New Testament Description of Church Leadership This article is the second in a mini-series on church leadership. The intent of this series is to present the biblical basis for church leadership portrayed in the New Testament. Part 1 of this series described various church leadership models that exist in churches today and gave a brief summary of…
Overview of Common Forms of Church Government Most churches agree with the following statement: “With Christ as our Chief Shepherd, we desire the leadership in our church family to be under the direction of the Holy Spirit and in conformity to the Word of God.” With the above statement in view, this series will review…
Characteristics of Church Leaders Thus far, this series has presented several biblical insights about church leaders and leadership plans. This study highlights characteristics of church leaders and does not review the specific leadership qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. As a point of clarification, “characteristic” is defined as a distinguishing trait, while “qualification” is defined…
The REAL Christmas Story How long have you been making plans for your funeral? As far as your life on this earth is concerned, your birth started the countdown to your death. Yet, if you are like most people with good health, you don’t think about the physical end of your life. Hardly anyone plans…
The greatest personal challenge a Christian will face is to become a Christ-like servant. It is the low road to a believer’s high calling. It is a challenge because it goes against our natural desire for popularity, power, and prominence. Not surprisingly, Jesus was the perfect example of a servant when He lived on the…
It is safe to say that hundreds of millions of people around the world know of someone who has either committed adultery or has experienced the trauma caused by a spouse’s marital unfaithfulness. Sadly, adultery has become part of the fabric of life in countries and cultures across the globe. In spite of its prevalence,…
Excerpted from Counseling Must Be Based Solely on the Bible God’s Word is changeless and remains as powerful and applicable to life today as it was for those living thousands of years ago. On the other hand, secular psychology and psychotherapy are relatively new approaches to address matters of life and conduct. Even though the…
One of the most well-known, yet false, concepts is the need for believers in Christ to “forgive themselves.” Yet, if it is necessary for a believer to “forgive self” in addition to receiving God’s forgiveness, then a believer is actually saying that God’s plan for forgiveness is insufficient. Here is why: When God says that…
In educational and psychological circles, one is bombarded with the need for “good self-esteem.” Never mind that these same schools of thought cannot agree on what comprises good self-esteem or how self-esteem can even be defined or measured. Despite disagreement about what it is or how it can be obtained, good self-esteem is touted as…
A Symbol Not of Our Worthiness, but Our Unworthiness by Randy Alcorn, Director of Eternal Perspective Ministries Years ago I spoke at a Christian event where the vocalist got up to sing one of my favorite songs, “Amazing Grace.” But I was taken aback when I heard the first line: “Amazing Grace, how sweet the…