And First Place for Christian Convert Goes to….
If you had the opportunity to give the gospel to only twenty people, who would be on your list? Who would be “first place” on… Read More »And First Place for Christian Convert Goes to….
David pastors First Baptist Church in Rockford, IL, serves as a chaplain for his local police department, and teaches as adjunct faculty at Bob Jones University. David holds a Ph. D. in Applied Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. His concentration in Christian Leadership focuses his contributions to pastoral and practical theology.
If you had the opportunity to give the gospel to only twenty people, who would be on your list? Who would be “first place” on… Read More »And First Place for Christian Convert Goes to….
Deciding whether or not to leave one ministry for another can be difficult, to say the least. It’s a decision that requires discernment, godly counsel… Read More »Whether or Not to Leave One Ministry for Another: Lessons from Moses
In closing his letter to the Colossians, Paul gave some greetings, including one from Epaphras: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ… Read More »Epaphras: An Example for Prayer
Acts 8:1–25 records the great persecution of the church by Saul and the consequent spread of the gospel to Samaria through Philip. “Philip went down… Read More »The Sad Case of Simon the Magician: A Warning to Us All
In Acts 6:11–14, Stephen is falsely accused of blaspheming God by speaking ill of the Mosaic Law and the temple. Acts 7 then records his… Read More »Sufferings, Glories, and Saving God’s People: Joseph, Moses, and Jesus in Acts 7
Any church or Christian organization can feel somewhat lost when a pastor or leader steps down, especially if he does so suddenly or resigns because… Read More »How to Transition God’s People from One Leader to the Next: Lessons from David and Solomon
What did it mean that Stephen’s “face was like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15), and why did it look this way? We first… Read More »Like an Angel: The Shining Face of Stephen
The devotional study below was a challenge given at my own church this past week. May you find it encouraging for your own soul, and… Read More »Believing the Unbelievable: Christmas Through the Eyes of Joseph (Matthew 1:18–25)
Does Acts 6:1–7 tell us anything about deacons, technically speaking? After all, the word deacon is not used, some of the seven men appointed to… Read More »The Origin of Deacons: Acts 6:1–7
Where I live, we just had several inches of snow. Not only does the Bible say a few things about snow itself, but it also… Read More »The Doctrine of Winter
Psalm 124 is a psalm of corporate thanksgiving, a psalm that instructs us how to thank God together. This psalm also instructs us as to… Read More »If, Then, But, Therefore: How Psalm 124 Instructs Us for Thanksgiving
Psalm 23 has been precious to the saints throughout the ages. It gives comfort in the midst of death, and it strengthens our delight and… Read More »The Lord as Shepherd: Our Greatest Delight
Acts 3–4 records how Peter and John healed a lame man. As their spokesman, Peter explained to the Jewish people (Acts 3:12–26) and their leaders… Read More »The Names of Jesus and Their Significance in Acts 3–4
The body of Christ is something bigger than the local church, and believers should in theory be able to serve at one church just as… Read More »Thoughts on Local Church Membership, Then and Now
This post is the last of three in this brief series on congregational singing, and the points below are conclusions made from an examination of… Read More »New Testament Instruction on Congregational Singing: An Examination of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 (Part 3 of 3)
Last week, we begin this short series by looking at Ephesians 5:19 with a view towards learning how to worship with singing and music in… Read More »New Testament Instruction on Congregational Singing: An Examination of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 (Part 2 of 3)
Note: This post is the first of a three-part series. This post examines Ephesians 5:19, the next post examines Colossians 3:16, and the final post… Read More »New Testament Instruction on Congregational Singing: An Examination of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 (Part 1 of 3)
Among other reasons that could be given, I believe the practice of formal church membership is necessary in our context in light of the presence… Read More »In Defense of Church Membership
Psalm 110:1 enjoys more references in the NT than any other verse from the OT. It is quoted 5 times and given allusion 15 times.… Read More »A Snapshot Summary of the Use of Psalm 110:1 in the NT
Matthew 28:18–20 states, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and… Read More »The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20