Who Was Barnabas in the Bible? Reflections on Being a Man of Encouragement
“A personal relationship with Jesus Christ” has been a popular catchphrase in Western Christian circles for over a century. Theologically, there is merit in the phrase as we all must stand before God personally and cannot secure our salvation through the faith of others or our religious law keeping. We all must decide, on our […]
Good News for the City
We know that gospel means good news, but what does that mean? The gospel has too often been reduced, personalized, and spiritualized so that it’s merely about acknowledging sin, accepting Christ, and securing a spot in heaven. This is tidy; but it’s not easily found in Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Paul focuses in on a different […]
Summary of 2 Timothy: Understanding the Basics of 2 Timothy in the Bible
Here is a short summary of 2 Timothy: 2 Timothy is a personal letter from the apostle Paul to his friend and colleague-in-ministry Timothy, and it’s the last letter from Paul that we have. While carrying out ministry in the Aegean region after his first Roman imprisonment, Paul was arrested in Troas and once again […]
Summary of Titus: Understanding the Basics of Titus in the Bible
Here is a short summary of the book of Titus: Titus is a personal letter from Paul to Titus, a long-time partner in ministry. Paul and Titus had begun making disciples and starting churches on the island of Crete, and Paul left Titus there to finish setting things in order in the churches. Titus needed […]
Renewing a Focus on Unreached Peoples
Very few laborers are going to the unreached and unharvested parts of the world. This means we must rethink why, how, and where are we sending our people. If we seek to obey what Jesus has commanded us to do, then we need to radically shift our resources to the unreached. This may mean sending […]
Paul and Timothy: 7 Steps of Apprenticeship
The American church today is facing a pastoral succession crisis. The vast majority of church leaders struggle to find mature emerging leaders. But what if the problem isn’t a leadership shortage but a lack of investment? The best way forward is for church leaders at every level (staff or volunteer) to begin making apprentices wherever […]
Summary of 1-2 Thessalonians: Understanding the Basics of 1-2 Thessalonians in the Bible
Here is a short summary of 1-2 Thessalonians: Paul wrote these two letters to a brand new church in the city of Thessalonica, the largest city in Macedonia. After starting the church and only teaching them for a short time, Paul was forced to leave town. The church was facing opposition from the people in […]
Knowing Christ: The Goal That Makes Other Obsessions Look Like Garbage
Being a disciple is not just about attending church once a week, or on the “special” times throughout the year, like Christmas and Easter, putting some surplus cash in the offering plate once in a while, and volunteering once a year at Vacation Bible School. Disciples live daily for the pursuit of following Christ and […]
