Seeing
What Are/Is Christian Ethics?
Can You Help Me Distinguish between a Person with a "Nervous Breakdown" and Someone Who Is Depressed?
Failure
Faithfulness
Guidelines for Pre-Marital Counselling
Frauds
Motives
Should I Counsel Couples Individually or Together?
Hate
What If Counselees Are Hesitant to Talk?
Experience
Decisional Regeneration
The author discusses what is called "decisional regeneration," which refers to the simple requirement of a decision as proof that one is saved. The author notes the way that this method of evangelism has been applied with gross abuse in counselling, altar calls, and in preaching. Ultimately this teaching is traced to a theology that places the responsibility for salvation on man.
Antithesis
This article explains that Christians cannot deny the reality of the antithesis.
Matthew 16:27 – Coming in His Kingdom
Matthew 16:27 speaks of a specific coming of Christ. This article discusses what that looks like.
More – On Purpose
Preaching should aim at communicating the Holy Spirit's purpose in the text. This article explains what that purpose is, and how it should shape the sermon outline and the points of the sermon.
Make Your Preaching Live
In preaching, how can you communicate effectively? This article suggests that after doing your exegesis you need to work on the form of preaching, and the author explains what that is.
Bodily Action in Preaching
What is the role of "bodily action," or body language, in preaching? Bodily action can hinder or aid the communication of God's message. This article shows how bodily action can hinder the message and what can be done to improve so that it can aid it.
How to Study Taped Sermons
You can greatly improve your preaching by listening to other preachers. How do you do about choosing good sermon audios that you can listen to? This article suggests it is by learning to analyze them in three areas.
Making Preaching a Pleasure
Issues contributing to the failure of making preaching a pleasure among pastors is lack of time and good planning. This article aims at addressing this two by showing how pastors can have a preaching plan that can give them the time needed.
Preaching with Personalized How-To
Moving from explanation to application in a sermon can be a challenge. This is where most preaching fails. This article discusses a number of ways one can personalize the message.
Maintaining Balance
This article calls for a balance in preaching, between heralding the whole counsel of God and including an evangelistic component.
Good Preaching Is Hard Work
It is a fact that cannot be denied: preaching is hard work. Therefore, can it be that poor preaching is the failure to spend adequate time and energy in preparation? This article believes so, and suggests ways of dealing with such a failure.
Illustrating God’s Truth
Illustrations in preaching help make a point clearer, show how to implement biblical requirements, and help make truth practical and memorable. But how does one make sure he uses illustrations for the right purpose? This article offers some principles one can follow.
Preaching and Writing
Does This Apply to You?
It should be the desire of every preacher to make proper application of the text. What application should do is show from the passage the meaning for the congregation today. How does one achieve such an application? This is what this article answers.
Forgiveness
Is there a condition to forgiving? This article argues that Christians are called to forgive as God forgave them. Therefore the condition of forgiveness is repentance.
Preach! Don’t Construct Sermons
What is the difference between preaching a sermon and preaching to a congregation? First, we have to know if there is a difference between preaching and sermon. This article attempts to address this issue.
Preaching to the Elderly
In a culture that is fascinated by youth, preaching to the elderly can be easily neglected. How does preaching to the elderly look like? This article answers this question.
Exposition – Is That What’s Needed?
This article discusses the distinction between exposition and heralding, suggesting that the former is a part of the latter.
The Choice of a Preaching Portion
How can you go about selecting a preaching text? This article discusses four determining factors for choosing a preaching portion.
Translating the Outline
The preaching outline can say a lot about the sermon. How do you write a sermon outline? This article makes a distinction between lecture outline and preaching outline, then shows how to write a preaching outline.
How to Obtain a Living Wage in the Pastorate
Can the pastor do anything about his salary? This article lays down three principles about the wage of the pastor, and how the pastor can be involved in obtaining a wage.
Some Neglected Subjects
Is your preaching balanced? Are there subjects you are not preaching about? This article argues that some of the more stern teachings of Scripture are being neglected.
Shepherding
This article argues that there is a form of shepherding that is needed by the church. It is shepherding the people of your congregation by approaching members when you suspect that there is something wrong. The article advises on how to do this.
Here It Is...
How do people change their lifestyle? Biblical change can only come in three ways. This article explains them.
Providential Care
This article explains why it is impossible to talk about the providence of God without acknowledging his sovereignty.
Take Note of This
Pastors are involved in counselling. How can you make sure that you make progress in your counselling sessions? This article suggests the practice of taking notes.
