“This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, {19} having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck…” (1 Timothy 1:18-19) In my own ministry as a pastor, I have often …
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When I assumed the lead pastor role at a former church, one of the amazingly supportive couples in leadership sent me the following thoughts. The church was going through a grieving process over the loss of their previous pastor, always a tough situation for the incoming pastor. When I received their note I sensed the …
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The role of pastor-teacher, especially that of lead pastor-teacher, is one in which a number of spiritual gifts are in operation. The gift of the word of wisdom is essential, that the pastor might give a word in season in difficult situations (Isaiah 50:4). Prophecy is essential, that the pastor might speak edification and exhortation …
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And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. (Genesis 26:18, NKJV) I am a fan of this passage, and its …
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The New Year. New years are a gift from God. They allow us to separate one section of life from another. In that separation, we evaluate what has been, and we anticipate what may be. We also put behind us that which we cannot change, while remembering acts of God’s faithfulness that made the year …
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For many years, I have pondered and taught on the inevitable downward spiral that takes place within a culture that suppresses the truth about God. Romans 1:18-32 tells the story. It is social and spiritual devolution—it’s God giving people what they want. They want a life without Him, and He gives them over to their …
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One Woman’s Story A couple of weeks ago in our Men’s Bible Study Calvary Chapel Santa Cruz we looked at the subject of repentance. For many guys, a surprising aspect of that study was the fact that repentance is not only for the time one initially responds to Christ. Repentance is for Christians as well …
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In my spiritual journey God has used a number of things to shape me. I think I accepted Christ at a Tuesday night Bible study that was at a Vineyard church. From there I started attending Horizon, then to The Rock when Miles McPherson launched it, then to a little Mexican church in National City, …
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The word “missional” is now in vogue within a large portion of the Christian church. In my own experience, it’s generally the under 40 group of people that are using it to describe themselves, the churches they are planting, or the churches they already pastor. I had a conversation with someone a while back who …
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In my last post I ventured into the topic of vision and discussed the first of five important aspects of it for pastors, that of receiving vision. I explained how that receiving vision is as easy as desire. But, the problem with visionary desires at the conception stage is that they’re not always entirely clear. Just …
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