Discipline is not fun. We would rather talk about things that come naturally or that are naturally enjoyable. However, discipline is necessary for the Christian life. 1 Timothy 4:7 says, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness.” The verb “train” in the ESV is a command that is continually ongoing for Christians to undergo discipline for the purpose of godliness....
One of the realities of pastoral ministry is counseling—and not just dealing with problems, but walking people through them. A common truth pastors share with couples is this: things often get worse before they get better....
One thing that characterizes adulthood is maturity. Adults should be mature. The key word there is should, because not all adults are mature! One word that characterizes adulthood and maturity is discernment. A child can look at a situation ripe with grave dangers on the one hand and safety on the other, and they will go in the direction that seems the most fun and inviting. ...
Genealogy has become increasingly popular in recent decades. Today, websites and companies allow you to trace your family lineage—for a fee, of course. I remember as a child when someone gave my dad a book of our ancestors, and I discovered that our last name, Alcorn, was originally Alcom....
How do we actually know that Jesus rose from the dead? That question has been asked for centuries. And whether you’re a Christian, a skeptic, or just someone trying to make sense of things, it’s a question that refuses to go away....
In the previous section, we looked at several practical ways to fight the battle against lust — guarding our eyes, pursuing Scripture and prayer, committing to the local church, and fixing our gaze on Christ. These disciplines begin to reshape our hearts and strengthen us for the fight. But the battle is not won by discipline alone. It also requires honesty, humility, and perseverance. In this final section, we will consider several additional truths that help us fight sin more deeply — not just at the level of behavior, but at the level of the heart and within the context of community....
In the first part of this series, we began looking at the battle against lust and considered several foundational truths that help us understand both the seriousness of the struggle and the strategies needed to fight it. Lust is not a small issue. It is a war being waged within the soul, and Scripture calls us to take that battle seriously....
This is a general observation rather than a scientific conclusion, but from examining my own heart, pastoring men, and walking in deep friendships with brothers in Christ, I believe the two sins men most often struggle with are lust and anger....
At Flat Run Church, we encourage people to write out and read their Christian testimony before they are baptized. A Christian testimony is your description of God’s work in your life as you recount how you became a Christian. This accomplishes two things. First, it allows you to put into words how you became a Christian on the basis of the Gospel. Understanding this and describing the work of God in your life can be an effective tool in sharing Christ with others for the rest of your life. Second, our church wants to hear how you became a Christian. As you are baptized, you are professing your faith in Jesus. Rest assured it will be of utmost encouragement to them....
Prayer is one of the most beneficial and difficult disciplines to start and maintain in the Christian life. There are many reasons for this, but one reason is our fundamental understanding of prayer. Prayer is about worship and spending time in the presence of our God. Once we understand that, it should calibrate our time spent in prayer....
Every Christian follows some form of “Christian tradition.” Growing up, most Baptists I learned from disliked the T-word, but I have come to find comfort in it. Scripture itself distinguishes between bad tradition—which Jesus rebuked in Mark 7—and good tradition, which Paul commands believers to hold fast to in 2 Thessalonians 2:15. Since the first century, the church has continually received and practiced tradition. In many ways, Protestantism is uniquely positioned to shed unhealthy traditions while retaining those that are biblically faithful....
Some of my earliest memories in life were spent in church. My parents made it a strong priority in our home to be in church every time we had a worship service, which meant we attended each Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. As a busy parent at this stage in my life, I know what a commitment that is, and I will forever be grateful to my mom and dad for raising me in church....
The reality of having many churches in a community has led to church shopping and church hopping. Membership sometimes feels like a revolving door. Unfortunately, pastors contribute to this by failing to set clear expectations for membership and discipleship. While there are legitimate reasons to leave a church—such as doctrinal error or unaddressed sin—most people leave for lesser reasons, like a lack of programs or unresolved interpersonal conflicts. ...
When you go through Bible college or seminary to train for ministry, there are many things you cannot be taught and must learn through experience. One of the most painful lessons in church life—rarely discussed but often felt—is the pain of people leaving the church you pastor....
My son and I have been worked for a friend, delivering bounce houses to make some extra money. This has provided a great opportunity for us to talk, allowing me to teach him about work ethic, communication with a boss, and how Christians should conduct themselves....
