3 Reasons People on Your Team Annoy You
Show the type of patience to people on your ministry team that you desire they would show to you. We’re all different, and that’s not a bad thing.
Register for Bike for Bibles
Bike for Bibles is a charity ride designed for everyone: all ages, all skill levels. From April 5-12, you’ll bike miles to support the translation of the Bible into the Arbore language.
4 Signs of a Humble Worship Leader
Whenever we seek attention for ourselves, we attempt to rob God of his glory. People called to lead others in worship must fervently attempt to lead humbly before God and his people.
Discipleship: Growth According to God’s Description
Christians understand the importance of discipleship, but few actively practice it. We need to move beyond ministry programs and prioritize personal disciple-making.
Counterfeit Gospels
Galatians 1:1-10 – Paul confronted lesser messages posing as the gospel since they corrupted the church. We must beware of counterfeit gospels that could hinder us from knowing the grace of Jesus.
Galatians
The Apostle Paul had many enemies in his ministry, but none were as dangerous as legalists. In his letter to the Galatians, he reveals how the gospel is sufficient for our salvation and lives.
You Are a Work in Progress
You are a work in progress. So if you aren’t what you hoped to be, be encouraged that God isn’t done with you yet.
Loving Money Too Much
Money isn’t evil, but the love of it is because of all the ruin and destruction it can bring to each of our lives. We must learn to harness our desires and keep God above our love for money, or it will ruin us.
Galatians (Series Overview)
The Apostle Paul had many enemies in his ministry, but none were as dangerous as legalists. In his letter to the Galatians, he reveals how the gospel is sufficient for our salvation and lives.
Companionship: Care According to God’s Compassion
A local church is supposed to function as a faith family, assisting one another thoroughly. Without a clear organization for how to do so, many needs will remain unmet.
Dangerous Entitlements
Haggai 2:10-23 – As the people began to undertake God’s work, they wrongfully assumed they were good with Him. Beware of dangerous entitlements that make you believe God owes you something in your obedience.
The Independence of God
Nothing existed before God, and God needs absolutely nothing to exist to prove his divine nature. The Creator does not require anything from the creation.
When a Church Hinders a Family
We often blame our children’s spiritual condition on the culture we cannot control rather than the family we can alter. We must do our parts to raise our children in a positive spiritual environment, regardless of what transpires around us.
Reactions in Relationships
Ministry teams are wonderful blessings if you know how to work well with others. The potential conflicts go both ways, and you must consider who you are to determine who you need to be around.
Apprenticeship: Development According to God’s Template
Apprenticeship is necessary for a ministry to maximize its ability to accomplish God’s agenda. While the process takes time and effort, it will ultimately multiply the work.
Glory Days
Haggai 2:1-9 – People often view the future as bleak if they perceive the past as ideal. If we only focus on what God did previously, we will miss the glory days that He desires to bring now.
The Opportune Time
Jesus responded to Satan’s temptation by committing to obeying God’s Word. Understanding that our enemy knows the opportune time to tempt us, we must prepare ourselves.
Don’t Soft Pedal Scripture
We live in a time when everyone speaks passionately about every issue regardless of whether they are the experts. Sometimes, we speak so definitively on non-essentials that we lose the right to speak of essential truths.
Let No Children Separate
What God has joined together, let no children separate. If you’re not careful, prioritizing your children can lead to neglecting your spouse.
Workmanship: Service According to God’s Giftings
A church must have a clear process of its members receiving training and continuing ministry. If people can serve according to God’s giftings, the church will be blessed.
Equal Sacrifices
Haggai 1:7-15 – God called His people to repent of their selfish ways, but He called for more than a somber acknowledgment. They distinguished their repentance through their call for equal sacrifices.
That Time I Got Dropped Out of a Van in the Middle of Somewhere
I was a part of this ministry training program that used an unexpected exercise to reveal a great deal about myself and my teammates. I learned that you cannot determine what anyone else does, but you are responsible for how you respond.
Devotional Summaries
Many people read the Bible but forget what they studied moments later due to a tragic misstep. If you want retention from your devotional practices, you must learn the art of summarizing what you learn so you can remember and share it with others.
Register for Bike for Bibles
Help us fund a Bible translation for the Arbore People of Ethiopia. Ride a mile for every verse you raise the money to translate.
Leadership: Oversight According to God’s Design
Without a clear guide for a church’s leadership, a congregation will continually face unnecessary issues hindering ministry. Discover Scripture’s descriptive wisdom for a church’s prescriptive plan.
Misplaced Priorities
Haggai 1:1-6 – God’s people put their comfort over His concerns. We must constantly evaluate if misplaced priorities have taken us.
Haggai
God’s task for His people was bigger than one individual. We accomplish the work of His Kingdom when we put the first things first.
How to Plan a Preaching Calendar
Don’t succumb to the weekly stress of figuring out what to preach next. Discover how to create a long-term preaching plan that is faithful to God’s Word and mindful of your church’s calendar.
Why You’re Not Helping People
Every person you encounter today is going through multiple situations, positive or negative, of which you are probably unaware. In light of the knowledge of such ignorance, we must evaluate where someone is before we attempt to help them get where they need to be.
Membership: Expectations According to God’s Standard
Many Christians struggle when there are no clear expectations within a church’s membership structure. By clarifying roles and responsibilities for both the member and the church at large, both can minister more effectively.
Distinctive Discipleship (Berea)
Colossians 1:27-29 – We often minimize Christianity to a momentary decision, but if we are following Jesus, we should still be moving. A disciple of Jesus continues to pursue thorough spiritual maturity.
Haggai (Series Overview)
God’s task for His people was bigger than one individual. We accomplish the work of His Kingdom when we put the first things first.
When Change Is Slow
In our fast-paced, independent, result-oriented society, we seem to grow frustrated if something doesn’t happen instantaneously as we desire. Oftentimes, the change we seek in multiple areas of our lives is much slower than we ever desire it to be.
Leading Worship with Humility
Humble worship leaders are servants who can lead with perspective. Once you alter your perception and understand that you are nothing and God is everything, leading worship becomes simple.
Why Is Ministry So Stressful?
When you undertake the work of any ministry, opposition will rise due to the nature of what you seek to accomplish. Oftentimes, the stress originates from interpersonal drama.
Church Planting: From Members to Mobilizers
Acts 13:1-3 – As individual local churches seek to increase their membership, it becomes easy to overlook the larger context. We need intentional people mobilized for church planting and replanting to reach our city and beyond.
Don’t Be So Negative
When we attempt to follow God’s call on our lives, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the potential opposition threatening to slow down our progress. Instead of focusing on the negative that could go wrong, anticipate what God can do through you.
Partnership: Family According to God’s Plan
God has established the home and the church to play significant roles in the spiritual development of the next generations. Discover how to administer this better in both environments.
Family Ministry: From Programs to Parents
2 Timothy 1:1-7 – In recent decades, churches have created programs to do what God has called parents to do. We must align the efforts between the home and the church to disciple the next generation well.
This Is Gonna Hurt Me More
Ephesians 6:1-4 – Many parents have said, “This is gonna hurt me more than you” when it comes to discipline, but if a parent fails to correct, there’s more significant pain to come. Parents must take the formation of their children seriously.