What Is She to Do?
What should a wife who is in an abusive marriage do? Is abuse a reason for separation or divorce? Does God expect her to endure such suffering? These are questions this article attempts to answer.
Commiserating
As a method of counselling, commiserating does not work. In fact, it gives a wrong picture of God. The article explains what commiserating is.
Counselling and the Sovereignty of God
Christian counselling can only be done by embracing the truth about God, and true hope in counselling can only be given by embracing the sovereignty of God. This article explains the relationship between counselling and God's sovereignty.
I Heard It – Did You?
What makes a good sermon? This article explains that there are five aspects of a good sermon.
Trouble – Of Whose Making?
2 Timothy 4:3 warns that God punishes his people sometimes by giving them what they want. If you want preaching that scratches your ears, you may get it. The article explains.
Environmental Extremism: A One World View
The Christian view on stewardship of the environment is different from the worldly view of environmentalism. Colossians 2:22 shapes how Christians view the environment.
The Issue and the Relationship
Counselling must be done by identifying issues and how they relate to the relationships of those needing help. This article explains how a counsellor can offer such counselling.
Paying the Pastor
At least according to 1 Corinthians 9:7-14, one item that must be on the budget of the church is the salary of the pastor. This is, for the most part, a matter of the attitude, and not of figures.
Anthropomorphisms
Does God repent? Does he have hands, eyes and ears? If not, why does the Bible speak of God in that way? Anthropomorphic language is what God frequently used to explain something to us in terms we can understand.
Colossians 3:15 – Peace of Heart
What is the kind of peace to which Paul refers in Colossians 3:15? The article explains that this is a peace to be promoted among the saints.
Have You Already Had Your Reward?
Did you know that Matthew 6:1-2, concerning rewards, has something to say regarding how you use social media? This article explains.
Frame It!
What makes a good sermon? There are two aspects: it has limits and a focal point. The article expands on this.
3 John 8 – Missionary Giving
Did you know that your giving is part of being involved in mission work? This is what 3 John 8 says.
Whose Plans Are Accomplished?
The plans of God are always accomplished. God does not simply plan and then leave it to men to dispose. Whatever God plans, man fulfills.
Providence
Providence describes the biblical teaching that God not only planned his work, but actively works his plan. This article explains how this teaching should shape our attitude when facing unpleasant events.
Teaching Is Not Lecturing
This article explains that the Christian teacher needs to be concerned about not only gathering facts, but also how he teaches those facts, to help the students learn the truth of God in a hostile world.
Parresia – The Church’s Need Today!
The article argues that what is lacking in preaching today is parresia, the courage to speak without fear of consequences.
Pastors and Problem People
There is no church without problem people. How should the pastor deal with such people? This article explains that there would be no place for your ministry if there were no problem people for you to help, and suggests how to care for them.
The Biblical Perspective on the Mind/Body Problem (Part Two)
Can Christian physicians practice their medicine in a way that is God-centred? It is possible, by understanding the biblical teaching on the relationship between body and spirit. This article explains what the Bible teaches about the body and spirit in the light of 1 Corinthians 2:4 and draws implications for Christian doctors.
The Biblical Perspective on the Mind/Body Problem (Part One)
Can Christian physicians practice their medicine in a way that is God-centred? It is possible by understanding the biblical teaching on the relationship between body and mind. This article explains what the Bible teaches about the body and mind and draws implications for Christian doctors.
Pain
What is the purpose of pain? To say that we need pain in order to love God is not biblically correct. The article explains why.
Tramping
This article discusses the concept of church tramping, a description of people who move from one church to another for wrong reasons. It considers what should be done when such people seek after church membership in your local church.
Guidance
How does God give guidance? God's guidance can only be received through the Bible and prayer. What role do the advice of others, circumstances, and reason play? This article argues that they have a role as long as they lead us back to God's Word.
Decisional Regeneration
Any view that sees regeneration as a mechanical process that can be performed by man falls under decisional regeneration. This article argues that such a view of regeneration has departed from the true teaching of Scripture. It shows how this is so by looking at counselling, altar calls, theology, and preaching.
One Flesh
This article describes why the church must stand strong against the acceptance of homosexuality and maintain the biblical view that it is sin, while upholding the sanctity of marriage between a woman and a man.
Tolerance
Exposing the foolishness of tolerance, this article shows that there is no such thing as tolerance. Tolerant people are also intolerant.
Man and Beast
Christians should stand for the rights of people over against animal rights.