When our kids are small, we emphasize the importance of choosing good friends. As they grow older, we redouble our efforts, reminding them, “Birds of a feather flock together.” But what about adult friendships? Even as we grow in discernment and wisdom, we still need friends who can see the blind spots we miss. True friends, especially as Christians, are vital in helping us walk with God and avoid pitfalls in our lives....
As our children grow, their sin nature becomes more evident. For this reason—perhaps more than any other—they need us even more as they get older. While it’s easy to think that children need us the most when they are small because they rely on us for physical survival, I would argue that our engagement with them as they grow is just as crucial....
When you hear the word "journaling," what comes to mind? For many, the idea feels impractical or intimidating. “This isn’t for me,” you might think. “I could never—or would never—do that.” But what if I told you that journaling could deepen your walk with Christ and give you a richer appreciation for the gospel? Would you take it seriously then?...
New Year’s resolutions are kind of a joke! Statistics show that most of these resolutions are broken in the first 3 weeks after the new year. I cannot remember anyone I know of actually keeping one. Why do people make New Year’s resolutions? Because everyone realizes that life in a fallen world is constantly changing and there is need for continual improvement. ...
Christmastime is one of my favorite times of the year, and with it brings many sentimental memories from my childhood. I have wonderful memories of gift-giving, festive Christmas songs, and family times through the years. In a sense, life seems to slow down some but in other ways, Christmas is out-of-control busy. One of the questions we ask one another this time of year is, “are you ready for Christmas?” By this we mean, “are you ready for the chaos? Have you done your shopping? Are your family plans laid out?” etc. ...
Although I think sports are a wonderful outlet of recreation in life and teacher of discipline- and just downright fun- sports are a terrible master in life. The Apostle Paul (who regularly made sporting analogies) said that he would not be “mastered by anything” but Jesus in 1 Corinthians 6:12. Yet, I think our contemporary American culture is enslaved to sports. The clearest evidence of this is travel sports that take Christian parents and their children away from Sunday worship to the ball field (or other sporting venue). ...
As we have gone through this series of articles together, I am sure anyone with a child in worship looked in anticipation to this one more than any other. There is a desire in us that says, “tell me what to do”— but we must learn why first. We need to be driven by our convictions so when things get tough, we will not abandon the course. May I say, if you are embarking on this journey with your kids, the road is clear, but it is not easy....
In the last article, we looked at what the Bible says about children being present in corporate worship. Here we address the unintended consequences, along with a brief history of how children’s church was developed. Again, I want to reiterate, I am not seeking to insult people who serve in children’s church, and I do not think this is a tier one issue. However, there are unintended consequences in an approach to children’s church....
While the topic of children’s church is not forbidden in Scripture, we certainly cannot take a cavalier attitude to the topic. It is most certain that the Israel’s worship in the Old Testament and churches of the New Testament knew nothing of an age-segregated worship or “children’s church.”...
I must confess it has been some time since I went to the barbershop. About four years ago, I began shaving my head completely because my forehead kept growing and my bald spot was about to meet my forehead. But about 10 years ago when I was still visiting stylists, I sat down in the chair of a barber who was cutting my then-remaining hair for the first time, and the subject of my job as a pastor came up. The man told me he listened to Joel Osteen and wanted to know my thoughts. ...
The teenage years are ones that, if honest, most parents will admit they dread. Why? We all know about the vulnerabilities of teen life and remember our own struggles during those formative years. Many people have told me that they would not go back and relive their teen years for “all the money in the world,” a sentiment with which I heartily concur (and we’re only slightly exaggeratingTry and remember those days for a moment. If you were like me, in your teen years you would think things like,...
I must confess that although I love the Lord of the Rings series, I have not completed the books! It remains on my unending list of things to do and read. This well-loved classic from J.R.R. Tolkien is not only a great story, but for believers, a delight in seeing Christian themes embedded throughout the series. For example: the bearing of sin in Frodo carrying the ring. Or the resurrection of Jesus in Gandalf’s plummeting to certain death and coming back as Gandalf the White. ...
