The Pastor's Study

New Blog Coming Soon

2009-12-17T10:32:00.000-08:00

My new blog's launch date is Monday, January 4. I'm calling it, Renovate Your Life.

Here is the link (You won't be able to access it until January 4th).

Have a very merry and blessed Christmas and may God richly bless you in 2010.

In Christ,
Dale

Starting Over

2007-05-29T13:06:00.001-07:00

at

DaleTedder

New Preaching Now newsletter is out

2007-05-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

Click here to read

Pastoral Care experiences I've had

2007-05-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

Remove barriers to fellowship: Ways of welcoming that work

2007-05-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

by Ken Walker 30 Apr 2007

Acts 2:42 describes the early church as being devoted to the apostles' teaching, to eating together, to prayer and to fellowship. The Message translates fellowship as "doing life together." While that means different things to different churches, a trio of church consultants Church Central spoke with sees many congregations faltering in fellowship.

Click here to read the whole article.

Latest 9Marks Newsletter is out

2007-05-02T05:27:00.000-07:00

HOW TO PREACH

A Conversational Approach: Will it Preach? Some say monologues are “out” and conversations are “in.” Gilbart-Smith says that’s right…and wrong. By Mike Gilbart-Smith

A Pastors’ and Theologians’ Forum We asked a roundtable of pastors and theologians one question: "Must the sermon be a monologue?" Answers from Ajith Fernando, R. Albert Mohler, Jr., Kevin Smith & Derek Thomas

A Narrative Approach: Will it Preach? Some say propositions are “out” and narrative is “in.” Driscoll says that’s wrong…and right. By Mark Driscoll

A Biblical Case for Expositional Preaching Does the Bible actually say that preachers should preach expositionally? By Mike Bullmore

Book Review: Preaching Parables to Postmodernsby Brian C. Stiller Reviewed by Carl Trueman

APPLYING THE SERMON

Where Does Your Congregation Turn For Help? Christians are not listening to their preachers but to Oprah. Why? Because preachers and churches aren’t helping Christians apply the gospel to their lives. By Deepak Reju

Preaching Up: Applying the Word of God to Midlife and Beyond How can a young preacher preach to his elders? The answer might surprise you. By Israel Haas

Preach to the Non-Christian, the Christian, and the Church Member Here’s why good expositional preaching is saint & seeker sensitive. By Aaron Menikoff

Preach to the Ignorant, the Doubtful, and Sinners With all the talk about “knowing your audience,” how about a spiritual assessment? By Mark Dever

Check our our new blog...

2007-04-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

Romans: The Blog

Teach Your Lay-Leaders to Preach

2007-04-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

from BuildingChurchLeaders.com

From Empower your lay leaders to preach with confidence. With this theme, your leaders will learn to appreciate the authority given to their voices, to assemble an inspired message, and how to gain valuable feedback from trusted sources to keep improving their preaching.

You can use this theme either for a group training session or to give individually to people who would like to gain some experience preaching. Simply print the handouts you need and use them as necessary.

Click here to learn more and/or order this resource.

The new Preaching Now is available

2007-04-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

Click logo above to go there.

New Preaching Now Newsletter is out...

2007-04-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

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Preaching Now

2007-03-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

The new Preaching Now newsletter is up.

Unchurched Population Nears 100 Million in the U.S.

2007-03-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

March 19, 2007

(Ventura, CA) - Life in America has changed greatly since 1994, with massive changes in technology, global politics, lifestyle choices and family dynamics. But one constant has been the proportion of adults in the population who are unchurched. During that period there have been noteworthy shifts in religious behavior, but the percentage of adults who have steered clear of churches for at least the past six months has remained stable since 1994.

A new survey released by The Barna Group, which has been tracking America’s religious behavior and beliefs since 1984, reveals that one out of every three adults (33%) is classified as unchurched - meaning they have not attended a religious service of any type during the past six months. While that figure is considerably higher than the one out of five who qualified as unchurched in the early Nineties, it is statistically unchanged since 36% were recorded as having avoided religious services in the company’s 1994 study.

Click here to read the whole article.

