The theme of union with Christ may be the one of the most under-emphasized doctrines today. I recently asked a group I was teaching to raise their hands if they have ever heard a sermon or talk on union with Christ. Nothing! Yet as I have been studying this theme recently, I am increasingly convinced…
The shepherding motif is a powerful biblical theme and provides many implications for church leaders. Why discuss shepherding with church leadership? First, it is a prominent Old Testament theme attached to leadership as God is the shepherd and leaders are to be his representative undershepherds (Ps 23, Ezk 34). Second, Jesus is the good shepherd…
Empirical research on leadership reveals that ministers place great significance on calling. This brief review will organize thoughts from ministry leaders about the importance of calling into three categories 1) calling in general, 2) the internal call to ministry, and 3) external calling. The Importance of Ministry Calling Recent research on pastoral development demonstrates the…
Scholars have defined and categorized the call to ministry in various ways. Jeff Iorg defines calling as a “profound impression from God that establishes parameters for your life.”[1] Iorg explains three types of call experiences as 1) the universal call to Christian service and growth, 2) the general call to ministry leadership, and 3) the…
In the book of Nehemiah, God did a great work through his people to build the broken wall and establish the city once again. One of the main reasons this work was accomplished is because God used a great leader, Nehemiah, to motivate, organize, and inspire the people. Nehemiah overcame great opposition and multiple obstacles, always…
Our book club just recently finished the book, Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller. Keller gives his definition of an idol and a counterfeit god, “What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you only what…
How did Jesus create a movement? The simple answer, he made disciples who made disciples. Jesus invested in a few key disciples and showed them how they could pass on their Christian faith, simply and effectively. The same strategy works today in our lives and in our churches. But how exactly did Jesus do this?…
I wanted to introduce you to an excellent resource website that I have been tracking for the last couple of years. It is a website that offers a wide variety of classes for free! It has classes of all kinds and for all levels taught by some of my favorite teachers, including John Piper, Thomas…
I am currently reading an excellent book by Dann Spader called 4 Chair Discipling. In this book, Spader takes a look at Jesus’ life and ministry and pulls out principles for us to strive for as we seek to make disciples. Each chair represents a stage in the growth process in the Christian life. Spader…
I recently taught a class at church based on the book A Praying Life by Paul Miller. This book has impacted many of my friends and I wanted to share with everyone the notes we used for our class. I also wanted to share a few of the prayer resources that we looked at. Hope…
Equip 