BP Toolbox

I recently conducted the funeral of a good friend. Only 65, he had suffered from early onset Parkinson’s for years and then developed dementia. He died much too soon. Preparing for his funeral, I found the perfect passage for his service: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

Every parent and every church share a God-given assignment – to leave behind a legacy of Gospel-rooted believers who will carry the mission of Jesus long after we’re gone.

None of us want to end a worship service in an awkward way. Here are 12 suggestions for a meaningful transition.

For reasons beyond the scope of this post, my younger self went many years without reading anything not at least indirectly related to pastoral ministry or my Christian growth. Commentaries, works of theology, homiletics, and church leadership comprised the bulk of my reading. Biographies had to be missionary biographies…unless they were biographies of Christian athletes. 

A bit of wise, if somewhat cliche, advice suggests, “God is in control, but He doesn’t expect you to lean on a shovel and pray for a hole.” The proverb suggests that the Lord’s sovereignty does not absolve people of their responsibility. And it is right.

Should we plan and prepare, or should we trust and obey? Yes, we should! As we seek to serve the Lord, any dichotomy we place between the two is a false one.

This spring, Lifeway Research released the results of a study on how Protestant churches welcome first-time guests. The results, as they say, speak for themselves.

For every Gospel minister, the New Testament letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are to be lifelong companions. The Pastoral Epistles are letters we return to again and again, guiding us on our journey of life and ministry. Indeed, I know of no better way to ensure ministerial faithfulness than for the minister to live in these three books.

Over the past five years, the religious makeup of the United States has remained remarkably stable, according to Gallup.

Christians are called to the nations. At the same time, though, Jesus called us to reach our Jerusalem - our community where we live - even as we go to the ends of the Earth.