Demand for men's ministries continues to increase

2007-03-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

After four decades in the pastorate, Buddy Griffin is riding a wave of excitement labeled "men’s ministry." The former education minister at Sagemont Church in Houston stepped into his new role two years ago, telling the senior pastor he could do more for God’s kingdom by working with men.

"This is phenomenal," says Griffin of the 800-plus men participating in the ministry, which has helped bump up the megachurch’s male membership to 44 percent, or 5 percent above the national average.

Click here to read the whole article.

New 9Marks Newsletter is Out...and is GREAT

2007-03-07T06:18:00.000-08:00

Mark Dever and company at 9Mark Ministries are a great blessing to pastors everywhere. Their March newsletter is out and is loaded with helpful articles, interviews, and lessons. I encourage you to make great use of this wonderful resource.

ELDER TRAINING

Lessons in Shepherding 1: God, Moses and David
Lessons in Shepherding 2: Jeremiah and Ezekiel
Lessons in Shepherding 3: The Gospels
Lessons in Shepherding 4: Acts, 1 Peter, and Revelation
Trace the shepherd theme throughout the Scriptures, and consider what it means for elders today. Here are four classes one pastor presented to his elders. By Paul Alexander

How Ligon Trains His MenHere’s how one healthy church trains incoming elders and deacons.The First Presbyterian Jackson Officer’s Training Manual

Seminary Smarties—Now Showing At A Website Near YouBiblicalTraining.org gives lay elders an opportunity to take free seminary classes from top professors. We asked its founder to introduce the site to you. By Bill Mounce

Should We Use Statistics to Measure Ministry?A review article: God’s Potters: Pastoral Leadership and the Shaping of Congregations by Jackson W. Carroll Reviewed by Jonathan Leeman

Book Review: Shepherds After My Heart: Pastoral Traditions and Leadership in the Bibleby Timothy S. Laniak Reviewed by Jonathan Leeman

Book Review: Called to the Ministryby Edmund P. Clowney Reviewed by Ken Barbic

LIVING WITH ELDERS

Ninth Mark of a Healthy Church Member—Follows LeadershipThe health of a local church may ride exclusively on the membership’s response to the church’s leadership.By Thabiti Anyabwile

Disagreements and Differences Among EldersMatt Schmucker answers more practical questions about dealing with disputes and differences among elders, and yellow flags about finding elders. An Interview with Matt Schmucker

An Elders’ Forum We asked all the non-staff elders of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, "Thinking back to when you first became an elder, what initial lesson(s) most stand out in equipping you to elder well?"

Caring for the Pastor: The Sabbatical One advantage of the plural eldership model is that it gives a staff pastor time to rest—for your church’s sake! By Matt Schmucker

AUDIO—LEADERSHIP INTERVIEWS

Particular Redemption, The New Perspective, and More with John Piper (and Bruce Ware!) Post Date: 3/1/2007
John Piper offers his thoughts on the New Perspective and other prominent topics today. He also briefly interacts with Bruce Ware on the extent of the atonement.

Biblical Counseling with Ed Welch Post Date: 11/1/2006
Meet Ed Welch, a biblical counselor at CCEF and author of the books Depression and When People are Big and God is Small. Mark Dever asks Ed about his background and testimony, as well the topics of co-dependency, substance abuse groups like A.A., medicating depression, "integrationism," "nouthetic" counseling, the role of counseling in the local church, and much more.

Discover more resources at 9Marks Ministries

Latest Issue of PREACHING NOW is Available

2007-03-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

Click on icon for latest issue.

John MacArthur Video Podcasting Now Available

2007-03-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

Full video messages presented by Pastor-Teacher John MacArthur are now available online at http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/grace_to_you/. This site will be updated with more messages on a weekly basis.

Also, you may have the flexibility of automatically receiving programs featuring John MacArthur on your iPod/video media player via the internet without having to browse the web every day. Subscribe for free using the link above and clicking on “Video Podcasting” next to the Grace to You icon.

Loving Your Library, Part 1

2007-03-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

by Kenton C. Anderson

This is really just a self-serving apologetic. Hopefully my wife will read it and become convinced that I haven't been needlessly spending our children's future college tuition on books for my library. Oh well....dare to dream. Enjoy, Dale

This week, the student lounge at my seminary was crowded with tables full of "free books" donated by a deceased former pastor. I'm sure the pastor meant well when he was making his arrangements—but make no mistake, books are never free. Books need to be read, filed, stored, and when you come to move to a new home or office, you will have to transport them. Books are heavy, and movers charge by the pound.

