Are You Called?
Spurgeon’s 4-Point Test of Pastoral Calling One of the questions that I most often get asked by guys who are pursuing pastoral ministry is, “How do you know if you are called to be a pastor?” This is a great question. It is a question that Charles Spurgeon answered in his book Lectures to my […]
Called (Part Two)
On March 10, 1876, the first phone call was made. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor, called his assistant, Thomas A. Watson. “Come here,” said Bell to Watson in the historic call, “I want to see you.” God’s Summons to His Service God is not like Mr. Bell. God’s call is not a one-time event. His posture […]
The Passage that Called Me to Ministry
3 Enduring Lessons from Exodus 3 It was the summer between my 7th and 8th grade years. I was at youth camp. One morning I got up early to go have my quiet time at a picnic table in the common area. Truth be told, I was hoping to impress a girl. I have no […]
Called (Part One)
What does it mean for a man to be “called”? Roll the question over in your mind; perhaps there’s more to it than what you see. “Called” is not a trifling word. At the very least, it implies a caller. And as Sinclair Ferguson has noted, “called” is one of the New Testament’s most frequent […]
Has God Called You to the Ministry?
I well remember the swirling emotions that filled my heart as I processed God’s call to the ministry. Though I grew up in a Bible-believing, Southern Baptist church, I resisted the gospel throughout my childhood and adolescent years. It was not until my freshman year in college that I committed my life to Christ. After […]
Fear, Faith, and the Fatherhood of God
How the Gospel Empowers Us to Lead in Uncertain Times Leadership: Our Fascination And Fear We live in an age that is simultaneously fascinated with and fearful of leadership. An endless barrage of conferences, books, blogs, and podcasts testify to a growing interest in the field. Yet, it seems so few are converting their interest […]
In Defense of Calling
The idea of God’s calling has been over-spiritualized, used to justify one’s own self-made ambitions, and marginalized due to people’s discomfort with the notion of a supernatural prompting by God. Yet, the Scripture is filled with example after example of people whose lives were interrupted by a call from God and who, by faith, went […]
Is Your Calling Causing an Identity Crisis?
When getting to know someone, it’s common to ask: So what do you do? We’ve all been asked this question when being introduced to someone at a social gathering or when sitting next to a stranger on an airplane. Most often, it’s an implicit inquiry about your career or lifestyle. In response, you’re expected to say something […]
The Gospel And Your Work
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” That question, which is so common today, would be shockingly irrelevant for the vast majority of humans who have ever lived. In the premodern world, one’s work usually was not a matter of choice. It was essential to one’s identity. It was more a matter […]
The Dignity of Every Kind of Work
Every kind of work that creates something new or enhances something broken or lacking is glorious because of how it intersects with God’s ongoing, creative mission in the world. It is glorious because of how it further nudges God’s Garden toward becoming the Holy City it’s destined to be. But how do we determine whether […]