Christians in most American churches are encouraged to evangelize – which means sharing the gospel with unbelievers and calling them to faith and repentance in Jesus Christ. This highly appropriate activity is rooted in the words of the New Testament and obedience to our Lord who commands us to make disciples. Yet while we see many circles and pockets of Christendom “doing evangelism,” many approaches to evangelism are far from appropriate, and in fact are unhealthy and rooted in bad theology....
I want to share just a few things a church and its members should consider in relating to a pastor’s wife, because honestly few people know what it is like to be in a pastor’s home. Unless you hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, how could you know? So here goes....
The other day my son asked me why people who used to go to church stop going, presenting a “teachable moment” on the importance of church in the Christian life. My son was observing a behavior that was already a tendency in the first-century church, as seen when the writer of Hebrews instructed his readers to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is.” (Hebrews 10:25)...
Last week we sought to define legalism, with an emphasis on the particular form of legalism that I have experienced in my former life as an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist: elevating one’s personal preferences to the level of doctrine, or insisting on them to bind the conscience of another believer. ...
“Legalism” is a term thrown out a lot in Evangelical circles – and an especially dreaded one because it implies you are a stick-in-the-mud, out-of-touch, intolerant, and way too hard on people. However, legalism involves a much bigger, deeper, and more devastating error. ...
Last week we reviewed two lessons for Christians from the life of Founder, patriot, president and prodigy Thomas Jefferson, as drawn from the biography Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power. Let’s move right into lesson 3!...
My most recently completed presidential biography is Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by John Meacham. My conclusion: the only things he and I have in common is being proud Virginians and sinners. (And I wasn’t born in Virginia, so I guess even that one does not fully count.) ...
An old saying holds that the two topics that are off-limits in conversation are politics and religion. But as Christians, we can hardly avoid or minimize the second topic: it’s in fact a conversation we’re commanded to have with unbelievers (to witness) and believers (to exhort and edify) alike! One especially unavoidable conversation – and one that is nearly certain to offend someone no matter where you land – involves election versus free will. ...
The importance of a Christian’s relationship to a local church cannot be overstated. As a matter of fact, 1 John 2:19 states that permanent separation from the church and the Gospel demonstrates one is not actually a Christian. The church is so important for us because it gives us a sense of identity. No matter what type of family we have, what job we work, what other smaller identifications we may have, it is in the church that identifies us most closely with our brothers and sisters in Christ. ...
At Flat Run, we are about to start a new Adult Bible Fellowship series entitled “Christian Worldview in Gender and Sexuality.” In so doing, we’re responding to the speed with which the LGBTQ+ agenda has overrun our nation, for example, overtaking entire corporations like Disney. The “House of Mouse” once produced wholesome family films, but is now driven by the agenda of indoctrinating young minds with LGBTQ+ ideology – and, by the way, paying the price with plummeting share values....
Last week we dove into the realm of American presidential history and looked at some life lessons from Chester A. Arthur – a corrupt politician who, in the providential will of God, became president and helped change the course of the nation....
After going through Scott Greenberger’s excellent volume The Unexpected President: The Life and Times of Chester A. Arthur, five principles emerged that I wanted to address from a Christian worldview....
I want to share a few practical suggestions as to when your child might be ready to take part in this ordinance/sacrament. I confess this is a delicate dance because Baptists adhere to believer’s baptism, which occurs only upon a profession of faith in Christ....
Music can be a really touchy topic, if not a proverbial “third rail.” At times I am asked whether Christians can listen to “secular” music. After wrestling with the question, I’ve come to a firm, unshakeable conclusion: it depends. ...
So now to the main event: how should Biblically faithful preachers and study leaders handle the LE (Longer Ending)? As best as I can tell, there are three possible approaches: ignore it; teach through Mark 16 as one full unit or sermon/lesson; or teach through the seemingly orthodox portions of Mark 16:9-20 alongside clearly Scriptural passages from other Gospels. ...
While most of Mark is straightforward, there is one section that is highly controversial. As a matter of fact, the controversy I am speaking of goes all the way back to the early days of the church. This is the controversy we will deal with in the next two blogs and it is whether or not Mark 16:9-20 is the original ending of Mark....