I would like to believe that preachers fill their bookshelves like a master mechanic fills his toolbox. I know that a well-stocked library has always been one of the ways that pastors have impressed and sometimes intimidated people, yet I would like to think that most of us add to our libraries because of the value of the insights and information that these resources offer. Still, if we are going to profit from these books, we are going to have to think carefully about how we manage them.

Click here to read the whole article.

What Do Pastors Do All Week?

2007-03-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

By Becky R. McMillan

Church members are often unaware of what their pastors do all week and how much time they spend doing it - often only seeing them for one hour a week. This misperception of how clergy use their time can have negative consequences. Pastors express concern that their members seem mystified over how they spend their time. Some tell of complaints from members whenever they do not see the pastors' car at the church. Pastors have expressed concern that this lack of understanding contributes to church members resisting the idea that the pastor should have a set day off or time away from ministry for renewal.

Clergy obviously work more than one hour a week, but what they do or should be doing during their week is often a mystery - and not just to church members. When we interviewed local church pastors for our national survey, a frequent request they made was, "Let me know how other pastors spend their time." Our survey of local church pastors, which includes only senior or solo pastors and no associate pastors, provides a unique opportunity to examine the way local church pastors spend their time.

Click here to read the rest of the findings.

From Pulpit and Pew

Thanks to Man in the Mirror

The Pastor's Pastor

2007-03-05T11:41:00.000-08:00

Most of you who read this blog (all 8 of you) have probably never heard of Albert Martin. Until about seven years ago I hadn't either. But I give thanks to God that I was "introduced" to him...through his audio messages. He has been my unofficial pastor ever since.

Pastor Martin serves a Baptist congregation on Montville, New Jersey. To hear his sermons is to be whisked away to another era. Once you hear him you will realize that he will never be asked to write for Leadership Journal or be asked to to speak at one of Willow Creek's Leadership Summits.

But for anyone interested in hearing God's Word preached with the unction of the Holy Spirit and keen biblical exposition, you need look no further. He's a humble man, and yet his sermons are bold and full of conviction.

His church used to be home to a Bible college/seminary of sorts. Though it no longer exists, you can still purchase lectures (and here...and here) that Pastor Martin gave to the men in his care. I listen to them at least once a year. You can also purchase other wonderful and encouraging messages by him that are addressed to pastors (see above links). It was once said of Charles Spurgeon that he "had an old soul"...meaning that he had more wisdom that anyone his age should have had. Pastor Martin comes across that way to me.

I'm not sure how many of you will enjoy him, agree with his exegesis, etc. However, if you are willing, there is much to learn from Albert Martin and much profit in allowing him to pastor you as well.

To purchase other sermons by Albert Martin click...here and here. Or, click here to listen to many of his sermons online (or download onto your mp3 player).

Blessings,
Dale

Is Your Church A Praying Church?

2007-02-27T12:51:00.000-08:00

Chuck Lawless, at Church Central.com, discusses how you can diagnose whether or not your church is a "praying church." Here's an excerpt...

Prayer is the means by which we get the power to grow a God-honoring church. Most leaders are well aware of this truth. The problem, though, is this: most churches pray reactively rather than proactively. That is, they respond in prayer when a need develops, but they seldom take charge in prayer by seeking God’s face before a problem develops. Even our prayer lists reflect this tendency, as we include on the list primarily those who have made known their need for prayer.

Click here to read the whole article.

Here are some related articles, also from Church Central.com...

Church leaders don't need more time to pray

Back-to-school prayer unites church, community

10 ideas to power-up your church to pray

Also: Praying Pastors: A Non-negotiable for Church Growth by Chuck Lawless

A Prayer for Fellow Pastors

2007-02-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

O Lord God Almighty, who didst endue thine apostles so richly with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, grant to all thy servants who minister and teach in thy holy name, the spirit of wisdom and love, that in all their words and deeds they may seek thy glory and the increase of thy kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

New Email Newsletters Are Available

2007-02-27T07:35:00.000-08:00

Preaching Now newsletter from Preaching.com is available.

