the sermon as preparing food is to a good meal. We simply cannot overstate the importance and necessity of faithful, diligent study.

Do we give our study proportional prayer? I often hear ministers ask for prayer for their preaching, but rarely do I hear requests for their study. I am guilty of doing this very thing. Furthermore, we tend to weight our own prayer for the sermon towards the delivery of it. Why do we do this? As I consider this a few reasons come to mind. Read More

What Is the Regulative Principle of Worship?

One aspect that distinguished the Reformed churches from their co-Protestant Lutheran churches was their zeal to engage in the worship of God only on the basis of what the Word of God commanded or implicitly required. To adapt Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” the Reformers believed that worship is of God, by God, and for God. For the Reformed, this meant that all unbiblical ceremonies were abolished for public worship. In fact, Calvin was so adamant about this point that he said the entire project of the Protestant Reformation was about worshiping God in a way that was pleasing to Him. This point even led the great English matriarch, Queen Elizabeth I (1533–1603), to describe the Reformed churches on the continent of Europe as “more reformed” than the Lutheran churches. Read More

4 Ways to Be a Light of the World … on Social Media

Can we reclaim social media? Can we redeem the opportunity we have at our disposal? Read More

9 Risks of Not Teaching about Spiritual Warfare

When I first started teaching about spiritual warfare more than 20 years ago, few evangelicals were tackling this topic. More churches do now, but many are still afraid of the topic. When we don’t talk about this subject, here are some possible consequences.... Read More

Three Church-Planting Practices That Need To Die

Humility in community for the glory of God

Over the years, I’ve seen lots of great church-planting practices, and many not-so-great ones. Too many churches open and then close too often because instead of looking to God, they were looking to themselves. Even more unfortunate is the fact that many church plants continue to exist but are like an enclave for the small community of people who attend. It’s like the community could care less that the church exists.

We must always ask ourselves: What difference does my church plant make in this community and in the world?

It’s a significant question that will take lots of prayer and a good plan. As you consider this, let me share three church-planting practices that need to die if we are to begin and sustain church plants that glorify God and keep us on mission with Him. Read More

10 Things You Should Know about Revival

Revival, both personal and corporate, is something about which the Bible often speaks and something all of us should desire. So, as we turn our attention to ten things everyone should know about revival, may these biblical prayers be in our hearts and on our lips.... Read More

4 Serious Temptations All Pastors Face

It’s troubling to see a gifted and talented leader give up a lifetime of ministry for a moment of temptation. We all face temptation, and saying no is not always easy. None of us as leaders will escape this challenge. But how you handle your temptation will determine, to a great degree, the effectiveness and longevity of your ministry.

James 4:7-8 helps us know what to do:

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.

Let’s begin with three important questions.... Read More

7 Ways to Deliver Constructive Criticism

Which Actually Gets Heard...

There are times where someone needs to offer constructive criticism. In fact, the best leaders and the best organizations are made better by learning to receive, process and respond to criticism. No one particularly likes criticism, but when it is offered properly it can actually improve life for everyone – which is why we call it constructive.

You see things others don’t see. You have experiences others don’t have. As a leader, I personally value healthy criticism, even when it is initially hard to hear.

If you often have a hard time determining when criticism is constructive and when it is simply selfish try reading THIS POST.

The problem is often getting needed criticism heard. Working with dozens of leaders each year, I can testify much of the criticism received is never taken as seriously as it probably should be.

We all know there are times someone shares criticism simply to “blow off steam”. They are angry and want to express their displeasure. Some people are only known for their criticism. Some people share criticism simply out of selfishness – considering no one else in their complaint. In my experience, when it is determined one of these is the case, the criticism received is rarely considered as useful or valued by leaders.

How do you keep criticism which may be helpful – even constructive – from being drowned out by a perception that it is non-helpful criticism? Read More

How to Renew Evangelistic Growth in Your Church - Rainer on Leadership #292

In my trends for 2017, I mentioned an increased intentionality on evangelism in the church. Today, we look at five keys to evangelistic growth in your church.

Some highlights from today’s episode include.... Listen Now

Build a Rescue Ship, Not a Luxury Liner

In Long Beach, California, you can visit the Queen Mary, a ship that’s been turned into a museum. It was originally launched as the ultimate luxury cruise liner of its time. But during World War II, it was commandeered to carry troops back and forth in battle. You can go onto the ship now and see examples of both setups: When it was a luxury liner, it accommodated 3,000 people with every possible convenience; in wartime, however, it was refitted to house 15,000 people. Rooms that once slept one couple could now hold eight soldiers.

Wartime and peacetime demand different things. The same is true for us.