My wife has a very rare condition that causes her to go into anaphylactic shock. Twice she almost died, and another time we had to call 911. Her worst allergic reaction dropped her blood pressure to 40/23. But by God’s grace, my wife is still with me, and I cannot imagine life without her. She now carries an EpiPen everywhere she goes, or she gets an earful from me! Why do I tell you this? Well, it would be great if you would pray for her, but for blogging purposes, the seriousness of these events provided a gripping illustration of triage in the medical realm. ...
One topic that has often been controversial in the Evangelical realm is what Bible version should be used? In the context that I was reared and trained initially for ministry, this was a question that caused a lot of contention and even division. Churches at times have split over which Bible to use. This is altogether unnecessary, but it happens. The purpose of this blog is to explain why we at Flat Run Church use the Bible version we do. ...
The normal way of life should be that a boy’s first hero is his dad. In the troubled times of our 21st century life, many boys are not afforded this sacred treasure because of the breakdown of the home. I am not a sociologist, but it is certain the reason our culture has shattered into millions of pieces is because this foundational block of a civil society lies in ruin. May God send a revival of godly Christian homes in our land. This weekend is Father’s Day and I wanted to write a few words about my dad, the greatest man I’ve ever known. ...
One conversation that tends to engender passionate feelings in Evangelical circles revolves around what to wear to Sunday services. I recently heard one pastor’s rather smart aleck answer: whenever people ask him what to wear to his church, he replies, “Clothes.” While the response is meant to be funny and put people at ease, it’s not especially useful or informative. Not everyone will agree on where to draw the lines of dress at church, but it is certain everyone will draw clear and distinct lines....
Much of the reading in graduate studies is like a blur because there’s so much to digest in such a short time. But one of the most memorable books that I read in sem...
My wife and I can be morbid. Over the last several months, we have discovered a YouTube channel where a mortician answers questions about her practices and life’s vocation. It is fascinating – but again, we can be morbid! Being a pastor, I have been around the dead quite a bit. I can still remember the first time I went to the hospital and sat with a member and her dead father for about 45 minutes waiting for her mother to arrive. Honestly, it is something you get used to. ...
The partaking of the Lord’s Supper in many churches is like the national anthem before a sporting event. Everyone is used to it. Everyone participates. One person leads it. However, the national anthem is often treated like nothing but an ancient ritual we want to get past to get to the game. ...
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Mother’s Day came about after a Philadelphia mother held a memorial service for her mother in 1907. Seven years later, President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday in 1914. The idea of having a day to celebrate our mothers is a wonderful idea. Few roles in life are as sacrificial and selfless as that of a parent. You pour your entire life into your child for 18-20 years to have them leave your home and start their own home. Nothing on earth has more ups and downs, more frustrations, more blessings, and ultimately more rewards when it is all said and done...
I am a perfectionist is some areas of life. I am not advocating theological perfectionism, but rather confessing to the personality construct of feeling like you always have more to do in a certain area and you are never satisfied with it. This is something many people deal with, but more on that in a moment....
In short, yes! I guess I could end there, but that would be a really short blog, would it not? It is clear that everything is not black and white in the Scriptures and clinging tightly to one’s interpretation or preference on every matter imaginable is not wise or charitable. However, this one is a matter I think is important for your spiritual health and that of your family....
Ending a sermon well has always been difficult for me. Preaching can be likened to flying an airplane. The introduction is the takeoff. The exposition is the actual flight. The conclusion is the landing. And oh, my, have I had some crash-and-burn landings! Maybe at the top of the list was the time I forgot the lyrics to a song I was going to recite! After fumbling and mumbling, I just finished. About a year ago, I started ending every sermon the same way. Instead of trying to summon up a perfect illustration or the consummate phrase, I simply quote Isaiah 40:8: “The grass withers, the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever.” ...
One passage in the Bible that is rather hard to reconcile is the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11, during the infant stages of the Jerusalem church as the apostles were leading the body. Desiring to impress other church members, Ananias and Sapphira sold property they owned and donated a portion of the proceeds. While this was a noble move, they lied in saying they were sharing the entire amount. For their sin, God struck them dead amid corporate worship. ...
I can never remember a time in my life when I did not love the game of basketball. Some of my earliest memories are basketball games that I played in or went to watch. In the spring of 1992, I can still remember watching Christian Laettner hit the game-winning basket to send Duke to the Final Four against Kentucky in one of the greatest college basketball games of all time. (Sorry Kentucky fans… but not really!) ...
