DNA of a Christian Work Ethic
This article considers the matter of work ethic for the Christian. It stresses that Christians ought to be marked by diligence, integrity, and eternity in their work.
This article considers the matter of work ethic for the Christian. It stresses that Christians ought to be marked by diligence, integrity, and eternity in their work.
This article presents the essential features of a type, doing so by rooting typology in the presuppositions of biblical theology and in Scripture. This helps to reveal much about how the New Testament authors conceived of the nature of types.
This article argues that beneath any legitimate type in Scripture is a covenantal topography that rises and falls throughout Israel's covenant history. It demonstrates how biblical types follow this topography from historical prototype, through covenantal ectypes, to their intended antitype—Christ.
This article discusses how Boaz in the book of Ruth is a type of Christ, and Jesus is a true and greater Boaz. The author first defines a Christological type. Then he addresses whether Christological types can be identified in the Old Testament even if the New Testament authors did not identify them. Afterwards, he notes the correspondences and escalation between Boaz and Christ. Finally, he draws some conclusions.
This article shows how Mark 11–Mark 12, and the Old Testament quotations therein, expound typological correspondences with Israel’s historic temple. That temple is judged and a new temple is erected, the temple of the community of Christ's followers. In the process, Mark 11:24 becomes clear: “whatever you ask in prayer” is meant in reference to the ministrations of the temple now fulfilled in such followers. In short, the events of Mark 11–12 comprise an extended temple antitype.
This article considers a typological pattern developing in Scripture, namely, that of an Adamic figure, Joseph, within the Pentateuch and then stretching through the exilic figures of Mordecai and Daniel, and into the New Testament. The author considers this in light of the question of whether such typology stands merely as an act of reading or as a part of writing. He argues that such typology exists within the OT as an act of writing and not merely a way of reading.
This article provides five important reasons why it is vital for every Christian to gather weekly for corporate worship.
This article explains how when the church makes use of God's ordinary means of grace, God's power shines through. With five reasons it encourages the building of a ministry around these means of grace.
This article discusses the value of reading aloud to your children, from babies in the womb to teenagers. It offers some principles of reading, as well as some recommended literature.
This article discusses the value of the Christian's reading fiction. It suggests that fiction ignites our God-given imagination, offers insight to the human condition, and fosters empathy for others.
This article discusses one approach to memorizing books of the Bible, and how to retain them in memory.
This article considers what the consequences would be if there was no resurrection of Christ from the dead. Then Good Friday is just another Friday, and there is no hope for Christians.
This article offers three key components that should be in a funeral message: acknowledge the need to grieve, make the hope of the gospel clearly known, and call your hearers to respond to the gospel.
This article explores the views of William Kiffen and John Owen on justification by faith, and the contextual forces at play as they formulated their respective viewpoints.
This article considers the interaction that John Owen had with the Socinians. It puts it into historical perspective, explaining the heresy of Socinianism, namely, its anti-Trinitarian view. The author goes on to assess the way Owen linked the Socinians with others, especially Richard Baxter and Hugo Grotius.
This article raises common objections to church discipline, such as the claim that the sin of others is not one's business, and evaluates each of them.
Does the call to holiness impact your life? This article explains a passage like Hebrews 12:14, “Pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord,” does not frighten us enough. It lists thirteen reasons why the Bible's emphasis on holiness does not often drive us to pursue holiness.
This article discusses the biblical image of the pastor as a watchman. From this it shows the responsibility of today's pastor to act as watchman, by delivering God's Word to his people and keeping watch over their souls.
Do you have a habit of interacting with politics on social media? This article offers seven questions you should consider before you post.
This article explains how it can happen that someone regards their devotional life over time as more of a burden than a blessing, with the end result that their life collapses into a sinkhole of sin. It stresses not to give up devotional time even when life becomes busier.
How do Christ's undershepherds come to grips with the truth that they are sinners preaching to sinners? This article explains that preachers have to sit under their own preaching and teaching.
This article addresses the notion that evangelism should be left to the leaders of the church. It provides a number of biblical reasons why every believer should evangelize.
This article offers a suggestion as to when a pastor could take a break from his sermon series.
This article discusses what kind of connection sports have with Christian discipleship. It considers the biblical language related to sports, as well as the leadership lessons that can be learned from sports.
This article discusses the importance of self-discipline in the Christian life, as we conform to Christ. The author argues that the only road to godliness is through the practice of the spiritual disciplines.
