Evangelism • Leadership • Missiology • Church Health
Based on my conversations with church members and leaders who’ve found themselves in backslidden conditions, below are some common denominators they’ve described for me. Use them to evaluate your own life before going to church this weekend.
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I write this post with some reticence since I’m an introvert—and I don’t want to imply that I’ve done well in ministry. I know so many things I could still do better that I feel no right to claim success. Based on my experience with other introverts and my own study, here’s why I affirm introverts in ministry.
Read MoreREADING: Jeremiah 45-48 “But you, my servant Jacob, do not be afraid.” Jeremiah 46:26 Israel had been exiled to the nations, but God wasn’t through…
Read MoreREADING: Obadiah, Psalms 82, 83 “. . . from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD.” Obadiah 4 Pride has a way of…
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As part of our church consultation work, we often send “spies” into small groups that are designed for Bible study and fellowship, in that order of priority. But, our spies often see that the hour of “Bible study” often passes with little attention to the Bible. Here’s why that’s problematic.
Read MoreREADING: Jeremiah 41-44 “As for the word you spoke to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to listen to you!” Jeremiah…
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Pastors, I know from experience that sermon preparation is seldom easy—and I don’t want to add any stress to the process. Nevertheless, here are some questions I encourage you to ask as you prepare your sermons for this week:
Read MoreREADING: 2 Kings 24-25, 2 Chronicles 36:1-21, Jeremiah 52 “So Judah went into exile from its land.” 2 Kings 25:21 Judgment had finally come. God had…
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As I read through the scriptures, I think often of the dramatic, radical faith of the early believers. Then, I spend a lot of time in churches in North America whose faith, frankly, seems weak. I wonder if the early church might ask us these questions today.
Read MoreREADING: Jeremiah 38 “King Zedekiah sent for the prophet Jeremiah and received him at the third entrance of the Lord’s temple.” Jeremiah 38:14 What keeps you…
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