In his farewell message to the church leaders in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul shares with them the values he’s lived by, values that give us crucial insight into how the Holy Spirit wants all believers to think about their lives. Read More

5 Things The Seeker Movement Got Right

Actually, these are more like five “right ideas” or five “right tracks” the “seeker sensitive” church growth movement started down before it veered hard into a fuller blown consumerism and became the attractional church. The yes, but's will be a reflex for many readers (as they are for me), and I have tried to anticipate them in my explanations, but for the most part, this really is a post about some good gifts the seeker church of yesteryear has given contemporary evangelicalism. Read More

Six Statements That Can Kill a Church

Words can kill.

Words can kill churches because they often have deadly actions behind them. As we begin this new year, please allow me to share six statements that I have heard from church members whose churches have died.

Please hear that last statement again: These are statements from church members whose churches have already closed their doors. I am convinced these statements were major contributors to the churches’ demise. Read More

5 Ways Judgmental Christians Are Killing Your Church

Judged anyone lately?

Sadly, the answer for most of us (including me) is… yes.

From the guy who cut you off in traffic, to the off-beat person who’s not picking up the social cues you’re sending, to your weed-smoking neighbour… it’s so easy to judge. And judgment just gets worse from there. It’s the basis of racism, sexism and almost every other ‘ism’ you can think of.

It’s also fundamentally incompatible with authentic Christian faith.

Jesus said Christians should be known for how deeply we love. Yet studies show that in the eyes of many non-Christians, we’re known for how deeply we judge, not for how deeply we love. Read More

3 Insensitive Lies the Church Believes About Mental Health

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 adults in America experiences mental illness in any given year, and 1 in 25 adults experiences a serious mental illness that impedes day-to-day activities. With statistics like these, the call for our attention is great.

As a Christian who is also a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist, I recognize the connection between faith, mental health and how we relate to one another. Whether the struggle is our own or that of a family member or friend, the effects mental illness can be devastating and isolating.

It seems that if someone receives a physical or medical diagnosis, there is great concern and empathy without question—however, the same is not true for a mental-health diagnosis. Somehow there are assumptions that, “It’s all in their head,” or, “They’re just being dramatic,” or, “That’s an excuse for ....”

Each of these statements is hurtful, and the ones saying them fail to understand that the same way a person recently diagnosed with or battling cancer, diabetes, etc. needs and appreciates kind words and gestures, the individual recently diagnosed or dealing with a chronic mental illness needs and desires the same. As the church, we should make ourselves available to and for the purpose of loving people where they are while allowing God to draw them closer.

An understanding of these three statements can help the body of Christ be sensitive to the mental and emotional needs of its members. Read More

3 Simple Words That Can Help Your Sermons Stick

A simple practice every pastor can do on Monday that can help last weekend's message have the impact you want.

Impact.

It’s what every pastor wants from our Sunday sermons (or talks, messages, homilies – take your pick).

We want to have impact. We want the message to stick. We want the words we speak to help people follow Jesus more closely. Preaching God’s Word is supposed to help people live better lives Monday through Saturday.

A few years ago I had one of those “aha” moments in which I realized that despite all the work, prayer and study to prepare my Sunday messages, there was one step I was missing that could really make them stick.

And that step can be stated in three simple words. Read More

Towards Missional Effectiveness: Analogizing and Applying Missional Effectiveness (Part 7)

Yo-Yos, newer churches, and established churches

Missional effectiveness begins with a biblical understanding of the message and movement of the missio Dei, which hopefully leads a church to become a missional people who embrace a missional posture and who enact a missional program.

So, how does this series about missional effectiveness apply to the local church today? My goal in this post is to answer this question with an analogy and application. Read More

A Tribute to Mike Ovey (1958-2017)

Lee Gatiss looks at the life and work of Mike Ovey, former Principal of Oak Hill College, who died at the weekend.

It was with great sadness that I learned of the sudden and unexpected death of Mike Ovey on Saturday evening. I was privileged to know Mike for about 20 years, and he was greatly respected as a member of the Church Society council and as Chairman of the Churchman editorial board. Personal tributes and testimonies to his impact on a generation of theological students and ministers have been springing up all over social media. He has gone to be with Christ, which is better by far, after a life spent fruitfully in his service. Read More 

Photo credit: Lee Gatiss

10 Questions to Ask at the Start of a New Year

Consider the Direction of Your Life

Once, when the people of God had become careless in their relationship with him, the Lord rebuked them through the prophet Haggai. “Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1:5) he declared, urging them to reflect on some of the things happening to them, and to evaluate their slipshod spirituality in light of what God had told them.

Even those most faithful to God occasionally need to pause and think about the direction of their lives. It’s so easy to bump along from one busy week to another without ever stopping to ponder where we’re going and where we should be going.

