Having the life and ministry God wants us to have is not totally up to God; it is dependent or contingent upon our response to His will. Sometimes God tells people things they don’t feel they can do or accomplish. Perhaps they looked at themselves, their surroundings, and their resources and concluded they don’t have what it takes to do what they heard God say. And if that is all they looked at, they may be correct! … read more
We see Paul conducting a leadership meeting in a “retreat” venue in nearby Miletus with the elders from the church in Ephesus. In Acts 20:17-38, Paul presents the example of his own life and ministry to demonstrate how they are to serve Christ. He presents such vital topics as humility, consecration, perseverance, and doctrinal content, and he provides details about the serious nature of their God-given responsibilities. … read more
Tenho certeza que você já comeu alguma vez em um daqueles restaurantes chineses, em que o garçom serve biscoito da sorte após a refeição. Não creio que muitas pessoas levem tais mensagens a sério, mas as pessoas gostam de quebrar o biscoito para ver o que ele diz. Em alguma medida, parece que todos querem ouvir que tudo irá bem e que elas conseguirão obter o que querem. Em outras palavras, todos desejam esperança, confirmação e encorajamento; e isso é entendível. … read more
If there is one trait you love seeing in a staff member or volunteer, what is it? Similarly, what is one trait you feel is especially problematic in a staff member or volunteer?
Ao longo da História da Igreja, o Espírito Santo tem se manifestado para curar, para abençoar, para libertar e para encher de poder. Da mesma forma que é maravilhoso ler a respeito dos “sinais notáveis” de Deus (Atos 4:16), também é importante reconhecer e apreciar o total espectro do mover do Espírito Santo, incluindo sua forma mais sutil de se mover. … read more
A genuine faith in God leads you to commit completely to Him. Commitment is a responsibility given to believers by God. Failing to take care of your responsibility cannot be credited to anything or anyone but you. It’s up to you to hear from God by faith. It’s up to you to trust the plan of God, and it’s up to you to handle your responsibility of commitment to God. … read more
The idea of gathering children for religious instruction has deep historical roots, as has been evidenced within the Jewish culture. The Hebrew people were considered nomads and the tribal leaders also were included in the role of pedagogy. History validates that every synagogue was a school and all the children were required to attend the schools on the Sabbath to receive that instruction. … read more
It should go without saying that a Christian should not read the Bible the way a superstitious person might read a fortune cookie. Messages in cookies typically tell people what they want to hear, but the Bible tells us what we need to hear. I’m absolutely not against a Christian reading and being inspired by a single verse or an inspirational quote—those can be helpful sources of encouragement to us. I am concerned, though, that many people today treat Scripture as though its sole purpose is to provide encouragement and motivation … read more
How do you, as a pastor, choose who to receive counsel from? What are some examples of where counsel has been really helpful to you, and have there been instances where it was important that you reject certain counsel?
Disfuncional tem se tornado uma palavra bem popular em nossa sociedade. Alguns ouvem tal termo e pensam em uma anomalia médica – algum órgão ou parte do corpo não funcionando corretamente. Outros pensam em um contexto familiar pouco saudável em que a confiança e a paz foram gravemente corroídas. Além dessas situações, outras pessoas ouvem a palavra disfuncional e pensam em um contexto governamental ou de negócios em que a comunicação é fraca e a incompetência reina de forma abundante. … read more
Is it possible that our generation will finally be the generation that brings completion to the Great Commission? If we commit to key strategic choices, we can, and we will! “We can if we want to!” That was the conclusion five William College students came too as they sheltered under the cover of a haystack in the middle a Western Massachusetts farm. It was the summer of 1806 and as they were praying, they were caught in a sudden downpour. … read more
All through church history, the Holy Spirit has manifested himself to heal, bless, deliver, and empower. As wonderful as it is to learn about the “notable works” of God (Acts 4:16), it is also important to recognize and appreciate the full spectrum of the Holy Spirit’s activities, including his more subtle activity. Instead of having a broad appreciation for God’s comprehensive work, the disciples tended to focus on a more spectacular aspect. For example, they were exuberant that demons were subject to them when they used the name of Jesus. … read more
I’d love to learn what other pastors have done in recovering from a misstep? Would you share (1) a mistake you made in pastoring, and (2) what you did to recover from that mistake?
