Tag Archives: Service

Preparing for Life’s Final Transition: God’s Expectations to Honor Aging Parents

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My wife, Tricia, and I have been in an interesting and important phase of our lives for the last few years—caring for aging parents. In 2020, Tricia’s parents, Larry and Nancy, moved in with us, and we became their primary care providers. Just over five short months after they moved in with us, Nancy unexpectedly passed away. Larry, who struggled with Parkinson-like symptoms, stayed with us through the next year, but eventually his health and care needs reached a point where we needed to transition him to a care center.

Definition and Direction Statement, Part 3

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Adopted by the Board of Directors—September 15, 2006 FBBC&TS exists as a Fundamentalist Baptist institution of Christian higher education to disciple vocational Christian workers and leaders. Faith stands committed to pressing the claims of Christ upon our students. We want our students to consider vocational Christian service, and we view such a calling as a sacred trust and a high honor. Annually, members of the Board of Directors, the administration, the faculty, and the staff reaffirm their support for the school’s objective, as mentioned in the “Historic Position Statement,” to train men and women for leadership roles in Christian service within fundamentalism.

Economic Wisdom as an Analogy to Prudence of Separation, Part 1

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Sound economic theory assumes the fundamental and undeniable reality of “limited resources.” Lionel Robbins, former Chair in Political Economy at the London School of Economics, defined economics as “the science which studies human behavior as a relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses.”1 Robbins wrote, “But when time and the means for achieving ends are limited and capable of alternative application, and the ends are capable of being distinguished in order of importance, then behavior necessarily assumes the form of choice.

Real Religion, Part 2

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Care for widows should be viewed from two perspectives immediate and long term. First, the death of the husband must be addressed. The wife’s world is devastated. Her lifelong companion and provider is gone. Words do not do justice to the instant, entire, irreversible change that occurs at the moment a woman loses her mate. Special consideration must be given to this time and the immediate days and weeks that follow. Immediate Ministry We must realize that a woman instantaneously experiences a transition from dependence to an independence for which she is not prepared.

First Century Local Churches in Association, Part 1

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Introduction The local church is “the house of God,” it is “the church of the living God,” and it is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). The New Testament says much about the purpose of the local church and about its polity and practices. On the other hand, the New Testament does not say as much about multi-church, associational endeavors. Fundamental Baptists have historically, and rightly, emphasized the primacy, authority, and autonomy of the local church. Nevertheless, although the New Testament says little about multi-church undertakings, it does say a few things.

Why Should Missionaries Attend Seminary?

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Missionaries should attend seminary because they ought to train well for the challenges on the mission field. The apostle Paul, the greatest missionary in the history of the church, certainly was well trained. His life and accomplishments would constitute an impressive resume, which would include the following: apostle personally called by Christ, theologian par excellence, and published author whom the Holy Spirit used to pen some of the letters included in the Bible—the world’s all-time best seller, with an estimated two and a half billion copies sold since 1815.

Don’t Worry

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We are living in an age of anxiety. Not only do older adults have a sense of uneasiness about life, but also young people are afflicted with this feeling. According to one national poll, when asked the question, “What is the basic feeling you have toward life?” sixty percent of the young people polled replied, “Fear.” Jesus commands believers not to be anxious about the future. We do not need to be anxious about what lies ahead because of who we are and because of Who God is.

Motivation for Service in the Local Church

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One of the key questions facing the leadership of a local church is: How does one motivate the believers for service in the church? At the outset, church leaders face problems. They recognize that only fifteen to twenty percent of the believers in a local church are actually serving the Lord in productive ways. It is futile to place the blame on the believers without first analyzing why these believers do not serve, and second, providing creative ways for them to do so.

Ministry in the Local Church

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The scriptural teaching concerning the mission of the body of Christ is most clearly given in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in chapter 4. Mention has been made of this text often. Ephesians 4:11–12 reads: “And he [i.e., Christ] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” A direct rendering of the Greek of 4:12 reads: “For the equipping of the saints for the work of service-ministry for the building up of the body of Christ.”

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.