The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God. Read More

5 Ways To Beat The Winter Blues

There is not much to recommend an English January and February in my opinion. If I could migrate to sunnier climes for the winter I would. Although the days are technically longer after December 21st, light is trapped behind concrete skies and night creeps upon us without fanfare. The air is chilled but not cold enough to be bracing; our skin takes on a pallid, sickly hue and our Christmas cheer has been long-exhausted, leaving us grimly polite to strangers on the bus and snappish with our loved ones. As someone who struggles to keep the blues at bay at the best of times, winter makes it even harder for me. If you can relate, maybe some of these strategies I've developed over the years will help. Read More

Saturday Lagniappe: "3 Reasons to Focus on Leadership Growth, Not Change" and More

3 Reasons to Focus on Leadership Growth, Not Change

At the start of a new year many people talk about ways in which they hope to change in the coming months. But for effective leaders the focus should not be on what they want to change, but on ways they want to grow. The difference might sound subtle, but in fact it is an important and significant difference. Read More

3 Ways a Good Assistant Helps a Leader

Renee, my assistant, was my first hire after getting to Phoenix. She has served me, my family, and our church so well that it is difficult to capture it all in one article. Brian Howard’s article on how to hire the right assistant served me well in hiring Renee, so I won’t spend time here on that topic. Rather, I want to communicate how helpful a good assistant, like Renee, actually is, and hopefully encourage you to get one as soon as you can. Here are three ways Renee has served us so well. Read More

How to Set Annual Goals with Your Church Staff

This month, I will sit down with each staff person at West Bradenton and work through a list of goals for 2017. The meetings will be mundane and unemotional, but completely necessary. Without these goals, the pathway through the year lacks clarity, like a group of people navigating a trip with unstated directions in their heads and no agreed upon route to a particular destination. That’s how horror movies begin. Read More

The Question We Must Ask About Everything

Every book, every sermon, every blog, and every new idea post must answer one question. It is the question I keep in mind as I write each of these posts and the one I used to ask when I evaluated manuscripts for publication. It’s the one I ask when a new strategy gets proposed at work. It’s the question I ask every Sunday morning at church and every time I delve into a new book or blog post. Read More

7 Writing Tips from Charles Spurgeon

Here are seven writing tips taken from his life for aspiring writers. Read More

Free Bible Reading Plans from Crossway

It’s not uncommon...for new believers and older saints alike to need some recommendations for how to structure daily time in the Bible. Read More

5 Ways to Help Teenagers Live Out God’s Purposes

The most fundamental question that teenagers in your community will ever wrestle with is, “Why am I here?” Read More

Teach Them: The Seriousness of Sin

As parents, we need to remember that the problem of sin in the heart is the most important thing young ones need to learn. That message should be worded in very simple terms for young children. Read More

5 Takeaways From Pew Research Center’s 2016 Social Media Update

Back in November, the Pew Research Center released its Social Media Update 2016 report and, yes, I am only now getting around to reading it and writing about it. Life happens. The data published in the report is interesting, but not at all surprising. Here are five key takeaways I grabbed from the data so you don’t have to dig through it if you don’t want to.... Read More

What We Need to Learn from the Early Church

Many say that Christians who maintain the historic, traditional doctrines are behind the times, are too exclusive, and are “on the wrong side of history.”

Two recent books that cast doubt on this view are from historian and biblical scholar Larry Hurtado: Destroyer of the Gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World and Why on Earth Did Anyone Become a Christian in the First Three Centuries?.

The earliest Christians were widely ridiculed, especially by cultural elites, were excluded from circles of influence and business, and were often persecuted and put to death. Hurtado says Roman authorities were uniquely hostile to them, compared to other religious groups.

Why? It was expected that people would have their own gods, but that they’d be willing to show honor to all other gods as well. Nearly every home, every city, every professional guild—including the empire itself—each had its own gods. You couldn’t even go to a meal in a large home or to a public event without being expected to do some ritual to honor the gods of that particular group or place. To not do so was highly insulting, at the least to the house or community. It was also dangerous, since it was thought that such behavior could elicit the anger of the gods. Indeed, it was seen as treason to not honor the gods of the empire, on whose divine authority its legitimacy was based.

Christians, however, saw these rituals and tributes as idolatry. They were committed to worship their God exclusively. While the Jews had the same view, they were generally tolerated since they were a distinct racial group, and their peculiarity was seen as a function of their ethnicity. Yet Christianity spread through all ethnic groups, and most believers were former pagans who suddenly, after conversion, refused to honor the other gods. This refusal created huge social problems, making it disruptive and impossible for Christians to be accepted into most public gatherings. If a family member or a servant became a Christian, they suddenly refused to honor the household’s gods.

Christianity’s spread was seen as subversive to the social order—a threat to the culture’s way of life. Followers of Jesus were thought to be too exclusive to be good citizens. Read More

Are You a Small Church Pastor? So Was Jesus

If you pastor a small church Jesus knows what you're going through, because he felt it, too.

Jesus was a small church pastor.

Every time I say that, people rush to remind me that massive crowds followed Jesus. Which, of course, is true.

It’s also true that Jesus is the founder, the savior, the builder and sustainer of the Church – all believers at all times and in all places. And, starting with 3,000 on the Day of Pentecost, that’s never been small.

