Tag Archives: Preaching

A Call for Relevance

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The need for relevance is a problem faced by most Christian workers today. However, this struggle is not new to our time. Even the Apostle Paul dealt with it. Historically, it has been the more liberal theologians who made relevance a key concern in the ministry. They cared more for people and their needs than for the Truth of God’s Word. Now it has become a significant factor in conservative theology. One of the more recent evidences of this change has been the ascension of relational theology and the decline of transactional theology.

Resources For Preaching

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Those who have listened to preaching for at least a generation are likely to observe that it is not what it was. On the basis of both anecdote and memory, it is on balance neither as interesting nor as compelling as it was within living memory. Furthermore, the results are not the same. First-time adult decisions for salvation used to be relatively common in many churches every Sunday. Now such decisions have to be programmed, usually after inducing people to make decisions in their own homes and then persuading them to come to church to go forward.

The Value of a Seminary Education

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Is seminary education valuable for those entering ministry? Two verses in the epistle of Paul to the Colossians concisely describe what ministry is all about: the Word, people, and a goal. Ministry involves a capacity to work with all types of people, an ability to communicate God’s Word, and a determination to labor to the point of exhaustion. An analysis of these verses teaches us that ministry demands certain qualifications, and an application of this learned truth reminds us that meeting these qualifications requires training.

A Church Worth Choosing

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“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). It is an old truism that if you ever find the perfect church, don’t join it, or you will spoil it. Families in this country move once in about five or six years, and usually the believers among them will face the concern of finding a church to join. Of the standards they observe in making their choice, all the doctrines and practices might be summed up by asking, Is this a place where they feel comfortable?

Biblical Foundation for Victorious Christian Living

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There is a great deal of confusion today regarding what is involved in victorious Christian living and what makes it possible. Some of the answers being given out are plainly wrong, and many others are only partially true. It will be in the teaching of the Scriptures that God’s answers will be found. It is not possible in this brief treatment to mention everything which could be said, but a framework will be developed to note God’s wonderful provisions for us in this area of victorious Christian living.

Three Principles for Biblical Church Growth, Part 1

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Unchurched millions beset us on every side. Despite this alarming reality, too many Bible-believing churches spiral down negative growth curves. Discouraged pastors may consider implementing trendy solutions; after all, changing times demand drastic measures. Some recent church growth methods work in a post-Christian society, but not all church growth is Biblical church growth. How should we reach the citizens of a post-Christian society? God’s Word provides the answer. The believers of pre-Christian Antioch faced similar obstacles. Their story, recorded in Acts 11:19–30, provides three principles for Biblical church growth.

Faithful Shepherding

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The picture given to us in Scripture of faithful local church leadership is that of the shepherd tending his flock. While other terms are used of him—he is an elder which speaks of his maturity and he is a bishop which views his responsibility of oversight of the Lord’s work—the term pastor describes well the heart of his ministry, that of shepherding the flock. Aspiring to hold this office is good, we are told in the Bible (1 Timothy 3:1), and there are many individuals today who occupy this office.

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.

The Goal of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary

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Faith Baptist Theological Seminary trains Christian leaders who are Bible expositors. Since our seminary’s inception, we have set this as our goal. 1. Our Curriculum To help us realize our goal we developed a comprehensive curriculum. We offer Greek and Hebrew so that our students can accurately determine the meaning of the Bible from its original languages. In English Bible classes students learn how to interpret and explain the Bible’s message. We desire our graduates to make the study of God’s Word their life-long ambition, and so we equip them for this endeavor.

Where is the God of Elijah?

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The exciting days when God worked with fire and God’s servants worked with faith appear to be gone. Elijah’s day was exceptional in that he ministered with boldness and the blessing of God was upon him. He prayed, God answered. He preached, people responded. He acted, kings trembled. He worked, fire fell from heaven. Today our books on preaching and pastoral theology stress such things as marketing, meeting people’s needs, programming the ministry, multi-staff management, mission clarification, organizing for action, interpersonal relationships, financial skills, personality traits of leadership, and similar subjects.