Church
It had already been a long journey and I still had a long set of flights out of Nigeria routing back to the United States. During my visit to the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary in Ogobomso, I met many fine folk. They are indeed doing a tremendous job of engaging lost people with the good news in the midst of horrific conflict posed to the whole nation, and the world, from a violent stream of Islam known as Boko Haram. One of the institution’s administrators accompanied me back to Lagos, Nigeria to fly out. Read More »
Theological Formulation
In order to test our theory that studying Systematic Theology will help us know God better, let’s take a look at the doctrine of the Trinity. Read More »
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Southwestern News magazine, which gives churches and individuals strategies for sharing the Gospel.
Most Christians recognize the importance of evangelism, but they are at a loss when it comes to striking up a conversation with a stranger on a plane, in a grocery line, or at the gas station. The following is an analysis of five common approaches to sharing the Gospel with some additional evangelism tips. Each approach has potential strengths and weaknesses, but not all approaches are created equal. The first two strategies are not recommended as normative approaches for evangelism. Queen recommends a blended use of the final three approaches. Each has its own advantages and usefulness in particular situations. The leading of the Holy Spirit should dictate which approach, or approaches, should be incorporated in any given evangelistic encounter. Read More »
In Matthew 22, the Pharisees asked Jesus a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus’ answer is recorded in Matt 22:37-38:
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (ESV) Read More »
Can we truly understand God? No…and yes.
As sinful men and women, even our logic has suffered the effects of sin. We cannot expect to completely understand a God that lies beyond our comprehension; however, the God who created us also revealed Himself to us. Because of both general revelation in creation and special revelation in God’s written Word, we can a great deal about God. Read More »
How could something so simple be so complex?
For Christmas, my daughter received the Mega Bloks Power Rangers Samurai HQ Battle set. One box, one nice picture but open it up to find 518 small Lego-like pieces with a whole lot of assembly required. The directions contained over seventy steps each with multiple items to put into the right place. I’ve seen online classes with less content. We spent about three hours together building this set, and I loved every minute of it. Every time I picked up one of those little pieces, I tried to envision how that piece fit into the big picture. The little pieces actually built four larger structures, which then fit together seamlessly to make the one whole. And of course along the way, I found the need to customize the way the fighting surface attached to the wall to make it more secure. Read More »
Editor’s Note: The following is an interview with Christine Hoover about her recently published book The Church Planting Wife. Christine and her husband Kyle moved to Charlottesville, Va., in 2008 to plant Charlottesville Community Church. Christine also shares her thoughts about life and ministry at her blog, Grace Covers Me.
What made you decide to write this book?
When my husband and I planted a church in 2008, we attended church planting conferences and read countless resources, but none specifically spoke to me as the church planter’s wife. I wanted direction and help as we approached the church planting process. Then we actually planted the church, which is an immense undertaking, and my want for resources turned to craving. I love reading and learning through reading, so I read books that encouraged my faith, such as missionary biographies and books about spiritual warfare. All along, however, I longed for a book that addressed the specific needs and struggles that I had as a church planting wife. I started my blog out of that longing, knowing that others might benefit from my experiences, and the book followed soon after.
I write my blog and I wrote this book out of a desire to encourage myself and other ministry wives to joyfully embrace our unique calling. Read More »
Is an awakening to Christ possible in your church and youth ministry? Absolutely. That is exactly what the Father has been orchestrating among believers down through the centuries and today.
Awakening is a church saturated with the supremacy of Christ by the Spirit of Christ. God floods His church with fresh hope, passion, prayer, and mission by refocusing believers on Christ for all He really is. The awakening then spills into the community and cannot be stopped. Read More »
The Harvest tells the real-life, inspired story of a family on a North Dakota farm. The short film opens with a father and his three young sons surveying wheat fields stretching as far as the eye can see. The father explains to these would-be farmer boys, “By the end of the summer, the wheat will be ripened and the harvest will be ready to reap. When the harvest is ready, we must be ready, or we’ll lose the whole crop.” Read More »
Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series on the The Ministry of a Shepherd from Ezekiel 34.
Scripture reveals the heart of the Heavenly Father for the vulnerable. He commands special care for those who are poor, sick, widowed, or distressed. Indeed, James suggested that the definition of pure and undefiled religion begins with visiting orphans and widows in their distress. God’s concern is also seen in Scripture for the weak. This is reflected in the instructions to Shepherds in Ezekiel 34. Read More »
