Authors: Robert Domokos

Elements of Balanced Preaching

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Preaching is one of my favorite subjects to read about, think about, and talk about. In fact, it is one of my priorities in my personal ministry. How great is the priority of preaching for you? Whereas some preachers say that they hold to a high view of Scripture, they seem to have lowered their confidence in God’s Word when they preach it. In general there seems to be a decreasing confidence in the pulpit ministry. Preachers who experience a crisis in personal identity and who have no clear and bold conviction about preaching often seem to lack a Biblical focus in other aspects of ministry.

Whose Expectations Are We Fulfilling?

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As I was reading a letter from a missionary to a supporting church, I was struck with something he wrote. I am personally acquainted with the missionary and believe him to be a very sincere and serious servant of Christ. The sentence that forced me to do some personal meditation was this: “We want to be doing the job that you, our supporters, expect of us.” I am a strong believer in accountability because a clear sense of accountability is a good discipline to help us focus on our effectiveness.

A Conscious Awareness of God’s Presence

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Living with a conscious awareness of God’s presence is the desire of believers. Recently, in a prayer meeting, I heard someone pray “O Lord, be with us during this service.” God makes it very clear in His Word that He is always with us. Perhaps we need to pray that God would help us to be more consciously aware of His presence. Have you noticed in your daily Christian experience that some Bible truths, at times, seem to be more distant than you think they should be?

Evangelism That is Theological

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Christians hold to various opinions regarding personal evangelism. It is possible for opinions to change. Changes are sometimes based on one’s understanding or even one’s spiritual condition. Even though the term “evangelism” does not appear in the New Testament, the concept of evangelism is found throughout the Bible. Christians have the unique opportunity and the unequaled responsibility of introducing others to the Savior. The Gospel we proclaim by life and by lip has to do with a Person rather than a program.

Evangelistic Preaching and Giving Invitations

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Evangelistic Preaching is a legitimate style of preaching that can and should be used today. Evangelistic preaching is not mere emotionalism. It is not a string of sad stories. It is not what some would call exceptional Christian salesmanship. And, it need not be used exclusively. Preachers must preach the whole counsel of God. There should be no question that the content of preaching should be the Word of God. The Scriptural content of a sermon is that which gives it life, substance and vitality.

Pastoral Direction and Congregational Motivation

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One of the factors that contributes to spiritual and numerical growth in a congregation is that of the direction given by the pastor. Perhaps we need a new pastoral determinism in our churches today. There appears to be a great deal of wishing and hoping, but little wise planning. I’ve heard some of the expressions (and I have used some myself) such as, “We need new blood in this church. We need more motivation. We need new programs. We need a shot in the arm.

Followers of Faithful Men

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Two verses of scripture from Hebrews have been used and perhaps sometimes misused in the context of spiritual followership. Hebrews 13:7 reads, “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” An understanding of this verse is vital to our appreciation of leadership and followership. We are reminded that a leader has the responsibility of providing direction. He is told that he is to rule.

Effective Pastoral Leadership

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Pastoral leadership is taught in the Bible, and yet it is a topic of frequent, if not fervent, discussion and debate in pastors’ meetings, as well as in church parking lots. Pastoral leadership must be and can be effective. A thorough understanding of Scripture is important at this point. There must be a proper application and implementation of Scriptural principles. While there are available many excellent books on the subjects of leadership, administration, and management, some people become frustrated when they are unable to see these subjects presented in their Biblical setting.

Understanding Pastoral Theology

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Many years ago I read some words that came from Clarence E. Macartney which have been indelibly impressed on my mind. These words are, “The pastorate is the front-line trench of the ministry.” His little book entitled, Preaching Without Notes, is an inspiring and practical discussion of preaching. His love for pastoral preaching shows itself repeatedly throughout the book, and on page 175 he writes, “The minister’s occupation is appointed of God, not of man. The current tendency is to secularize the ministry, both its message and its office, as if the work of the minister were just the same as that of a teacher, a physician, a scientist, or an artist, only with a slightly different accent.