But Jesus also had a very pastoral relationship with a specific group of people that, by virtually any definition, we would call a small church. Read More

Plow Around that Stump

“Plow around that stump, brother.”

I’ll never forget that advice. And, strangely enough, it didn’t come from a farmer. It came from another pastor.

I was just starting out in ministry and I wanted to make a few changes at the church where I was serving. The only problem was that I didn’t know how to bring about those changes. So I did what any wise young pastor would do.

I Googled it.

Just kidding.

I think.

Actually, I called up someone older and more experienced than me. He gave me some good wisdom. When I asked him about changing one of the sacred cows in the church, that’s when he told me to plow around that stump. And make no mistake, most churches have sacred cows. Ask key leaders what those sacred cows are and they’ll say, “We don’t have any.” But try to make the Silver Senior Sunday School Class trade rooms with the Kidz Xtreme class and you’ll find out real quick about those sacred cows.

Any pastor seeking to address any form of change in pretty much any church will have a few sacred cows to deal with. These sacred cows are even more plentiful in rural Bible Belt churches. Leading change in a small, rural church can be a difficult process.

Here are three challenges you are likely to face. Read More

Why You Should Consider Living Near Your Church

I love the universal church, which includes all believers everywhere. But over the years I’ve become firmly convinced that the local church is ground zero for worship, formation, witness, and service. Local churches are contextual expressions of the one body of Christ. The church is the people, not the building. To use old-fashioned Baptist language, the church building is the meetinghouse. Wherever the people are, there the church is. On the Lord’s Day, and perhaps other times, we’re the church gathered. When we leave the meetinghouse and head out into the world as individual disciples, we’re the church scattered.

For most of us, it’s easier to be a meaningful part of the church gathered—and to partner with the rest of the church scattered—when we live in the same community where our church’s building is located. I believe it’s ideal to live near your church’s gathering place for the kingdom’s sake. Read More

Is It The Job Of Christians To Change The World?

One of the most significant and talked about books of the last decade in the evangelical Christian world is James Davison Hunter's To Change The World. In it, Hunter, an eminent sociologist, analyses the strategies used by various Christian groups in their attempts to 'change the world'.

His critique of the models employed by different groups and individuals is well worth reading. He undercuts the whole idea of trying to change the world, calling instead for "faithful presence". He describes this as our calling: "it is not rooted in a desire to change the world for the better but rather... it is an expression of a desire to honor the creator of all goodness, beauty, and truth, a manifestation of our loving obedience to God, and a fulfillment of God's command to love our neighbor." In other words, Christians shouldn't be obsessed with changing the world as their main aim, they should aim to be a faithful presence in every area of society, which will then have the effect of producing what Hunter calls "benevolent consequences of our engagement".

It's not uncontroversial, of course. How could it be, when Hunter takes aim at many of the 'big names' of American evangelicalism? But it raises an important question: is it our job to change the world? Read More

Should Christians Give Up Meat to Save the World?

There are certain admissions that are always guaranteed to get a reaction when you're forced to make them in company...

You don't like Taylor Swift?? Astonishing... You prefer the Stones to The Beatles?? Have you even got ears?... You don't really like Star Wars?? Are you feeling OK?

For the record I think Taylor is alright, prefer the Beatles and can take or leave Star Wars. My own personal dynamite admission though, is coming out as vegetarian. Even though in the US, UK and elsewhere in the West it's now a well-established phenomenon, still according to the Vegetarian Society, only two per cent of us are actually committed non-meat munchers.

This means that there are plenty of people who don't know many, or even any veggies. So when it comes up in conversation that I haven't eaten meat for 27 years there are a few standard responses. Read More

I have been a vegetarian for more than 30 years and a vegan, or strict vegetarian, for a good part of the time. For Christians wishing to explore a vegetarian lifestyle, I recommend Is God a Vegetarian? Christianity, Vegetarianism, and Animal Rights, by Richard Alan Young, professor of New Testament studies at Temple Baptist Seminary.

9 Things You Should Know About J. R. R. Tolkien

Farmer Giles of Ham

This week marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of J. R. R. Tolkien. Here are nine things you should know about the father of modern fantasy literature:

1. John Ronald Reul Tolkien was born in Bloem-fontein, South Africa, on January 3, 1892. The Tolkien family moved back to England three years later, when J. R. R.’s father took ill. J. R. R.’s father died when he was 4 years old, and his mother died when he was 12. After that, he and his brother were left in the care of Father Francis Morgan, a Catholic priest.

