Church & Theology | TLG Christian News

8 Characteristics of an Effective Discipleship Program

01/08/2016 0 Comment

One of the core ministries that God has greatly blessed in our church is the organized discipleship on Wednesday evenings. Not only are there new people continually being enrolled in discipleship and others completing the course, but the biblical grounding and personal mentoring that takes place during the weeks of discipleship continues to bear fruit in people’s lives years after they have finished.

At our church, we use the Continue discipleship book and have found it both helpful and fruitfu..

A Brief Case for Reading Scripture with a Trinitarian Lens

28/07/2016 0 Comment

Whatever your method of biblical exegesis, theological construction, or preaching and teaching, the Trinity should never be taken for granted in how you read Scripture. The triune God choosing to reveal himself to mankind is the cornerstone of our relationship with him and the bedrock content of his revelation. He didn’t have to communicate with us–before or after the Fall–and he certainly didn’t have to leave us his Word. But he did. So we should be careful not to forget the God who speaks thro..

5 Ways to Help Your Children Walk in the Truth

25/07/2016 0 Comment

One of the easy traps for parents to fall into is having shortsighted goals for their children.

If I can just make it through today… (particularly in the preschool years)
My child’s greatest problem is to change _______ behavior.
If he can just make a higher grade…
If she could just have more friends…
While it is good to make it through another day(!) and behavior, grades, and friends do matter, 3 John 4 gives one of the greatest goals any Christian parent can hold: “I have no greater joy than ..

4 Ways to Develop an “Everywhere Mentality” for Sharing the Gospel

18/07/2016 0 Comment

I believe the Great Commission is worthy of—and even calls for—purposed times and strategic plans for spreading the gospel. Thus, we have several times and locations each week available to members of our church to meet up with a partner for the purpose of saturating our community with the gospel.

And yet, there is a danger in using only those times for sharing the gospel.

In reality, we are surrounded by people who need the Lord—some of which are our family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. ..

5 Traits Common to Leaders Who Continue

15/07/2016 0 Comment

The challenges to Christian ministry continue to mount. Between a cultural shift toward intolerance of truth, the decision fatigue of pastors, the opinion overload of society, and a host of other challenges, it’s no wonder that so many pastors and spiritual leaders are falling out of the ministry.

Although I’m aware of and experience these types of challenges, I want to finish my race still serving the Lord. And I don’t want to stagger across the finish line—depleted and embittered toward the p..

4 Reasons You Can’t Find Rest

11/07/2016 0 Comment

One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 6:16—“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls….”

I’ve heard many messages from this text that emphasize everything under the sun except “rest for your souls.” But that is the promise of the verse.

Picture the prophet Jeremiah pleading with a rebellious nation to seek out the old paths of righteousness, put away their idolatry, and walk in t..

5 Commitments of Continuing Churches

05/07/2016 0 Comment

We have the absolute promise that the church will continue. Jesus plainly declared, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Thus, we have the advantage of operating from the knowledge that we are on the winning side.

Even so, you and I both know of churches that have not continued for Christ—churches who have left off aggressively reaching the world with the gospel and dwindled to nothing or have tried to “reinvent” the church and lost their distinction and effectiveness.

So what is the diff..

What the Trinity Debate Can Teach Seminarians

03/07/2016 0 Comment

I wrote the other day about why the Trinity debate matters for the pulpit and pew, hoping to help people outside or on the periphery of the debate understand why they should care about it. (By the way, I gave a bit of an intro and some recommended articles in that post, if you already have no clue what debate I’m talking about.)
A group of people who participated more directly in the debate is Bible college and seminary students. From undergrads to PhD students, it seems ..

10 Lessons from a Hospital Stay, part 2

29/06/2016 0 Comment

In my previous post, I shared five of the lessons the Lord has been teaching me through my three-year-old grandson Chandler’s illness illness and hospitalization with severe pneumonia. These are in no real order—just the raw truths the Lord has been teaching me during one of the most difficult times in our family’s life.

(If you’ve just come across this and are seeing part 2 first, I hope you’ll take a moment to read part 1 which more thoroughly develops those first five lessons with Scripture ..

10 Lessons from a Hospital Stay—part 1

28/06/2016 0 Comment

Just over two weeks ago, our lives were turned upside down when our three-year-old grandson, Chandler was taken to the hospital by ambulance with severe necrotizing pneumonia. We’re so thankful for the many who have prayed for Chandler in these past days, and we’re thankful for how the Lord has answered prayer in bringing healing.

Although Chandler is now at home and resting well, he still has pneumonia and is taking strong antibiotics. We ask for continued prayers for his full recovery and tha..