1 Corinthians 1:17-31 INTRODUCTION Were you persistently frustrated or discontented over the past year? Did you consistently demand your own way? If you are a believer in Christ, these attributes and other aspects of self-centeredness will increase when the reality of “Christ crucified” diminishes in your life. If that reality diminishes, then human wisdom and its offspring,…
Guest article from The One Year Book of Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament Adam lived in the Garden, where God walked with him, provided for him, and infused his life with purpose and satisfaction. When Adam sinned, he lost his perfect intimacy with God and his enjoyment of a perfect world. He became estranged from…
Hebrews 12:1-3 INTRODUCTION What motivates you in the daily race of life? If your motivation is anything that the natural world offers (riches, popularity, success, physical gratification, etc.), then you do not have God’s motivating factor at the center of your life. If your motivation is related to another person (earning respect, having them serve you,…
Is the Early Church Leadership Pattern for Today? Thus far, this series has reviewed various aspects of church leadership. Part 8 is the final presentation in this series. This study emphasizes that a plurality of elders – the New Testament plan for church leadership – remains the model for church leadership today. Some churches and denominations may…
Responsibilities & Qualifications of Church Leaders Thus far, this series has presented leadership plans along with insights about church leaders. RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHURCH LEADERS Part 6 highlighted common characteristics of believers growing in Christ. For example, all believers are spiritually gifted to minister in ways that build up the Body of Christ and bring glory to God. While ministering…
Singular Leaders in the Bible This series deals with New Testament church leadership. The New Testament leadership plan can be described as a plurality of elders or, with similar accuracy, a plurality of overseers/bishops or a plurality of shepherds/pastors. As Part 2 of this series indicated, the words for overseer/bishop (episkopos), elder (presbuteros), and shepherd/pastor (poimen) are used interchangeably in the New Testament…
Church Leadership: Plurality of Elders This is the third article in a series on Church Leadership. Part 1 gave an overview of the various forms of church leadership in use today. Part 2 focused on a church’s servant-leaders and the three Greek words that describe them. In our previous study, we saw that episkopos (overseer/bishop), presbuteros (elder) and poimen (shepherd/pastor) all refer to…
The church is described in various ways in the New Testament. One of these metaphors is a temple, a dwelling of God in the Spirit that is described in Ephesians 2:19-22. In verse 19 the church is pictured as a family or community. This partially describes the closeness God intends for His people, but the picture of the…
Excerpted from Forgiveness: The Possible Impossibility Forgiveness is, literally, at the heart of Christianity. Its meaning is not difficult to understand, but “to forgive” as a way of life is not something one does naturally. Forgiveness means “to cancel a debt” or “to set aside.” It is not based on feelings but, instead, involves a choice…
Excerpted from Forgiveness: The Possible Impossibility Forgiveness is at the heart of Christianity and means “to cancel a debt” or “to set aside.” The awesome demonstration of God’s love—the sacrifice of Jesus—is the perfect example of forgiveness that sets the standard by which God’s children are to forgive others. Ephesians 4:32, Be kind to one another,…