2. After graduating from Oxford University in 1915, Tolkien joined the British Army to fight in World War I. In his first year of service he took part in the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles in human history, where more than 1 million men were killed or wounded, including many of Tolkien’s friends. “By 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead,” he would later write. As biographer Bradley J. Birzer says, “Though he spent less than a year in the war, if affected him deeply. Tolkien had lost several of his closest friends, and their loss, he believed, gave him an even greater duty to carry on their jointly conceived project, which was to do God’s will in the world.” Read More

On the Net: "9 Better Reasons to Leave a Church"

9 Better Reasons to Leave a Church

Earlier this week, I posted 11 “weak” reasons to leave a church. I know, though, that there are legitimate reasons for leaving one. Here are some of those.... Read More

4 Reasons Attending Church Is a Must

Here are four powerful reasons you should attend church weekly, and why church attendance can change your life. Read More

Viewpoint: Inevitable Side Effects of a Church Growth Ministry Model

When a church becomes preoccupied with "body growth" it becomes susceptible to a temptation to employ "cultural steroid enhancement." But the inevitable side effects are soon manifested- worship becomes entertainment, discipleship becomes therapy, evangelism becomes self-esteem and the Gospel becomes a self-help prosperity message. Like biological steroids, cultural steroids work--for a while. The church grows numerically and is applauded culturally while dying spiritually. Read More

Do You Lead Leaders or Lead Followers?

In my leadership experience there are two kinds of leaders. There are those who are willing to lead leaders and those who will only lead followers. Read More

The Top 10 Scriptures on God’s Mission

I recently asked this question on Twitter: ‘What are the key passages or texts that speak of God’s people being on mission? Read More

Towards Missional Effectiveness: The Mark of Multiplication (Part 6)

Go where people are, make disciples, plant churches. Read More

Fact Check: Episcopal News Service

Episcopalians have the right to reorganize themselves into a new entity and continue their affiliation with the national church. But the article makes statements up front that are not in accord with the church’s own self-reported statistics. Read More

The Anglican Church in North America has also not been forthright in statements about its growth. Indeed the problem of inaccurate, misleading, or false statements about the state of the jurisdiction is one that besets a number of North American Anglican entities with jurisdictional officials seeking to conceal the stagnation and decline of their jurisdictions from remaining members. The Continuing Anglican movement has not flourished in North America. Neither has its predecessors--the Reformed Episcopal Church and the Anglican Orthodox Church. It is not too late to investigate the causes of its lack of growth, particularly with attention to conditions affecting local Continuing Anglican churches, and to take realistic steps to help such churches to address specific impediments to their growth and to become a vibrant witness to authentic historic Anglicanism in the 21st century.

Where God is Calling You

Very often when people talk about calling, they try to remove human autonomy from the equation. They imagine that our desires, our concerns, our passions and talents are irrelevant.

But the fact that our loving Father has called us should not negate the freedom we have to make choices.

There is nothing in Christian faith to encourage the resigned acceptance of fate. Que sera, sera— “whatever will be, will be”— might be an old favorite song, but it is not the basis of our callings. Something much more liberating, exciting, and fulfilling lies ahead when we seriously seek the call of God in our lives. Read More

3 Ways We Shortcut the Holy Spirit

The early church moved forward thanks to the unmistakable work of the Spirit of God in the lives of both the old and new disciples of Jesus. What we find here is not just a historical accounting of the birth of the Christian movement; we find here a lasting testimony of how dramatically and quickly the Holy Spirit can change a person – and a church – to their very core. This same Spirit that worked so dramatically at Pentecost is alive and well and working today. In these verses, we see a group of people freely embracing His work. And while we still see many across the world embracing the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives today, we also see many who undercut that work.

We see here what happens when the work of the Spirit is embraced, but what happens when it’s not? What does is look like when the Spirit is moving, and yet we do not accept what He’s doing in our lives or our congregations? What are some of the ways we might undercut the Spirit’s work so that we don’t have to actually own up to our own sin and truly repent? I’d suggest three ways we might do this, even now.... Read More

Why The Search For A Church That Meets Your Needs Is Futile

Any church leader who’s been in ministry for more than a few months has heard different variations of it:

I’m looking for a church that meets my needs.

What are you going to do to better meet my needs?

I’m leaving this church to find one that better suits my needs.

The longer a Christian has been in church, the more likely it is that they’ve uttered a phrase or two like this from time to time.

I’m not against changing churches. I think everyone has one or maybe two church changes in them. Leaders change. The effectiveness of churches can vary in different seasons. And occasionally a church is downright toxic. I get that.

One or two church changes (when living in the same community) is understandable. And it’s completely different from serial church shopping, which for reasons I outline in this post, is a colossally bad phenomenon.

The problem is deeper, though, than changing churches (as big a decision as that is). It’s about the purpose of the quest. Should the criteria of a church meeting your needs be the reason you change churches? Well, what if the church was never intended to meet your needs? What if the furthest thing from God’s mind when he created the church was to meet your needs?

Here are 5 reasons why I believe trying to find a church that meets your needs is futile. Read More

Am I Holy Enough to Take Communion?