As pessoas amam previsibilidade. Gosto de saber que, se fizer tal coisa, obterei determinado resultado. Isaac Newton abordou tal fato em suas leis quando determinou que, “Para toda ação, há uma reação”. Em outras palavras, se eu pegar uma bola de borracha e quicá-la, ela voltará com uma velocidade simular. Espiritualmente falando, a Bíblia aborda sobre a lei da semeadura e da colheita: “Tudo aquilo que o homem semear, ele também colherá”. … read more
For many years, I’ve had the privilege of teaching the subject of marriage and family, a topic I believe is very close to the heart of God. The Bible schools where I taught were in different countries with different traditions and cultures regarding the subject, so I prayerfully asked the Lord to help me represent His thoughts and ways and not just the culture I was most familiar with or my personal experience. … read more
Dysfunction has become a popular buzzword in our society. Some hear the word and think of a medical abnormality—some organ or body part is not working correctly. Others think of an unhealthy family situation where trust and peace have been badly eroded. Yet others hear dysfunction and think of a business or government setting where communication is poor and incompetency abounds. God himself is a God who functions. In my book, Your Place on God’s Dream Team, I share that the Father plans, the Son performs, and the Spirit perfects. … read more
What do you, as a pastor, see yourself focusing on in 2019? Are there areas of personal growth, staff development, or overall church goals that you have in your heart? What do you want to see happen in this coming year in your life, in your church emphases, and in the lives of those you lead?
Recentemente, eu falei para a congregação do pastor Terry Roberts, perto de St. Louis, Missouri. Ele me pediu para ensinar a respeito do luto, e, depois, foram lançados alguns grupos para auxiliar pessoas nesse processo. Foi bom voltar atrás e revisitar alguns materiais do meu livro, Vida após a Morte: Redescobrindo a Vida após a Morte de um Ente Querid. Não somente aqueles que estão de luto precisam de conforto, mas … read more
Several years ago I enrolled in an online personal growth program. One of the things I had to do in that program was to state in one sentence what my life was about, and it had to include what I do on a daily basis. It took some time and some soul searching for me to write a sentence that described my purpose in life and in which I was involved in every day. … read more
Back in 1983, when I was just about to get out of Bible school, the Holy Spirit spoke to me by tongues and interpretation. He said, “A life lived selfishly is a life wasted. The only reason for a man to live is to bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and teach them to do likewise. For this reason I have called you. Don’t forget it.” … read more
People love predictability. I like knowing that when I do certain things, I will get certain results. Isaac Newton communicated this regarding the laws of motion when he stated, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In other words, if I take a rubber ball and throw it down hard, it will rebound or bounce back at a similar velocity. Spiritually speaking, the Bible refers to the laws of sowing and reaping: “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Unfortunately, especially in the short term, the laws of human interaction are not as predictable as the laws of physics … read more
We are looking to formalize a process for handling benevolence needs. How do other churches handle such requests, and what processes do they have for receiving, reviewing, and approving benevolence requests? Do other churches use deacons or other staff members for such matters?
The reality is that (1) God is good and (2) we live in a fallen world with much pain. God is not the source of our pain, but is the source of our comfort. As much as we want to be positive people and “stay on the victory side,” there is much to be said for the awareness of our need for comfort and to be comforters. British Minister, F. B. Meyer said, “If I had my ministry over again, I would devote far more time to the ministry of comfort and encouragement.” … read more
Our God is a truly amazing, loving, limitless God! Over the years of our lives, we may have limited our thinking, and limited our faith by inaccurate teaching we grew up on, or by experiences we’ve had. But when we’re teaching our kids about God, or ministering to them in a church setting, we need to remember to present God’s Word in its fullness, without filtering it through our own tainted lenses. … read more
Na vida, enfrentamos situações em que os números não estão a nosso favor. Circunstâncias, pessoas, estatísticas, tempo e outros fatores parecem trabalhar contra nós. Sentir-se em desvantagem, sozinho e isolado pode gerar diversas formas de miséria, incluindo desesperança, autopiedade e desespero. Nesses casos, é vital nos lembramos que Deus é o Supremo Diferenciador na equação! Nunca se esqueça que Deus + Você = A Maioria! … read more
