Christian Living August 17, 2018September 17, 2018

College and Christian Fellowship: Now What?

Part 1: Welcome to College! Now Find a Church
Part 2: You Need Christian Fellowship in College
Part 3: Four Marks of a Faithful Campus Ministry
Part 4: Campus Ministries and the Priority of the Local Church
Part 5: College and Christian Fellowship: Now What?

What are the implications of all we’ve examined in the last four posts? How do you apply these important truths to your life as you enter your first year of higher education? First, the most important thing you can do the moment you step on campus—or, better: before you step on campus—is find Christian fellowship in the place you will spend most of the next four years. Continue reading “College and Christian Fellowship: Now What?” →

Christian Living August 16, 2018September 17, 2018

Campus Ministries and the Priority of the Local Church

In the last post, I noted that the first mark of a faithful campus ministry is their prioritization of the local church. But not all campus ministries make a serious effort teach or model to their students how to love and prioritize the local church. Yet, as we saw in the last post, this is not a healthy or safe pattern. Christ has designed our salvation in such a way that the local church plays a central role in our spiritual growth and perseverance in the faith. To neglect the local church is to undermine our sanctification and put our final salvation in peril. Continue reading “Campus Ministries and the Priority of the Local Church” →

Christian Living August 15, 2018September 17, 2018

Four Marks of a Faithful Campus Ministry

I trust that we are in agreement that Christian fellowship during college is vital to your walk with Christ. Without Christian fellowship during college, you will untether yourself from the security and comfort of God’s Word and God’s people, leaving you open to attack from your great adversary. As we saw in the last post, you need fellowship for the sake of your Christian convictions and your spiritual growth. Continue reading “Four Marks of a Faithful Campus Ministry” →

Christian Living August 14, 2018September 17, 2018

You Need Christian Fellowship in College

Part 1: Welcome to College! Now Find a Church
Part 2: You Need Christian Fellowship in College
Part 3: Four Marks of a Faithful Campus Ministry
Part 4: Campus Ministries and the Priority of the Local Church
Part 5: College and Christian Fellowship: Now What?

You may not realize it right now (although I hope you realize it by the time you finish this series of posts) but the most important facet of your college experience is not the day and time of your classes, what intramural sports you might participate in, who your roommate is, or even your major. Yes, these are important issues to which you must give your attention, but they are subordinate to an even greater concern. What is that concern? Where you will find faithful, live-giving, faith-sustaining, Christ-centered fellowship. This Christian fellowship is vital during your college experience because your enemy, Satan, has a time-tested, two-pronged strategy to spiritually sideline Christian college students. First, he undermines your convictions; meanwhile, he tempts you with sin. Continue reading “You Need Christian Fellowship in College” →

Church August 13, 2018September 17, 2018

Welcome to College! Now Find a Church

Congratulations! You are now a college student. Your hard work has paid off, and you are now embarking on the exciting, four-year journey of higher education. During your time in college you will learn much about God’s world, meet new people, and forge friendships that will possibly last a lifetime.

For many students, this new adventure will include learning how to navigate life away from the immediate supervision and provision of parents. And because you will not be able to lean on your parents as you once did in grade school and high school, you will need learn how to develop and keep your own schedule, complete assignments, and fulfill obligations without regular reminders from your parents or the predictable structure of home life. College is a formative time in a young man and young woman’s life. Continue reading “Welcome to College! Now Find a Church” →

Evangelism August 9, 2018August 17, 2018

What Evangelism Isn’t: 8 Good Practices We Often Mistake for Sharing the Good News

Having touched briefly on what constitutes evangelism in the last post, we want to take our discussion a little deeper. Because some wrong thinking concerning evangelism has pervaded many of our churches, it is critical to establish clarity by way of contrast. In this section, we are going to examine a few common ways Christians mistake the practice of evangelism for other important aspects of the Christian life. Continue reading “What Evangelism Isn’t: 8 Good Practices We Often Mistake for Sharing the Good News” →

Church August 7, 2018August 2, 2018

How to Pray for Your Pastor: Conclusion

How to Pray for Your Pastor (Series): Your Pastor is a Desperate Man
How to Pray for Your Pastor (Series): Why Should You Pray for Your Pastor?
Praying for Your Pastor in Light of His Qualifications, Part 1: The Necessity of a Qualified Ministry
Praying For Your Pastor According to His Qualifications, Part 2: A Holy Ambition and a Holy Life
Praying for Your Pastor According to His Qualifications, Part 3: Self-Control, Family, and Money
Praying for Your Pastor According to his Qualifications, Part 4: Humility and Teaching
Pray for Your Pastor in Light of His Responsibilities, Part 1: The Pastor as Shepherd Leader
Pray for Your Pastor in Light of His Responsibilities, Part 2: Feeding the Sheep
Pray for Your Pastor in Light of His Responsibilities, Part 3: Protecting the Sheep
Pray for your Pastor In Light of His Responsibilities, Part 4: Leading the Sheep
How to Pray for Your Pastor in Light of His Pressures and Temptations, Part 1: Anxiety over the Flock and Attacks from Professing Christians
How to Pray for Your Pastor in Light of His Pressures and Temptations, Part 2: Family Life and the Battle Against Sin

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When I think over my pastoral roles and responsibilities, there are few things that comfort me more than knowing that folks in my church are praying regularly for me, my wife, and my children. I hope you take to heart what has been written in these pages and consider the necessity and overwhelming benefit of praying for your pastor, for I trust he feels the same.

In the previous posts I noted that Scripture not only calls us to pray for our pastors, but that such prayer is a vital means of grace for those who shepherd your local congregation—for they are desperate men in need of strength, wisdom, and spiritual power. When you make it a priority to pray for your pastor, you are serving not only your pastor; you are serving your whole congregation and anyone else who benefits from your pastor’s ministry. Continue reading “How to Pray for Your Pastor: Conclusion” →

From the Study

The Pastor-Theologian: Valuable and Necessary

Better than "Outdoorsy": Jesus, Hobbies, and Your Identity

What Love Does: Reflections on Alex Honnold’s ‘Alone on the Wall’

Clarity: The Responsibility of Every Christian Writer