ESermons.com's newsletter is out.

The Lectio Divina

2007-02-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

PreachingToday.com has a great sermon available on the Lectio Divina. (It requires becoming a member to gain access.)

There are some free things available to PreachingToday.com as well. It's well worth checking out.

Evaluating the Ministry

2007-02-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

by Aubrey Malphurs

The idea of having someone evaluate you as a leader and pastor or evaluate the ministry of your church can be frightening and intimidating. Who in their right mind would invite personal or ministry critique? Some would argue that we should not evaluate the church or its people because it is a spiritual, not a secular, undertaking. Only God should appraise a spiritual ministry such as a church. I would argue that we must not allow fear and personal feelings of intimidation to get in the way of honest, objective feedback. That a ministry is a spiritual endeavor is more an argument for than against healthy critique.

Far too many churches have offered up ministry mediocrity under the guise of "it's a spiritual undertaking for God." Scripture encourages God's people to give and do their best for him. Israel was to bring their best animals for sacrifice (Lev. 22:20–22; Num. 18:29–30). When they did not bring the best, it was an indication that their hearts had wandered from God (Mal. 1:6–8). In Ephesians 6:5–8 and Colossians 3:23–24, Paul teaches that God expects us to give only our best in our work. We are to do our work as if we are working for God. When Jesus turned the water into wine at Cana, it was the best, not mediocre, wine (John 2:10). If God gave his best for us when he gave his Son, (John 3:16), how can we not give our best for him?

Even if a church doesn't invite critique, it takes place. It takes place every Sunday on an informal level. People are very discriminating. On the way home from church, a husband naturally asks his wife, "What did you think about the sermon?" Or, "Do you like the new Sunday school class?" Some go so far as to have roast pastor or roast church for Sunday lunch. Seeker church pastors are quick to remind us that when lost people visit our services, they do so with a critical eye. If ministry evaluation takes place on an informal level, why not move it to a formal level so that we can benefit from it rather than be a victim of it?

Click here to read the rest of this article.

Prosperity Preaching: Deceitful and Deadly

2007-02-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

by John Piper

When I read about prosperity-preaching churches, my response is: “If I were not on the inside of Christianity, I wouldn’t want in.” In other words, if this is the message of Jesus, no thank you.

Luring people to Christ to get rich is both deceitful and deadly. It’s deceitful because when Jesus himself called us, he said things like: “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). And it’s deadly because the desire to be rich plunges “people into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9). So here is my plea to preachers of the gospel.

Click here to read John Piper's seven reasons not to preach a "health and wealth" gospel.

Preaching Now

2007-02-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

This week's edition of Preaching Now is available to read. Lots of good stuff gathered in this weekly newsletter.

What Does a Healthy Church Look Like? (Part 1)

2007-02-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

I'm usually a bit skeptical about lists of what a healthy church ought to look like. But, because I'm a firm believer (from experience) of "finding gold in the gravel," I thought I would pass along yet another list.

Here's a snippet...

Your doctor says you're healthy, no signs of disease; blood pressure and weight are within normal limits.

The fitness instructor says you're in terrible shape, resting pulse and body-fat percentage are way above normal; flexibility is poor, and you just flunked the treadmill test.

If both can be right, what does it mean to be healthy? And following the same analogy, what does it mean for a church to be healthy? What signs indicate a congregation is both free of disease and spiritually fit?

Leadership set out to answer those questions. We talked with a variety of pastors and leaders and gathered diagnostic tools and checklists, both descriptive and prescriptive.

We did not find just one answer, but we did find the many responses revealing.

So here, with contradictions and redundancies intact, are various ways to identify and maintain a healthy church.

Click here to read the whole article.

TEN WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR CHURCH'S WORSHIP SERVICE

2007-02-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

by Donald Whitney

Because of the traveling part of my preaching and teaching ministry, I worship the Lord in a different church most Sundays of the year. My experiences in churches nationwide, together with my years of teaching a seminary course on worship, cause me to think a great deal about the worship of God in the local church.

