Church & Theology | TLG Christian News

4 Areas I Expect Our Leadership Team to Build

21/11/2016 0 Comment

One of the things I look forward to when I hire staff is the opportunity to invest into their lives. Between praying for and pastoring their family, weekly staff meetings, and other times of training, I want to do all I can to help build them up in service and as spiritual leaders.

At the same time, I don’t hire staff solely to invest in them. In fact, I hire them primarily to help me build the work of the ministry God has entrusted us with here at Lancaster Baptist Church.

If you serve on a c..

5 Things to Pray for When You’re Overwhelmed

14/11/2016 0 Comment

Four weeks ago, I spent Monday night at gate 76 of Detroit International Airport, fervently praying for my three-year-old grandson, Chandler, who was undergoing an emergency surgery.

A CT scan had revealed a fractured skull and bleeding near the brain, but beyond that, I really didn’t know or have the medical understanding of exactly what was going on. In an email I sent the next day to some praying friends, I wrote, “I don’t have all the technical info. I just know we need to pray fervently.”
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What Following Jesus Looks Like on a Weekday

09/11/2016 0 Comment

When Jesus called His disciples, it wasn’t a Sundays-only proposition. He had something more in mind—something 24/7.

Likewise, when the disciples responded to His call, they “left all, rose up, and followed Him” (Luke 5:28).

In a day when Christians feel good about themselves if they go to church on Sunday and pastors are tempted to measure their success by how Sunday’s services went, it’s good to be reminded that Christ’s call “Follow Me,” is a call for every day of the week.

Think of it thi..

How Is a Biblical Christian to Respond in This Election?

05/11/2016 0 Comment

This has been an incredibly difficult election season. In fact, recent polls indicate that 82 percent of Americans are disgusted with it.

Sometimes as Christians, we wonder how we can make a difference in a time like this. How do we respond to the vitriol and rhetoric with clear thinking and Christ-like decisions?

1. Remember your dual citizenship.
Our first loyalty is not to America but to our King. Patriotic as we may be, we have an eternal homeland:

For our conversation is in heaven; from..

7 Truths I Shared with Future Pastors Last Week

02/11/2016 0 Comment

I meet once or twice each year with the senior men of West Coast Baptist College to discuss ministry philosophy and personal growth. As we met last week, I was encouraged by their sense of anticipation and eagerness for getting into the ministry.

These are exciting days to serve the Lord. While it’s true that the ministry landscape is very different from when I first entered the ministry, it’s also true that there have never been more opportunities or a greater need for gospel-preaching churche..

How to Vote When This World Is Not Your Home

31/10/2016 0 Comment

I don’t know that I’ve ever been so weary of politics as I am this election season. This year has certainly been one of the most negative and difficult in American history.

Often when voting, we look for “the lesser of two evils.” Perhaps a better way to say it is that we should look for which candidate is more likely to support vital issues as related to the teachings of Scripture and is most likely to preserve religious liberty for those who desire to propagate Scriptural truth.

This is not ..

7 Ways Parents Undermine Their Own Influence

27/10/2016 0 Comment

All children have moments or seasons when they struggle with obedience—just like their parents.

But some young people, particularly in their teenage years, become defiant and overtly disrespectful. Why?

There are many contributing reasons—including the freewill of every person to follow the Lord or to reject authority— but below are seven factors common when teenagers rebel. Regardless of what you may be doing right as a parent, if you are also doing any of these, you are undermining your own ..

10 Ways to Be a Blessing to Your Missionaries

24/10/2016 0 Comment

It is impossible for any local church to carry out the Great Commission without missionaries.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.—Matthew 28:19–20

Missionaries, then, are our co-laborers in the harvest. Just as we strive to be a blessing to those we physically labor alongside..

Growth Points 72: Restoring and Maintaining Passion in Ministry

17/10/2016 0 Comment

Anyone in ministry can testify that there are intense seasons that deplete you physically, spiritually, or emotionally. It is during these times that we have to learn specifically what it takes to maintain the passion that we’ll need to continue serving the Lord the next day, the next week, and for the next season of ministry.

I don’t want to serve God’s people from an empty tank. Of course, even the world knows the importance of rest and doing what you can to maintain your health. But beyond t..

3 New Testament Essentials for Nurturing Growth in New Christians

14/10/2016 0 Comment

One of the great joys of an intense season of outreach, such as our church just conducted for Open House Sunday, is following up on new Christians.

There is nothing more rewarding than to come alongside a new Christian and help ground him in God’s Word, encourage his faith, and guide him in new patterns of Christian living.

And there is nothing more needed for that young Christian either. Spiritual maturity, like physical maturity, doesn’t take place overnight. Neither does it take place the m..