For those who pastor or are in a church leadership role – Christmas is a time to make a memorable and influential ministry impact. Yes, Christmas is a time of “good tidings and joy to all people.” The beginning of the incarnation happened at Bethlehem.
Are you effective with growing a church, winning the lost, and turning converts into disciples? If so, your effectiveness on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ did not happen by accident. You made some intentional decisions.
Would you rather be "loved" or "respected"? A comedian is liked. People laugh. Is he respected? Respect is earned by loving people AND treating them with merciful and kind respect.
Depression has been called the mental and emotional common cold. Depression is common. However, many people remain unaware. They also remain unaware that depression affects people from the most successful – to the unknown.
That the residents of Samaria hear the gospel was more important to Jesus than the restoration of the kingdom to Israel would have been beyond the disciples’ imagination.
Began . . . a word that calls for a continuation. Luke was volume one of a saga that could not be contained in one writing,. God's approach is different, the tools being employed are different, but what He started has not concluded.
With Jesus there was action and doctrine. A bird must have two wings in order to fly. The church must also have the two wings of “action” and “instruction.” Seek balance – “to do and teach.” Both are necessary. To be over-balanced toward one or the other leaves the church weak.
I’ve been a pastor for almost 30 years and in ministry for nearly five decades. There have been more ups than downs, but in the down-times, when stress was high, there’s one thing I never did. Quit. Dealing with selfish...
Acts contains an experiential theology of salvation whether dealing with those who conspired to commit murder (Acts 2); a prayerful and honest-hearted Roman military official (Acts 10), or an Ethiopian who had traveled to Jerusalem to worship (Acts 8). How to be saved is found in the book of Acts!
Step by step the gospel message moves from Jerusalem to Rome. The missionary effort was not easy. Persecution, personal disagreements among leaders, and people backsliding did not stop the missionary effort.
This view sees Acts as a pattern. Acts is thus like the Lord's command to Moses regarding the tabernacle. "...Look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shown thee in the mount." (Exodus 25:40)