One observation I have made is that most churches could make dramatic improvements in the quality of their worship event by making some changes that are relatively simple. After a quarter-century of pastoral ministry and leading worship services, I do realize why "simple" changes are sometimes difficult to make. However, if you are a leader who senses the need for freshness in worship, you should consider these recommendations because (a) they each have a direct or indirect biblical basis, (b) they are specific enough to be practical, and (c) they can be accommodated to any church, regardless of size, location, culture, or worship style.

Click here to read this top ten list (with helpful explanations for each point).

Text to Transformation...

2007-02-22T07:11:00.000-08:00

Text to Transformation: Topics and Questions in Preparing to Preach, Teach...and Live!

by T.M. Moore

The taxonomy that follows is designed to serve as an aid in reading and studying the Bible, and in preparing to preach or teach from a particular text. It involves ten separate steps, each of which should be followed in order, but reviewed as needed throughout the process. The most important of these is step 9, in which you must determine how the text wants to shape your own life, and take up the work of assimilating its teaching.

As you work through the questions in this taxonomy, take your time. Bathe your work in prayer, waiting on the Lord to speak to you at every step in the process. Let His Spirit guide, teach, convict, fill, and direct you as you enter more deeply into your relationship with the Lord and prepare to teach His Word to others.

Click here to read the this very, very helpful document.

"Restore Us, O God!"

2007-02-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

By T.M. Moore

Thus Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) brought to a clase the first section of his passionate plea for believers of all kinds, in all places, to unite in pleading with God for the reviving and awakening grace of the Holy Spirit.

Do we believe God is able to revive His Church? To establish His glorious presence more powerfully in our midst? To move among His people unto greater heights of righteousness, peace, and joy? To draw larger numbers of lost men and women, from every nation, tribe, and tongue into His fold? To turn churches, communities, nations, even the whole world upside-down for Jesus Christ? To flood this sin-darkened world in fresh and compelling ways with the glorious light of the Gospel of our Lord and King?

The promises of Scripture indicate that He can, and will, just as the record of history demonstrates that He has.

But if He is to do so again, He commands that His people must unite in extraordinary prayer!

Click here to read the whole article. (A must read)

God's Vision for His Church: A New Year's Plea to Leadership

2007-02-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

by T.M. Moore

Another year, another church budget kicks in. For many churches the creation of a budget is mostly a formality: What did we receive in offerings last year? What can we expect this year? How do we plan to spend it? It has always been a pet peeve with me that most churches run on a calendar year when it comes to their budget (January through December) while their “ministry year” runs September through June or July (not much happens in churches in August, apart from normal weekly activities). That means, among other things, that they’re planning activities for which they have not established a budget (the current budget running out in December, while the plan extends to June or July), and they’re spending money for which they have no plan (the current plan concluding in June or July, while the budget was made through December).

Either way, it’s not good stewardship.

For the vast majority of churches, moreover, what begins in September and ends in June or July is not very well planned. The annual plan of most churches simply reflects the previous year’s routine repeated with one or two changes or additions possibly included, depending on what comes along during the year. Very few churches set meaningful goals for their activities. If people come, and they seem happy, and we meet the budget, well, what more can you want? Let’s repeat the same thing next year.

This way of “doing church” does not reflect biblical thinking. It is devoid of any compelling vision. It tends to be driven by the interests or wants of the people, or the whims of the pastor. It undertakes to achieve no clearly articulated Kingdom objectives. And it is limited by the prospects of members’ giving, rather than by the infinite resources of the Lord. The Lord’s view of His Church is much higher than that; and His view of pastors and church leaders who don’t take His view of the Church is not a little frightening.

Click here to read the whole article.

The Importance of Spiritual Formation in the Training of Ministers

2007-02-22T06:24:00.000-08:00

by Donald Whitney

An African pastor-friend told me the tragic story of an influential friend/scholar/minister in his homeland. After losing his ministry to an adulterous scandal, the man openly confessed that the beginning of his downfall was becoming "so busy in the Lord's work" that he "simply neglected to read the Scriptures and pray." The long-term effects of this spiritual decline, the dishonored minister believes, led to his immorality.