Welcome back to the Ask Pastor John podcast. Pastor John, as you know, Scripture gives us pretty clear prohibitions around the Lord’s Table. And, given these parameters and the stern warning passages of the New Testament, a listener named Reuben writes in to ask this: “Pastor John, how do I know if I’m holy enough for Holy Communion? Under what circumstances would a professing Christian not participate in the Lord’s Table?”

Let me suggest three answers or three kinds of answer based on three different passages. Read More

Five Ways a Church Can Use Social Media When Weather Threatens

As I write this article, a potentially disruptive snowstorm is headed toward the southeast United States. Unlike some parts of the country, the South does not handle winter weather well.

At all.

We panic. We cancel everything, and then load up Instagram and Facebook with snow pictures.

However, there are times when (and places where) life must go on regardless of the weather—winter or not. This is yet another reason why social media can be such an incredible tool for churches—when weather threatens, social media can help your church respond. Here are five guidelines for using social media to keep your members informed during severe weather.... Read More

Towards Missional Effectiveness: The Mark of Sentness (Part 5)

God’s mission involves sending. But what does God send His people to do?

The Missional Mark of Sentness Explained and Exemplified

God’s mission has a dual movement—it moves centripetally and centrifugally. Thus, God’s mission isn’t static—it’s active.

One of the active characteristics of God’s mission is the notion of sentness. God establishes this pattern early in redemptive history. He goes to Adam and Eve, sends Abraham to the Promised Land, Moses to Egypt, Jonah to the Ninevites, Israel to Babylon, Jesus to the world, the Spirit to the Church, and the Church to the nations.

Clearly, God’s mission involves sending. But what does God send His people to do? Taking into account passages such as Genesis 1–2, Genesis 12:1–3, Jeremiah 29:1–7, Matthew 5:13–16, and Jesus’ sentness, the missional community of God is sent in the world to do at least two things. Read More

What to Do When Legalists Hold Back the Mission

Every great movement of God invites a challenge from sinful people. I wrote about this recently in a post entitled How to Stop a Church from Growing, and Pastor Titus S. Olorunnisola, who is planting Bethel Gospel Centre near Melbourne, Australia, asked the magic question: How, then, do we handle the legalists?

In the case of the early Jerusalem church, the problem was complex. Non-Jewish people all over the region were coming to know Christ, but some deeply legalistic Jews, known as the Judaizers, were demanding that all of these new believers go through the rite of circumcision and keep the ceremonial law in order to be both Jewish and Christian.

Paul, Peter, James, and others were of the viewpoint that salvation for these newcomers was by grace alone through faith alone, but the vocal minority raised enough of an issue that the elders had to gather for a discussion. They finally emerged from this first church council with some wisdom for churches everywhere. Read More

On the Net: "3 Mistakes Leaders Make When Starting a New Year" and More

3 Mistakes Leaders Make When Starting a New Year

Here is a typical scene the week after Christmas...

A leader gets some rest, feels rejuvenated, and the burden to lead the team better in the New Year starts to grow. The leader reads a book, favorites a dozen blogs, listens to some leadership training on a variety of topics, and is fired up for the first meeting with the team he/she leads. In the midst of the enthusiasm, here are 3 common mistakes leaders make as a new year begins.... Read More

Five Keys for a Church Leader to Leave Well

Yesterday, I stood up before Church of the Highlands, alongside my worship and family pastor, Jonathan, and told our faith family that Jonathan and his wife are moving to New York City to join the staff of Salem Church in Staten Island. He is leaving really well, and it spurred me to write this blog post for other church staff members to learn how to leave well, too. Read More

Preaching on Controversial Topics

Answering the questions of when, why, what, and how to preach on difficult topics. Read More

The Best Encouragement to Pray

God hears prayers. It’s what He does. Read More

11 Signs You Are an Emotionally Mature Christian

Why do so many Christians make lousy human beings? It’s partly a failure to biblically integrate emotional health and spiritual maturity. Read More

Are You Overexposed and Underdeveloped? 5 Questions to Ask

I once heard Howard Hendricks say that a lot of people’s lives are like poor photographs: overexposed and underdeveloped. I think that’s true of pastors, too. Many of us are overexposed. We know many people and spread ourselves very thin relationally, but our private lives are underdeveloped.

We need to balance our lives if we want to stay in ministry for the long haul. Why? Read More

Why You Probably Don’t Need a Quiet Time

Lately, however, your devotional habits have languished. In light of the struggle, privately you’ve been doing a little spiritual cost/benefit analysis about the whole enterprise.

