Pastor Joel Beeke has featured his twelve points concerning how to deal with criticism on many podcasts and conferences. I felt it necessary to share the 12 Points here, provide short points based upon my own experience (and Beeke’s), and share the several links below where he has discussed these in more detail. Though these … Read more
In my GBTS class on ecclesiology the other night, Dr. Jeffrey Johnson told us the story of John Calvin’s pastoral ministry in Geneva during the plague of 1542. I was able to check out Harry Reeder’s work in John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion Doctrine & Theology (edited by Burk Parsons) to learn a little more. … Read more
A Parable Once upon a time, there was a mother with 7 sons. She loved her boys very much and they loved her. She and her husband were committed to the family meal and their evenings were often filled with laughter. And if you have boys then you know that those evenings were filled with … Read more
Christians have a variety of opinions on alcohol use. For this post, we are going to work out from the idea that Christians are free to drink alcohol, however, becoming drunk is always a sin. But, although Christians are not required biblically to partake of total abstinence from this substance, there are some Christians who … Read more
What Happens When a Baby Dies? Many folks have argued whether babies go to Heaven for centuries. Instead of putting forth an argument, per se, I want to summarize what the possible positions one can take would be, and at least try to eliminate the ones that seem absurd, while explaining some of the implications … Read more
Pastors, may we be quick to forgive and seek the best for those who question our God-given, Scripture-driven, authority. Imagine having the unique privilege of speaking face to face with the Lord as a man speaks to his friend: candidly, openly. Okay, we can imagine that: the veil has been opened through our High Priest’s perfect … Read more
So you are interested in pastoring, eh? Paul says you desire a noble task (1 Tim. 3:1). And I think many of the tasks involved in pastoral ministry can be seen as noble from other believers on the outside looking in. After all, you get to stand on a platform week in and week out … Read more