The nature of a pastor's work often means he needs to be strategic about making time to continue learning. This article offers five practical ways to continue to grow theologically in the ministry.
This article takes issue with the phrase, "Be who you are," by explaining that the Bible says we are to be transformed by the renewal of our mind. In other words, we must be who we aren't, namely, who God created us to be. The only one who can be who he is is the Lord.
This article considers the background and life of John Owen.
This article counsels pastors on how to be comfortable in pastoral visits where there can be silence at times. It suggests learning to be comfortable with such silence, especially with the elderly, as well as making an effort to learn the things they like and enjoy.
This article offers three principles of theological writing that pastors and theologians can glean from John Calvin: write with brevity, clarity, and a single purpose.
What does Hebrews 13:7 mean when it instructs us to have spiritual heroes? This article explains that such heroes speak God's Word to us, share insights we have not been given, and may thus protect us from error.
This article addresses the question "How do we disciple?" by considering discipleship by preaching. All disciples are formed and strengthened by preaching.
This article considers what the Bible teaches on how we use our words. It provides nine propositions as a guide.
This article considers why some preachers improve over time, and others don't. The difference lies in the matters of calling, teachability, passion, and the risk of being a fool for Christ.
This article discusses the 18th-century American preacher, David Brainerd, particularly what his goal was with Christ-centred preaching: the practice of morality.
This article discusses how the biblical teaching on homosexuality, from Leviticus 20:13, needs to be read in its historical and covenantal context in order to see that it does not permit violence against homosexuals. The article shows how this intersects with what the Quran teaches on the subject. It also discusses how capital punishment in the church has developed into excommunication.
This article offers advice for stay-at-home moms on how to visit the widows in the congregation.
When do you open the door for your children to access social media? This article provides a number of talking points for parents to cover with their children.
When God accomplishes radical transformation in us, he does not eliminate any part of what makes us human. Instead, he calls us to live the Christian life with all our human faculties. This article addresses the comments that some make that when it comes to our sanctification, we are completely passive. It shows how Christlikeness requires effort.
This article attempts to define what a disciple is. It evaluates a number of definitions before coming to its own.
This article discusses how to cut out discontentment in one's life. Contentment comes by resting in the promises of the gospel.
Here are five common rookie pastor mistakes: having high expectations of the church, failing to embrace the church's uniqueness, invoking pastoral authority without earning pastoral credibility, mistaking preference for conviction, and showing fear or anger in the face of opposition.
This article offers five tips for overcoming relational barriers to reaching out to people different than you, with a view to evangelism opportunities.
This article explains the centrality of the resurrection of Christ for the gospel. It discusses what the consequences would be if Christ had not been raised from the dead.
If you are frugal, is it possible you are dismissing generosity? This article explains how this is possible, that thriftiness can mask greed. This is an obedience issue, since we are to be both stewards of what God has given as well as generous givers.
This article speaks to the importance of integrating discipleship and counselling in the local church. It lists three benefits of bringing the two together.
This article considers what trusting and obeying God looks like for a pastor and his wife in a season of transition from one location to another.
This article on family worship encourages parents, especially fathers, to take the long view, striving not for immediate results but for faithfulness in leadership.
This article addresses an unbiblical approach to survival in ministry—seeking an easier church—and then explains how a minister should prepare for surviving and growing in the work of ministry—knowing where his identity lies.
This article offers some questions a church could ask someone who is interested in becoming a missionary and looking for support: Are you ready to leave? Are you committed to stay? With whom will you work? To whom will you be accountable?
This article considers the question regarding the length of a sermon by emphasizing the preparedness of the preacher. His sermon must be full of biblical substance, he must consider how to adorn the gospel with thought-provoking delivery, he must weave application into explanation, and develop audience awareness.
This article offers wisdom for a pastor in the first year of his ministry: spend time getting to know the flock, do not try and change things, work hard at preaching and teaching, pray for God's help and be patient, and work on being healthy.
This article considers what is the pastor's best approach when entering a dysfunctional, dying congregation: be a pastor to the flock.
This article discusses how the entire Bible is a prayer book. It shows how especially the Psalms allow the believer to pray in response to God.
This article explains that if Muslims believe Islam's scripture, they should also affirm the authenticity, inerrancy, and trustworthiness of the Bible. The Quran refers to the Bible and identifies pre-Islamic believers as people of the Book. The author argues that there is no verse in the Quran that undermines the Bible.
