Theological Rest with Books: On Taking Reading Days Each Year
Before I became the lead pastor of my church, I stumbled onto an idea that quietly reshaped my approach to ministry. It came from two very different voices: Bill Gates and Michael Reeves. Gates, the tech giant, famously takes one or two weeks a year to retreat to his secluded cabin on a lake and […]
Why Am I A Southern Baptist?
Editor’s note: Recently, Midwestern Seminary & Spurgeon College hosted a chapel panel discussion on the topic, “Why We are Southern Baptist.” This article by Jason Duesing expands upon his comments during the chapel session and is based on his course lectures and essays written over the last two decades. Watch the full panel here. __________ […]
What Does It Mean to Be Iconic?
What do you want your life to represent? This is an important question to ask on multiple levels. We all want to leave a legacy—to contribute something meaningful and enduring with our lives—and this existential desire prompts us toward clarity about what we hope that legacy will become. A more basic level of this question […]
The Quiet Work of God
Beneath the quiet surface, a hidden work was unfolding. It is the work that only God perceives, the silent shaping of the soul.
Banished from Paradise
If Genesis 1 begins with a triumphant trumpet blast, then Genesis 3 begins with a more ominous overture. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the […]
When You Can’t Listen to the Sermon
What purpose is there in going to church when you aren’t able to listen to the sermon or lesson?
What Does it Mean to be For the Church?
Editor’s note: This summer, we’re sharing articles aimed at encouraging pastors, ministry leaders, and church members in living and serving in light of Christ’s coming Kingdom. To hear more on this topic from Jared C. Wilson and other key leaders, register to join us for the 2025 For the Church National Conference, “Kingdom Come: Ministry […]
The Gifts of This Age Point Us to the Age Still to Come
The gifts we enjoy in this age are meant to be signposts to the Giver himself and the everlasting enjoyment in the age to come.
Why For the Church Still Matters
Editor’s note: This summer, we’re sharing articles aimed at encouraging pastors, ministry leaders, and church members in living and serving in light of Christ’s coming Kingdom. To hear more on this topic from Jason K. Allen and other key leaders, register to join us for the 2025 For the Church National Conference, “Kingdom Come: Ministry […]
There Is Something Better Than Never Suffering
It is the sustaining vision of eternal life in Christ that fixes even a lifetime of suffering to a fine point—a fine point that in the last day will be eclipsed by the glory of the radiant Christ, perhaps even distilled down to a jewel placed amidst your treasures, or placed in the crown of Christ himself…