Relax. Why stress about it? Who wants their spiritual life to be a struggle? Let me help you see why you probably don’t need a quiet time anyway. Read More

7 Reasons to Read the Bible Today

...the Bible begins with, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’” (Gen. 1:3), ends with “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly’” (Rev. 22:20), and includes thousands of such expressions in-between. When you hit these kinds of statements, consider these reasons to read the Word today.... Read More

Must Christianity Change Or Die? Yes – If That Change Is In A Conservative Direction

A top academic has defended a five-year study that found conservative churches grow faster than liberal ones. Read More

The Revolution That Enslaves

The most far-reaching, epochal revolution in American history began about fifty years ago and is now reaching its zenith. No war has been fought in terms of military conflict, but this revolution has killed millions of unborn people. Approximately three thousand lives, in fact, will be lost to this revolution before midnight tonight. And this number does not include the revolution’s other casualties. Read More

Taking Back Christianese #7: “America is a Christian Nation”

Our purpose in this post (as in all the posts in this series) is simply to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of this phrase. We will do this by asking three questions: (1) Why do people use this phrase? (2) What is correct or helpful about this phrase? and (3) What is problematic about this phrase? Read More

If Church Isn’t Necessary, Let’s Quit.

Here’s a proposition for the new year. I propose that if church isn’t necessary, we quit. I mean it. If it’s not necessary let’s cancel all of our services, board up the windows, lock the doors, and send everyone on their merry way. Sure, Christians have been gathering together to hear the Word read and preached, to sing with grace in their hearts, and observe the sacraments for over two thousand years. But if it’s not necessary let’s be the first generation to finally end the practice. Let’s silence the pulpit, close up the song books, dry up the baptismal waters, and put away the bread and wine. If church isn’t necessary, let’s quit. Read More

Five Common Greeter Mistakes to Correct in the New Year

I guess I’m a bit picky here.

If your church has a greeter ministry, it’s already ahead of most churches. I should just be grateful you have such a ministry.

But you do want it to improve, right?

Greeter ministries, like any other ministries, can get in a rut. And since we are about to greet a new year, let’s have an honest conversation about how to begin a new year with some improvements in your greeter ministry.

Here are the five most common greeter ministry mistakes. The good news is they are all easily correctable. Read More

Avoiding Theological Anarchy

The Latin word credo means simply “I believe.” It represents the first word of the Apostles’ Creed. Throughout church history it has been necessary for the church to adopt and embrace creedal statements to clarify the Christian faith and to distinguish true content from error and false representations of the faith. Such creeds are distinguished from Scripture in that Scripture is norma normans (“the rule that rules”), while the creeds are norma normata (“a rule that is ruled”).

Historically, Christian creeds have included everything from brief affirmations to comprehensive statements. The earliest Christian creed is found in the New Testament, which declares, “Jesus is Lord.” The New Testament makes a somewhat cryptic statement about this affirmation, namely, that no one can make the statement except by the Holy Spirit. What are we to understand by this? On the one hand, the New Testament tells us that people can honor God with their lips while their hearts are far from Him. That is to say, people can recite creeds and make definitive affirmations of faith without truly believing those affirmations. So, then, why would the New Testament say that no one can make this confession save by the Holy Spirit? Perhaps it was because of the cost associated with making that creedal statement in the context of ancient Rome. Read More

10 Ways the Role of Pastor Is Changing

I began pastoring a church in 1981. I was young and inexperienced, but excited. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I didn’t know all that the pastoral role entailed. I served as caregiver, preacher, counselor, teacher, driver, janitor, worship leader (only once . . . ), cook, and many other roles.

Now, some 35+ years later, I see the role of pastor changing. Recognizing that a trend does not describe every church, here are some trends I’m seeing.... Read More

7 Tips to Read the Bible Through in One Year

Are you up for a challenge?

How about reading the Bible through this coming new year?

I’ve heard so many people who would love to read the Bible through in a year, but never completed the task. It’s nearly impossible for the pastor to preach through all of it, so you are going to miss something unless you study on your own. Sadly, most believers haven’t read all the Bible. Some of the best nuggets of truth I discovered on my own, reading through the Bible in a year.

For several decades, I have practiced an every other year read through of the Bible. On even number years, I read through the Bible as part of my daily devotion time. On the other years, I read the Bible more thematically or spend more time in certain books. I believe both are important in our spiritual formation. Read More

Towards Missional Effectiveness: The Mark of Missional Community (Part 4)

Community is the vehicle of God's mission.

In this blog series, we are looking at the topic missional effectiveness. Once again, missional effectiveness is embracing the totality of the missio Dei—including its message, movement, and marks—and enacting it in the life of a local church.

So far, I have covered the message and movement of God’s mission. In the next several blog posts, I will describe the marks of missional effectiveness. In essence, I will be answering the following question: what does it look like for the message and movement of mission to be enacted in the life of a local church?

Observing the grand narrative of scripture, I have come to believe there are at least three marks of enacting God’s mission. Today, I’ll cover the mark of community. Read More

Evangelicals should be deeply troubled by Donald Trump’s attempt to mainstream heresy

Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration will include Paula White and possibly other members of his inner circle, Darrell Scott, “Apostle” Wayne T. Jackson and Mark Burns. They’re all televangelists who hail from the “prosperity gospel” camp. They advocate a brand of Pentecostal Christianity known as Word of Faith.