When my friend related this story to a well-known British minister, the Englishman said, "I almost interrupted you before you told me [about the neglect of the Scriptures and prayer contributing to the adultery] because I wanted to say that I knew exactly what [the reason was] in the light of discovering this to be true of every known case of ministerial adultery in the UK!"[1]

It's no secret that scandal in the ministry is as common in the American church as anywhere. Research done in 1991 by the Fuller Institute of Church Growth indicates that 37 percent of ministers confess to "having been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church."[2] A year later Leadership magazine reported that 9 percent of the pastors they surveyed said "yes" to the question, "While married, have you had sexual intercourse with someone besides your spouse?"[3] For all those who would disqualify themselves from vocational ministry for reasons of immorality, there are many more who leave--or seriously consider leaving--the ministry due to stress. Always on call, always giving of their spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical resources, always expected to meet needs, and always just 72 hours or less away from having to deliver another fresh, insightful, and life-changing message to the same group of people, armies of ministers labor on dutifully, but dispirited.

Click here to read the whole article

Prayer and Healing Service

2007-02-20T13:05:00.000-08:00

Prayer & Healing Service

James 5:13-18 - Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. [14] Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. [17] Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [18] Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

God wants his people to pray. Fewer things in Scripture are clearer than that. To pray is to enter into communion with God and thereby deepen our relationship with him. God wants us to know him, love him, and follow him. These are the very aspects of our relationship with him that prayer helps develop in the life of God’s people.

Prayer is a multifaceted thing. In and through prayer we adore God, confess sins, offer thanksgiving, and intercede on behalf of loved ones, just to name a few components of prayer. God also wants us to pray for healing. Indeed, he is the Great Physician. In fact, a substantial part of Jesus’ ministry dealt with healing.

On Sunday, March 11 at 5pm (in Langley Chapel) we will be holding a Prayer and Healing Service. In this service we will spend time praying together and praying alone. We will pray for healing and anoint with oil. We will lift our hearts and voices to God in prayer through songs of praise.

Please plan on joining us as we explore together new and vital ways to enter God’s presence and deepen our relationship with our Lord and Friend through prayer. Pastor Bruce continually calls our Southside family to do things that will cause the world’s jaw to drop. One way we can do that – an essential way for us to do that – is by becoming known as “Southside United Methodist Church: The Praying Church.” But more importantly, God wants to hear from us. Our own John Wesley said, “"God does nothing except in response to believing prayer." Let’s join together for that purpose on Sunday March 11 at 5pm.

If you have any questions about this service, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me at DaleTedder@yahoo.com or 396-2676.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Dale

How to Pray for the Pastoral Staff

2007-02-09T13:22:00.000-08:00

by John Piper

Let me say right at the beginning that I'm a huge John Piper fan. Having said that, let me still say that this article of instruction and encouragement from Piper to his church is awesome. I think it really will help any church family pray effectively for their church staff. I know I would praise God all the more if I knew I was regularly and faithfully being prayed for by my congregation in this manner. Enjoy the article. Here's an excerpt...

What a privilege to serve on the pastoral staff at Bethlehem! We on the staff all feel that way. There are many reasons. One of the greatest is that we get prayed for so often by so many with such great faith and
earnestness. We are deeply thankful.

We are eager for this to continue and for God to multiply our usefulness through your prayers. To that end here are some biblical helps. We feel like the apostle Paul, only way more needy, when he said, “Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ . . . that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak” (Colossians 4:3-4).

Click here to read the whole article.

Shaping Holy Disciples

2007-02-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

by Mark Dever

Here's an excerpt...

The Protestant reformers named three "marks by which the true church is known": the preaching of the pure doctrine of the gospel, the pure administration of the sacraments, and the exercise of church discipline to correct faults. Today, church discipline is feared as the mark of a false church, bringing to mind images of witch trials, scarlet letters, public humiliations, and damning excommunications. Does discipline itself need correction and redemption in order to be readmitted into the body of Christ? Here , Christianity Today asked an experienced pastor to explain how church discipline fell into disrepair and how it can be revived, so that the true church can fully embody the pure doctrine of the gospel once again.

Mark Dever is senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist in Washington D.C., where he has been intentional about deepening the meaning of church membership and thus church discipline. He is the author of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (Crossway). In the text below, he is interviewed by Christianity Today managing editor Mark Galli.

Click here to read the interview with Dever.

(Thanks to Building Church Leaders.com)

Test

2007-01-23T06:14:00.001-08:00

test