Pastors

If I were the pastor, once again, of a church during the Christmas season, here are a few things I would do…

Is it just a matter of personal preference, or does the Bible provide any insight? How can you discern if a song is appropriate for worship at church?

Faith isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about trusting the One who does. Here's how to stop fighting the mystery and start growing through it.

What if the stories people tell after dying and coming back are pointing us straight to the God of the Bible? These powerful encounters are too consistent to ignore.

Long before you and I had a season to celebrate, God would showcase why there would be a reason to celebrate. Here are three reasons to celebrate the Christ in “Christmas,” because Christ was before Christmas.

As Christ followers, we are to look around. If we prayerfully reach out in whatever circles we find ourselves, maybe no one will be overlooked. So who are the people who might feel forgotten?

The good news is there are indicators that can give you confidence that you are in the place God wants you to be. 

You will be a servant. You have no choice if you are to follow Jesus.

The natural drift of the church is to turn increasingly inward. The role of its leaders is to keep turning it outward, over and over again, keeping the focus on the mission—to serve the least and the lost. As we enter the Christmas season, I am reminded anew of how critical this is.

Most people are comfortable with reading the Bible and praying together, but worship is different. Why is that? People are sometimes less comfortable expressing themselves in worship when others are around than they are worshipping alone. But is one “better” or more spiritually beneficial than the other?

Tony Evans says God had to break his timeline to unleash a bigger plan. Now he’s opening up about restoration, legacy, and the message that couldn’t wait any longer.

Maybe lighter theology and heavier bass could help suppress the exodus of youth from Western churches. Or maybe the youth are missing roots.

The suffering of us both continued until I finally humbly filled the prescription I had been subtly taught by my spiritual leaders equaled my ultimate failure for my whole life. It took me eight years to finally reach the end of my strength and trust God in this new way. Thankfully, I now know that my healing came graciously from the Lord in the form of that little white pill. 

I came across a passage where Jesus talked about storing up treasures in heaven. What exactly are the treasures in heaven He’s talking about? And how do I earn them?

What is an idol? An idol is worshipping the work of our own hands. Whether we make a physical idol or bow down to our own intellect and philosophy, we can participate in idolatry in a number of different ways.

Here are a few strategies to help you stay engaged and recover your joy when you find yourself becoming bored with church.

They teach that the more "faith" you have, the greater your influence over your circumstances. This goes against biblical teachings. We can pray for our situations, our wellness, and our financial security; however, God has not guaranteed those. If it's His will, He may give you what you asked for. Or, usually, I find He answers our prayers in a way we didn't expect that turns out better or different than what I was praying for.

This article shares what discernment entails, and four tips Christians can use to cultivate discernment against false teaching.

It's easy to undervalue the true purpose of youth ministry in churches. Learn more in this biblical approach to the topic.

Emotions are a good thing, but they shouldn’t be the main thing. Here are three dangers with emotion-driven churches.