Posts Tagged ‘Discipleship’
Church Discipline
Norman Pyle “Havoc may … result from the mishandling of disciplinary matters.” Discipline is a hushed-up word in today’s churches and a neglected practice. The permissive attitude of the world toward sin has even infiltrated Christian homes. The result? Inside and outside the church, men do “that which is right in their own eyes,” or…
Read MoreOut of the Will of God?
George Stiekes Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17 How do you know when you are out of the will of God? John 13 through 17 records a very intimate relationship between Jesus and His disciples. These chapters contain the farewell discourse of Jesus just prior…
Read MoreMoses
A sermon by Bob Jones, Jr. Moses was a man of mountains and a mountain of a man. He was a man of waters, cradled on a river, commanding the sea, bringing water from living rock, but halted by a muddy stream he could not cross. He was a man of fire who knew flame…
Read MoreEvangelism and Discipleship as a Way of LIFE
Paul Warf Today a new way of thinking has emerged. Our world has undergone a cultural earthquake due to the rise of postmodern culture and ideas. Most postmoderns are not going to be impressed with only our verbal presentations of the gospel. What is needed is a people who live out the gospel in transparent,…
Read MoreTemptations Faced by Teenagers
John C. Vaughn Most preachers know what it is like to prepare a message on an assigned topic. I was once asked by a conference host to preach on the subject “The Enemies of Fundamentalism.” Immediately I began to compile a mental list of outspoken individuals who oppose the doctrine of separation and important ecclesiastical…
Read MoreInvolving College Students in Ministry
Michael D. Cruice Ministry to college students should be considered under the single-adult ministry umbrella. Being such a student is a transitional stage, such as a caterpillar would experience en route to becoming a butterfly. A fundamental issue is an understanding that these individuals are adults choosing to go to school and that they ought…
Read MoreThe Layman’s Role in Campus Ministry
Burt Campbell As a senior in a liberal college, I was under great conviction when an older gentleman named Bruce Galloway showed up. “Papa G” was in his mid-seventies at the time and was reaching out to athletes at the college. He invited several of us to a weekly Bible study in his home, and…
Read MoreDeveloping Leaders in the Church
Ken Hay Through the years church-growth specialists have published articles, books, and surveys that demonstrate a vital principle: when the pastor is the leader of the church and is inspiring the lay people to be the ministers, that church has growth potential. But on the other hand, when the people become the leaders and the…
Read MoreThe Debt You Cannot Pay
Jim Oesterwind It’s hard to love people who feel entitled to your love. I guess you’re just supposed to be grateful to bask in the presence of one so loveable. When a person feels that he is God’s gift to the world, that person has very little to give the world. But when a person…
Read MoreProvidential Dullness? Luke 18:34
Layton Talbert The writers of the synoptic Gospels record three occasions on which the Lord Jesus explicitly forewarned his disciples of His approaching betrayal, death and resurrection. (See a harmony of the Gospels to compare the exact parallel passages.) The first occasion prompted Peter’s rebuke of the Lord and the Lord’s rebuke in reply (Mt.16/…
Read More