Powerful New App

Powerful New App

    Conflict resolution is an interesting idea, but it is often very difficult to achieve. It’s no wonder that so many Christians rightly solicit the wise counsel of their pastor. The only problem with that is that scheduling time with a pastor can be...
Comforters

Comforters

“He comforts us whenever we suffer. That is why whenever other people suffer, we are able to comfort them by using the same comfort we have received from God.” (2Corinthians 1:4 GWT) We all go through difficulties. Jesus told us that we would have trouble in this...
Why Church

Why Church

Many years have passed since I had my crisis of “church faith.” My conversion to Jesus at the age of sixteen was in some ways a conversion away from the church I had come to experience and only partially love. I had tried to leave the church and just focus on...
Orphan-Care as Strategic Pastoral Ministry

Orphan-Care as Strategic Pastoral Ministry

I am the result of a teen pregnancy that predates Roe v. Wade by just over one year. God placed me in a loving family and church where I was influenced by the gospel. God gave me a wife who is concerned for the gospel, the church, and the needs of vulnerable kids. God...
Confessions of an Angry Pastor

Confessions of an Angry Pastor

    Augustine’s Confessions was the very first Western autobiography. Countless others have followed. The newest is by Brent C. Hofer. Brent, what’s it about? As pastors, it’s not enough for us to manage anger. Recovery is possible. I’m living proof....
Five Keys to an Effective Evangelism Strategy

Five Keys to an Effective Evangelism Strategy

How many people have you invited to church in the last week? The last month? The last year? I’ll be honest, for me the answer would be not near enough. But in my defense, I generally see the same 3-5 people each week in my small town, and they all have a home church....
Stand-off

Stand-off

“Stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18b BSB) My son, Paul Jr., was a fairly mild mannered boy growing up. Though sometimes an instigator of mischief toward his older sisters, he tended to “turn the other cheek” when...
We Were Created For Worship

We Were Created For Worship

I notice that when I put on praise and worship music and spend some time listening and singing the words, and take time to focus on God and thank Him for loving me and for all of His countless blessings in my life, it changes my whole day for the better. I think I...
Prayer: A Ritual or a Relationship?

Prayer: A Ritual or a Relationship?

Are you satisfied with your prayer life? Does time alone with God in prayer hold the highest priority in your day, or does it get pushed aside by the urgent? Are you just saying words, or are you pouring out your heart to the Father? To be honest, most of us struggle...