Posts by Micah Colbert
The Spirit’s Work in Our Spiritual Growth
Spiritual growth is possible because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit actively works in our lives to make us more like Christ. He accomplishes His sanctifying work in several different ways: He Intercedes for Us – Ro. 8:26-27 There are times when we simply do not know what we should pray for.…
Read MoreUnderstanding Our Union with Christ
A Forgotten Doctrine When was the last time you heard a sermon about union with Christ? Union with Christ might be one of the most neglected, overlooked doctrines of the Christian faith. And yet, as we will see in a moment, this glorious truth is the basis for every blessing and joy we experience as…
Read MoreAssessing Potential Leaders: 10 Diagnostic Questions
“Where are the leaders?” I don’t need to convince anyone that the church is facing a leadership crisis. In times like these, churches can be tempted to hastily place unqualified men in positions of leadership before taking time to assess their character or qualifications (1 Tim. 5:22-25). As a result, the church suffers instead of…
Read MoreAssessing Potential Leaders: 10 Diagnostic Questions
“Where are the leaders?” I don’t need to convince anyone that the church is facing a leadership crisis. In times like these, churches can be tempted to hastily place unqualified men in positions of leadership before taking time to assess their character or qualifications (1 Tim. 5:22-25). As a result, the church suffers instead of…
Read MoreThe Ministry of Writing: A Historical Example and a Word of Encouragement
Richard Baxter was one of the most voluminous writers in English history. He authored between 141-200 books during his lifetime. As one of his biographers notes, “The influence of is books is incalculable: from the early 1650’s they enjoyed greater sales than those of any other English writer.”1 Although The Reformed Pastor might be his…
Read MoreThe Blessing of Diligence
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going” ~ Ecc. 9:10 God’s Word has a lot to say about diligence. Recently, I took some time to consider what the Proverbs teach us about this…
Read More“Take Heed to the Flock”: Baxter and the Necessity of Pastoral Care
Richard Baxter (1615-1691) was one of the most influential pastors in church history. For nearly two decades, he labored as a Noncomformist pastor in the small town of Kidderminster. His gospel ministry there not only transformed the town, but changed the entire landscape of pastoral ministry in England as well. Known for his evangelistic zeal…
Read MoreA Few Thoughts on Reading
In his classic work, “How to Read a Book,” Mortimer Adler writes, “In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you.” In order for good books “to get through to you,” consider some of the following……
Read MoreWhatever Happened to Repentance?
Can I Keep My Sin and Go to Heaven? A while back, I was witnessing to a group of college-age guys. They were familiarity with Christianity, but they didn’t know the gospel. As I spoke of sin and judgment, one of the guys began squirming nervously. I could tell that he was troubled by what…
Read More“The Most Important Christian Duty”: George Muller’s Counsel for Christian Living
Known for his life of faith, power in prayer, and service to orphans, George Muller (1805-1898) was a man whose depth with Christ stands in stark contrast to the shallowness that pervades our Christian landscape. Recently, I took the opportunity to read Muller’s autobiography again. If you’ve never read it, I would highly recommend that…
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