Inaugurations are always curious rituals of American civil religion. It would not be surprising to see a non-Christian religious leader participating. But what’s problematic for me as an evangelical is how Trump’s ceremony is helping to mainstream this heretical movement.

The prosperity gospel — the idea that God dispenses material wealth and health based on what we “decree” — is not just fluff. It’s also not just another branch of Pentecostalism, a tradition that emphasizes the continuation of the gifts of healing, prophecy and tongues. It’s another religion. Read More

10 Things You Should Know about the Lordship Salvation Controversy

Your first response to this title may well be: “What controversy?” One doesn’t often hear much any more about the so-called “Lordship Salvation” controversy, but it is most assuredly an issue that needs to be addressed. Read More

Why Throwing Great Parties Is Essential to Evangelism

In 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, we get a unique angle on evangelism: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

When you hear the word “reconciliation” you probably don’t picture a corner street preacher, a pastor yelling at a faceless crowd to repent or even good-hearted evangelicals going door to door to share the gospel. Reconciliation requires more. More time, more listening, more patience, more prayer—and, yes, maybe more parties.

When asked about the one true key to bringing people far from God near, I simply say, “Start throwing great parties.” I don’t mean to sound trite or even edgy. I am unequivocally advocating for a missionary skill that has been in play since Acts 10. Literally every friend I have helped find Jesus first got invited to our home for a party. Read More

On the Net: "6 Disruptive Church Trends That Will Rule 2017" and More

6 Disruptive Church Trends That Will Rule 2017

Too many church leaders are perfectly equipped to reach a world that no longer exists. Read More

Does It Really Matter What A Christian Believes?

Is doubt a good thing? Read More

The Importance of Theology

Far from attempting to divide the seamless garment of biblical truth, systematic theology considers what “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) teaches on any given topic and reflects upon the divinely revealed relations between the Bible’s various topics. Read More

Apologetics: How Do We Know Who Wrote the Gospels

Did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John really write the Gospels? If so, how do we know? Read More

3 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Bible Study

It’s helpful...to ask a series of questions in order to evaluate possible studies—and to choose wisely. Read More

11 Weak Reasons to Leave a Church

I know there are legitimate reasons for leaving a church (e.g., the message is unbiblical, you’ve moved to another city, etc.), but too many people leave a church for the wrong reasons. Realizing that there are always exceptions to any of the reasons listed below, here are 11 “weak” reasons to leave.... Read More

Three practical ways to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation

As an ex-Catholic who spent 30 years in the Catholic Church, here are my three top tips to effectively share the gospel with Catholics.... Read More

James Emery White On The Rise Of Generation Z: A Post-Christian, Post-Millennial Generation [Podcast]

There’s a generation after the Millennials that looks like it will be even harder to reach than Millennials. Meet Generation Z —people born after 1991. Listen Now

A Matter of Integrity: Why Christians Must Stop Taking the Fake News Bait

Including a simple 4-step check-list to help us stop passing fake news along. Read More

Ten MajorTrends for Churches in 2017

For those who read my blog regularly, you know I do a “trends post” every year early in January. This next statement sounds totally immodest, but I’m pretty good at predictive trends.

Now let me tell you the whole truth.

I’m pretty good at these predictive trends because I have been following developing patterns for the past year. In other words, I’m really not that bright or prescient. The best I can say is I’m pretty observant.

So what are the ten major trends for 2017? It’s a mixed bag of good news and bad news. Read More

10 Areas for Goals in 2017

It’s hard to believe that it’s 2017. It is, though, and it’s time to turn our attention to what God might want to accomplish this year. If you haven’t already set your goals (and even if you have), I encourage you to set goals in each of these areas.... Read More

3 Keys to Evangelizing Across Generational Lines

How should generational dynamics affect evangelistic methods? Or, to put it another way: “How is reaching people over the age of 40 different from reaching those under 40?”

It’s a tricky issue. We must first recognize that the categories are nuanced, generalized and filled with exceptions, so I’m not making hard and fast conclusions. However, there are some things worth observing.

Generally, generations are divided up into many categories such as builders, boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z. But, let’s simplify and just think about the dividing line being above 40 and below 40 years of age. Let me share three observations that I believe are helpful. Read More

What Buddhism learned from Christianity

The Eastern religion appears to have borrowed some of its beliefs from followers of Christ

Thirteen years ago, when traveling in India, Cambodia, and Japan, and teaching a course on world religions at The University of Texas at Austin, I became interested in the early history of Buddhism and the way it competed for adherents with other religions. I was thinking of writing a book on this, but it’s clear to me now that I’ll never get to it. Here’s some research about the way Christianity probably influenced parts of Buddhism that I’m now putting in the public domain in the hope that someone else will take it and run with it. Read More