In my last post, I talked about what I believe is the best method of exposing the people of God to the Word of God on the Lord’s Day. I am convinced that this is done through expository preaching. However, I am not so naïve to think that every expository sermon is done in a 5-star fashion and there are times when it is not modeled well. I want to help correct some misconceptions about expository preaching I think are important. Or maybe if you have personally experienced one of the points below, understand that these are areas that expositors of the Word seek to avoid. ...
A decisive factor in choosing a church is the preaching – and rightly so because sound doctrine and healthy teaching are referenced frequently in the New Testament. Yet all too often we judge preaching based on the style and the communication skills of the preacher and not necessarily his content or method. Is the preacher funny? Does he inspire me? But better questions to ask are: did the pastor preach the Bible today? ...
Human beings have always wanted someone to look up to who is bigger than themselves. The infatuation we have with superheroes in America proves the point. We realize that as frail, feeble human beings, someone else must provide what we indeed do not have for ourselves. This celebrity status of vesting our hopes and dreams in another is something we are all tempted to do. ...
One of the most lethal forms of spiritual corrosion is bitterness that leads to a grudge. I have never yet known a person who did not either hold a grudge against someone or felt he or she had a reason to. Yet examples and admonitions from Scripture show us why holding a grudge is wrong and how dangerous it can be in the life of a Christian:...
Stereotypes are rarely true and often offensive, which means they should be challenged whenever possible. That’s especially true of the stereotypes about “preachers’ kids.” This is a subject I can address with some confidence since I have been a pastor’s son since age 11, and my children have known nothing but their dad being a pastor. ...
Recently I wondered to myself: do other Christians sometimes not “feel” God’s nearness? Not a day or so later, I heard a famous preacher speak about seasons in life when God seems distant. I guess I am not the only one after all! In fact, the Bible is full of stories of people of God who felt a distance from their Creator. We may be tempted to think that those who heard God speak had it easier than we, and our faith would be stronger if we experienced the same. ...
How did Martin Luther really feel about the term "Lutherans"-- and how does this apply to modern Christians? ...
I imagine the average church member is about as interested in procedures of pastoral placement as they are parliamentary procedures of the United States Senate. The topic sounds about as interesting as watching grass grow Yet what if I told you that one of the many factors contributing to the challenges facing American Evangelical Christianity is the way pastors are placed into local churches and held accountable after installation?...
It seems like Evangelicalism’s so-called “worship wars” go back just a few generations – but as a matter of fact, the church throughout its history has wrestled with changing music, instrumentation and styles in its public worship services....
There are some conversations that no one wants to have but we all need to have. The issue of pornography is one elephant in the room that needs to be discussed. But where do we even begin with such a difficult conversation?...
Our last blog post addressed reasons why a person may doubt his or her salvation. This topic is near and dear to me because I too struggled with this challenge in years past. As I have studied the Scriptures, I identified Biblical four responses that God has used in my own life that may help other sufferers doubting their salvation....
There are few things more debilitating to a Christian than doubts about his or her salvation. I know about this firsthand, both because I have had seasons of doubt and because all pastors face this challenge in the lives of their members. So, it’s critical to know how to converse with them about these doubts....
February 18, 2019 is probably not a big day for you unless you had a child born that day. While I doubt anyone remembers where they were that day, I sure do! It was my first Sunday as Pastor of Flat Run Church....
Is it possible for a true Christian to backslide? The answer depends on our definition of the term. If by backsliding, we mean that our enthusiasm and vigor for Christ can begin to wane, then it is certainly possible. We see the church of Ephesus going through this in Revelation 2:4 where Jesus in rebuke says, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” ...
In November 2022, I celebrated 20 years since I preached my first sermon. I am still shocked that it was this long ago. During those two decades, I have come to appreciate, respect and even revere not just the teaching office of pastor, but also any teaching role in a church. ...
Our accomplishments are nothing, but “rubbish” compared to the worth of Christ....
Music can be a really touchy topic, if not a proverbial “third rail.” At times I am asked whether Christians can listen to “secular” music. After wrestling with the question, I’ve come to a firm, unshakeable conclusion: it depends. ...
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