For The Church

Young pastors are often told that ministry is hard and that faithfulness requires perseverance. Both statements are true. But perseverance can become a cruel slogan when an isolated pastor hears only, “Try harder, pray more, and do not quit.”  The gospel gives us better resources than heroic loneliness.  Paul carried extraordinary responsibility, yet his letters […]

Summarizing the findings of a study published by the journal Aging and Mental Health, Emory University’s Rob Spahr reported that “middle-aged Americans demonstrated higher levels of loneliness than older adults.” This trend is having significant impacts on middle-­ aged men, such that it is even being called by some a public health crisis. UCLA Health, […]

When it comes to eldership many of us are familiar with passages such as Titus 1:5–9 or 1 Timothy 3:1–7, which outline an elder’s qualifications. We are often taught about the character traits required for this role. However, it’s less common to be taught what an elder does. When we look to Scripture, there is […]

Editor’s Note: This article is part of Spurgeon College Month, a celebration of the mission of Spurgeon College to equip students to live faithfully for the Kingdom. Learn more about Spurgeon College Month and participate in various giveaways here. Gordon MacKenzie spent thirty years at Hallmark Cards, and along the way he often visited elementary […]

Words have the potential to build others up and tear others down, to do a lot of good and a lot of harm. James was well aware of the power of words in the Christian life. In his letter, recognizing that words are a powerful tool, he addresses teachers, who have a responsibility to pay […]

There are moments in life when God uses an ordinary experience to reveal an extraordinary truth. Sometimes the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to something we have seen many times before but never fully understood. For many years I have observed the growth of the church with great joy. Across cities, towns, and villages, new […]

Editor’s Note: This article is part of Spurgeon College Month, a celebration of the mission of Spurgeon College to equip students to live faithfully for the Kingdom. Learn more about Spurgeon College Month and participate in various giveaways here. A Gatekeeper and His Key When the king left the city, he gave the gatekeeper a […]

“I’m so sorry. You are going to miscarry.” The words hung in the air. It took nearly two years to see those pink lines again. In that moment, fear flashed through my mind: Would I ever see them again? As those lines began to fade, my eyes welled up, and I began to process the […]

Over several years, an aspiring young pastor sat through weekly staff meetings at three very different churches. One was a multisite megachurch with thousands of members, a large staff, and a multimillion-dollar budget. Another was a mid-sized church with a small staff, a handful of programs, two weekly services, around 300 attendees, and a yearly […]