5 Offerings in the Old Testament Law
“These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering, which the Lord gave Moses at Mount Sinai in the Desert of Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord.” (Leviticus 7:37–38, NIV) […]
Four Disciple Making Essentials
You want to make disciples because it was Jesus’ last command and one of the most important expressions of love you could show to another human being. I cannot think of a more important focus. Disciple making is to help a person place his or her faith in Jesus Christ (evangelism, conversion) and then to […]
Grandparenting Advantages for Discipling Kids
It’s true that the Bible talks about parents way more than it talks about grandparents. The most foundational family discipleship passages in Scripture are written with the parent-child relationship in focus. For example: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children.” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7a, NIV) Listen, […]
Pastoral Burnout: Why Community Matters and How to Find It
Author’s note: This is my fourth article dealing with pastoral burnout. Recent Barna research revealed that 33% of ministers had given serious thought to quitting.[1] My own research for a graduate studies project showed 63% of those surveyed had given or were giving serious thought to quitting the ministry. Previous articles provide an overview to […]
I’ve Stopped Praying for Safety—And You Should Too
Growing up, I remember more than one man who, when appointed to lead Sunday morning’s closing prayer, would always conclude the final benediction along these lines: “and keep us all safe until the next appointed time.” What innocent-sounding heretics we are. Maybe I overstated that. But I want your attention. There’s nothing wrong with praying […]
Should We Use Generative AI Chatbots for Ministry?
Editor’s Note: Is generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) a morally neutral tool helpful for generating sermon outlines and small group discussions? Or is it something attractive on the surface but deceptive in its core—which we should avoid in our ministries? As with other issues not directly discussed in Scripture, navigating GenAI calls for a lot of […]
Renew University Now Enrolling!
The wait is over, and Renew University’s Certificate in Theology program is now enrolling! The program is designed with you in mind, featuring great courses taught with excellence by teachers who have both advanced degrees and ministry experience. If you are a Bible teacher, ministry leader, elder, minister or pastor, or simply a believer who […]
Review of Austin Fischer’s ‘Young, Restless, and No Longer Reformed’
In Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed, Austin Fischer tells his own story about why he became a Calvinist and why he left Calvinism. Because it’s written as a story, the book moves quickly and is engaging to read. It’s definitely not dry theology. And at only 109 pages, it’s not a long book. As such, […]
