A Devotion on Gratitude from Psalm 100
The last couple of years have perhaps made it difficult for some of us to maintain a life of gratitude. After a global pandemic, a contentious election season, and many riots, being grateful may not come easy. However, even amid difficult times, Christians can remain genuinely grateful about much. Psalm 100 is a psalm of thanksgiving. It calls us to have genuine gratitude for the Lord and to praise Him. There are two calls to praise...
“Taking a Name”: A Closer Look at the Third Commandment
Exodus 20:7 says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (NKJV). When I was a kid, I always understood the third commandment as a prohibition against speaking the Lord’s name in an exclamatory manner in which I was not intending to talk to Him. I understood it only to involve speech: not saying God’s name in a flippant way. I don’t think this...
Deep Work and the Life of the Pastor
When I first started graduate school, I read a book by Cal Newport titled Deep Work. The main idea of this book is that quality, uninterrupted time-blocks for work are far more effective than longer hours of distracted work. He argues that this approach to work results in a better quality production. When I read this, I couldn’t help but to think about how important this idea is for pastoral ministry. There’s much about a pastor’s...
Book Review: Charles Malcolm Wingard, Help for the New Pastor
Needless to say, ministry is not easy, and it can be discouraging for the young pastor just starting out despite the many years of training at Bible college or seminary. You know how to prepare a sermon, but where should you start? You know you need to visit people, but how do you balance this with the much-needed office time to prepare for Sunday? Starting out in ministry can almost be like sitting down with a jigsaw puzzle right out...
The Future of the Sufficiency of Scripture
When we think about the future, we can easily get excited or anxious about the newness of all that is involved. For example, think back to your childhood and the excitement and/or anxiety that a new school year brought. A new school year meant new clothes, new shoes, new school supplies, new classrooms, and new teachers. All this change brought a level of excitement about what was to come and also perhaps some anxiety. When we think...
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