Pastoral Articles
A Spiritual Tonic
“For now we live if you are standing fast in the Lord.” So wrote the apostle Paul to his beloved brothers and sisters in the church of Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 3:8). He acknowledged their faithfulness as a spiritual tonic, which emboldened him to persevere in the...
Be Encouraged
I received this message the other day from a church member:I walked with [a non-church member] yesterday and we were talking about single mothers battling financially. I mentioned that we have single moms in our church and I don’t know how people do it without a...
Called To Be Holy: The Discipline of the Church
The title of this article is the title of a short, but powerful, book I was recently asked to review. I am grateful that I not only received a free book (like candy to a kid!) but also that this book reminded me of our need to pursue holiness as a congregation. The...
Missing the Gospel in Gospel-centred Ministry
I recently read a book that quoted retired (but still preaching) pastor, Sinclair Ferguson, who spoke of a congregation in Scotland that had the reputation for going to church not to hear the gospel but to hear if the gospel was preached. Think about that. Let that...
The Ministers We Need
Every couple of months, I receive an email with a list of churches around the globe that are looking for pastors (lead pastors and associate pastors of various kinds). Some of these churches need a pastor who will continue the work of reformation or to revitalise an...
New England Renewal
Jill and I have a nephew-in-law who pastors a church in the hometown of the famed nineteenth-century evangelist D. L. Moody. Moody is well-known for large evangelistic crusades in which God undoubtedly saved thousands of people. His influence is felt today through...
The Last Time
A few months ago, I observed that my favourite chair in my office, a wingback, was looking tired, to say the least. I have owned this chair for thirty years and, about fifteen years ago, I had it reupholstered. It was time to do so again. When my newly upholstered...
The Gift of Ribs
When our daughter Jessa was young, she loved pork ribs, but she was a bit confused about what to call them. When we would order at a restaurant she would say that she wanted “bones.” I felt a bit embarrassed as the waiter would look at me with an expression of rebuke...
When Elders Fall
A couple of weeks ago, while out of the country on a ministry trip, I slipped on wet tiles stepping out of the shower. As I was going down, I had two instantaneous and simultaneous thoughts: “Old people are susceptible to falling,” and, “Try not to break anything when...