I was asked this question over Facebook recently. Is it wise for a church leader (whether it be elder, pastor, pastor’s wife, etc.,) to have a close friendship with certain members of the congregation? (someone of his/her same gender). When a person is selective with his/her friendships, and shows more affection, interest, concern, to some…
I’m doing some preaching/teaching in our church about “thinking about Scripture,” or Christian meditation. In our day and age, you might get a little nervous about the word “meditation.” In the non-Christian sense, meditation has the idea of “emptying the mind.” In the Christian sense, meditation has the idea of filling the mind with Bible…
Any pastor who has served for a period of years inevitably has counselled married couples who struggle in their marriage. The reasons for these struggles are quite varied, but rarely (if ever) one-sided in nature. One significant area of struggle is communication between husband and wife. How does the husband speak to his wife? How…
A Biblical Study on the Question of Multiple Pastors in a Church (Part Two of Four) While the NT does not require every church to appoint multiple pastors, it does reveal that multiple churches benefited from this arrangement. That said, how did multiple pastors within a congregation relate to one another? On one hand, any…
I’ve had conversations with Christians, and heard missionaries or public speakers, who champion the idea of redeeming the culture. As best I understand, they mean that we as Christians can take elements of our culture that men created (or perverted) for evil purposes and transform them into tools for use in the service of Christ.…
I wrote most of this blog earlier in the week and I intended to discuss Josh Harris recantation of his views on dating and the purity culture (here). But then, on Saturday, this bombshell hit. Josh Harris, the best-selling author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye and other books, former heir of CJ Mahaney at Covenant…
New York City Regional Fellowship of the FBFI on Tuesday, September 10 @ 9 am – 1 pm Guest Speaker: Dr. Michael & Sheri Privett of Summit View Baptist Church, Greenville, SC and Associate Director of Vision 2020Asia Host Church: Bethel Baptist Fellowship 2304 Voorhies Avenue Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn Pastor Jim Bickel (718) 615-1002 www.bethelbaptistfellowship.org…
“I just want to feel loved,” she said. She was the barber taking care of another customer in the next chair. Her remarkably open conversation was about her recent breakup with a man who she liked, but apparently didn’t meet her criteria for continuing the relationship. It sounded like another in something of a series…
A Biblical Study on the Question of Multiple Pastors in a Church (Part One of Four) What is the right number of pastors for a church to have and how should a church approach the selection of a new pastor? To answer these important questions, we need to consider thoughtfully what the NT says (and…
The Confessions of Jeremiah, Part 1 Jeremiah 11:18-Jeremiah 12:6 Jeremiah 12:5-6 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? For even…