For a while, the headlines were wonderfully encouraging. Christianity was making a comeback. Young people were returning to church. After decades of decline, Britain was apparently experiencing a quiet revival. Christians understandably rejoiced. Pastors shared the statistics. Churches celebrated the prospect of renewed spiritual interest. Perhaps the tide was turning. Then came the uncomfortable news.Continue reading “Is Britain Really Experiencing a Christian Revival? And What If It Isn’t?”
Tag Archives: Ministry
Stop Trying to Discover Your Spiritual Gift. Start Serving the Church.
Somewhere along the way, we’ve managed to turn spiritual gifts into something they’re not supposed to be. What God intended for the building up of his church, we’ve turned into an exercise in self-discovery. What was meant to draw attention to the generosity of the Holy Spirit has become another opportunity to focus on ourselves.Continue reading “Stop Trying to Discover Your Spiritual Gift. Start Serving the Church.”
Don’t Just Explain the Text: Why Preachers Must Apply It Specifically
There is a sentence that can sound wonderfully spiritual at the end of a sermon “Now go and apply this to your life.” The problem is that it may mean almost nothing. A congregation can hear thirty minutes of careful exegesis, understand the structure of the passage, appreciate the historical background, admire the preacher’s theologicalContinue reading “Don’t Just Explain the Text: Why Preachers Must Apply It Specifically”
Not Old, Not Young, Not Done: Why the Church Needs Christians Who Still Have Plenty Left in the Tank
There is a phrase I have heard more than once in church life “I think it’s time for me to step back and let the younger people do it.” Sometimes that is exactly the right instinct. Churches need mature Christians who are willing to train others, hand over responsibility and rejoice when a younger believerContinue reading “Not Old, Not Young, Not Done: Why the Church Needs Christians Who Still Have Plenty Left in the Tank”
Should Christians Eat Halal Meat? What 1 Corinthians Teaches Us About Food, Freedom and Conscience
Can Christians eat halal meat? It sounds like a fairly modern question. Walk into a supermarket, order food from a takeaway, or eat in certain restaurants in Britain and you may discover that the meat being served is halal. For some Christians that barely registers. For others it raises an immediate concern: Has this meat beenContinue reading “Should Christians Eat Halal Meat? What 1 Corinthians Teaches Us About Food, Freedom and Conscience”
Want to Preach Better? Learn to Write Better
Over the past year, I’ve received more positive feedback on my writing and, perhaps more significantly, on my preaching. That has made me wonder: what changed? I don’t think I suddenly became more theological. I don’t think I discovered some hidden preaching technique. I haven’t spent hours crafting clever sound bites or trying to manufactureContinue reading “Want to Preach Better? Learn to Write Better”
Rebuilding Trust in Church Leadership: Biblical Models for Integrity and Transparency After a Season of Scandals
Trust is slowly earned and quickly lost. That is true in families, workplaces, friendships and churches. Yet when trust is broken by a Christian leader, the damage can feel especially deep. Pastors and elders preach the truth, call others to holiness, offer spiritual guidance and are often welcomed into the most vulnerable moments of people’sContinue reading “Rebuilding Trust in Church Leadership: Biblical Models for Integrity and Transparency After a Season of Scandals”
Saturday Snippets (July 11)
As well as reading a lot of books, I also read a ton of articles every week. Here are some of the articles that I’ve read recently and have found interesting, helpful, challenging and encouraging. I hope that they will be the same for you, my dear readers.
Taught in the Valley: Why God Often Uses Suffering to Make Us Depend on Him
There are lessons God teaches us in the valley that we rarely learn on the mountain top. I wish that were not true. I wish there were easier ways to learn dependence, humility, endurance, compassion and prayer. I wish sanctification could happen without tears, weakness, sleepless nights, hospital appointments, unanswered questions and bodies that doContinue reading “Taught in the Valley: Why God Often Uses Suffering to Make Us Depend on Him”
The Quiet Crisis of Prayerless Orthodoxy
There is a danger that can creep into conservative evangelical churches quietly, almost respectably. It does not usually arrive with scandal. It does not always look like compromise. It can sit under faithful preaching, sing doctrinally rich hymns, affirm historic confessions, defend biblical truth online, and recommend excellent books. It is the danger of prayerlessContinue reading “The Quiet Crisis of Prayerless Orthodoxy”
