Church Visibility or Church Publicity?
Church leaders find themselves today harangued and prodded to build an “online presence”. This usually means a busy Facebook page, a Youtube channel, a Twitter… Read More »Church Visibility or Church Publicity?
ministry
Cold water to splash in Despair’s face over Apostasy
Of late many high-profile apostasies have rattled evangelical Christianity. Some of the men who have departed from the faith were much admired and loved for… Read More »Cold water to splash in Despair’s face over Apostasy
Beauty and Christianity’s Primary Endeavors
Once we understand that beauty is close to glory in meaning, we will without any difficulty find beauty at the heart of many Christian endeavors.… Read More »Beauty and Christianity’s Primary Endeavors
A Tale of Two Sons
A great king had two sons, who were come to the age where one should be named as the crown prince. The custom of that… Read More »A Tale of Two Sons
What Do You Mean, Relevant?
Kevin T. Bauder Many contemporary American Christians obsess over relevance. They seem to feel personally obligated to make Christianity relevant. This wish to make Christianity… Read More »What Do You Mean, Relevant?
A Philosophy of Police Chaplaincy
Roy Beacham Having described in the previous essay how God directed me into police chaplaincy, I would like to follow with a personal philosophy of… Read More »A Philosophy of Police Chaplaincy
Police Chaplaincy: A Testimony of Ministry Opportunity
Roy Beacham One of the doors of ministry that opened for me, in God’s providence, was that of police chaplaincy. Somewhere around the year 2000… Read More »Police Chaplaincy: A Testimony of Ministry Opportunity
Why I Spend Time with “Old Men” in Ministry
Jeff Straub Throughout my 35+ years of ministry, I have been privileged to meet a few grand old men—Calebs, if you will—whose strength remained undiminished… Read More »Why I Spend Time with “Old Men” in Ministry
Encouragement to Ministers
Gospel ministry is filled with both great difficulty and great encouragements. When ministers are discouraged, one of the ways that the Lord strengthens them is… Read More »Encouragement to Ministers
Ending the Year, Beginning the Year
As of last Monday, I’ve spent nineteen years as a professor at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. That’s more years than I spent in pastoral ministry… Read More »Ending the Year, Beginning the Year
What Seminary Gave Me
In June of 1979 my wife and I left Cambridge, Iowa for seminary in Denver, Colorado. We were towing a fully-loaded twelve-foot U-Haul trailer with… Read More »What Seminary Gave Me
A Plea for a Three-Year Master of Divinity, Part Two
Jeff Straub Last week, I began a discussion on the trend to combine college and seminary education into a shortened five- or six-year program. By… Read More »A Plea for a Three-Year Master of Divinity, Part Two
There are no conservative hermits
The following is excerpted and adapted from an address that I had the privilege of offering at a recent gathering of conservative friends, on the… Read More »There are no conservative hermits
“Give Attention to the Reading”
This essay was originally published on July 17, 2009. The apostle Paul instructed the young preacher Timothy to give himself to reading. In the ancient… Read More »“Give Attention to the Reading”
All Things to All Men | Part 2: Interpretative Principles
Before us are Paul’s words to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23: For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to… Read More »All Things to All Men | Part 2: Interpretative Principles
All Things to All Men | Part 1: The Context
“I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” 1 Cor 9:22. This verse, and the verses surrounding it (1… Read More »All Things to All Men | Part 1: The Context
Reflections on Summer Teaching, Part Three: The Short-Term Missionary
Travel through any international airport in the world today, especially during the summer, and you will see them: in numbers large and small, youth, college,… Read More »Reflections on Summer Teaching, Part Three: The Short-Term Missionary
Reflections on Summer Teaching
In May and July, the Lord gave me the opportunity to travel overseas to teach church history in three different countries. Two of the countries… Read More »Reflections on Summer Teaching
Pastors, Ph.D.s, and Prestige
In the Treasury of David, C. H. Spurgeon says (here commenting on Psalm 23:3a, “He restoreth my soul”), “‘He‘ does it. His ministers could not do it… Read More »Pastors, Ph.D.s, and Prestige
Relevance is Irrelevant (Part 13)
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 I have been arguing that Paul’s method of ministry deliberately avoided… Read More »Relevance is Irrelevant (Part 13)