Pastoring already ranks high on the list of difficult, thankless work, but the pandemic has greatly exacerbated its difficulty and stress. We thought the pastors in our audience would appreciate hearing from someone deep in the trenches of ministry. Brian Croft is the former Senior...
Variety in worship is easy to find. In your neighborhood alone, there is likely a church using modern songs by Bethel and Maverick City. Another worships with voices only. Another boasts two services... a "traditional" and a "contemporary" to please both preferences. EP author and pastor Terry Johnson argues that a church should establish its worship practices on more than just preferences, but on a posture instead. A posture of God-centeredness.
In a recent episode of Theology Applied, Pastor Joel Webbon interviewed Dr. Joel Beeke, one of JPL's most prolific authors. The discussion centered on Dr. Beeke's study of the Puritans, asking the question, "What would the Puritans say to today's American church?" We think this conversation will be both educational and inspirational for you as well all seek to walk rightly with the Lord.
Let's be honest. Just the topic of this post makes some of us uncomfortable. In fact, abortion is one of those words that can send Christians scurrying for cover. We can be reluctant to engage with the topic because we feel unqualified and underprepared. We may hear the clamour of voices on the news, and wonder what the Bible says about when life begins. We may come with our arguments at the ready, but struggle to respond to real life ethical dilemmas. Even if we feel like we have a good grasp of what culture and the Bible have to say, we may feel out of our depth applying a biblical perspective to such a sensitive subject.
Today we present a careful and sobering glance back at the last year's effect upon the church. We think you will find John Benton's thoughts quite poignant and perceptive...