This article considers what the Bible says about stewardship of the resources God has given us. It explains that everything is God's, unequal distribution of resources is part of God's design, gifts are given for his glory and the good of others, faithfulness is key, and what we do with our resources here will echo for eternity.
What do you do if you preach a bad sermon? This article suggests that you embrace your brokenness and need to grow. Carry on preaching, by the grace of God.
This article discusses how a pastor can aim for a balance in shepherding his family and his flock, with special consideration to family life. It calls the pastor to be a joy to live with, to invest his time instead of spending it, and including his family in ministry tasks.
This article considers the importance of pastors shepherding not only the flock but also their family. It advises on how to make the Word of God central in family life.
This article raises seven simple ways that churches can pray for missionaries.
This article considers 1 Peter 3:15 and its call for Christians to always be ready to make a defence of their faith. The article stresses the importance of knowing your opponent, and having a basic understanding of philosophy, a handmaiden to theology.
This article offers seven reasons for a pastor to pursue devotion to God.
This article calls for protecting yourself against the harmful effects of pornography. It explains the addictiveness of it, and then four ways to protect yourself from it.
This article reveals the perspective of Spurgeon on suffering in the ministry, that every faithful under-shepherd will be well-acquainted with affliction.
The parables of Luke 15 reveal the heart of Christ. This article calls for counselling to reflect such a heart by moving toward the messed up people in this life in order to demonstrate the love of Christ.
What are ways your ministry can equip parents with what they need to lead their families? This article suggests a number of tools helpful in this regard, including resource lists made readily available for parents.
This article defines what true spirituality is: the pursuit of God and the things of God, through Christ, by the Spirit, in accordance with the Word. It takes its cue from Colossians 2 and 3.
This article offers a biography of George Whitefield.
This article explains the difference between vain responses to guilt that avoid gospel repentance, and responses that form a pattern of gospel repentance.
This article encourages parents to make wise decisions and set good examples for their families in their choice of media in the home. Parents must stand guard, stimulate and spirituality, spend time with the children. The article lays out five practical questions for parents to consider in creating a strategy for their own families.
This article exposes three misconceptions that Christians have concerning Muslims: most Muslims support terrorism, all Muslim women feel oppressed, and Muslims seek to know a different god than Christians do.
There is a set of misconceptions that most Muslims have about Christians that keep them from considering the gospel. This article highlights three, and how to address them: Christians worship three gods, Christianity is morally corrupt, and "the West" and "the church" are synonymous.
This article reflects on four qualities that must be true for a deacon: he must have dignity, may not be double-tongued, addicted to much wine, or love money.
This article explains the importance of knowing God as you pursue purity. When you know God, you see his purity, his pardon for your sin, and his power to change you.
This article offers nine possible reasons for someone in a season of spiritual drought and in need of refreshment.
This article raises five considerations for a long-term pastorate: the pastor's credibility grows, he can know for certain what the church has been taught and plan his preaching accordingly, he learns how to face a crisis of leadership in the church at various intervals, he will be less tempted to re-use old sermons, and moving is hard on families.
How is a pastor to deal with attacks from fellow ministry leaders, or even members of the flock? This article provides a list of eight points to consider when false accusations, unfair criticism, and slander come at the pastor.
Can the Arabic word Allah be used to refer to the God of the Bible? This article discusses the reason for the question, and provides an answer to it.
This article explains the addictive effect that pornography has on the male brain. It acts as a drug.
This article urges husbands to be the spiritual leaders in their marriages, according to Ephesians 5:25-28. It provides several ways in which husbands can lead their wives spiritually.
Leading in congregational prayer is an important yet challenging task for the pastor. This article suggests five priorities for the pastor as he prepares for public prayer.
This article outlines ten practical and scriptural guidelines for functioning well in leadership positions in the church.
This article discusses what cruciform, or cross-centered, parenting looks like. It confronts rather than ignores sin in the life of the children. It trains the children toward moral and physical courage.
This article explains that according to Ephesians 5:22-23, husbands are to lead in love in their marriages.
This article seeks to foster a Christian understanding of Islam. It starts with providing a broader framework of God's redemptive intentions for humanity, including Muslims. It explains the need to be accurate in our descriptions and interpretations of Muslim beliefs and practices. Overcoming this challenge is achieved in developing relationships with Muslims so as to understand them and their faith, and in immersing ourselves in their history and sources.