Note: This article was originally posted on ABWE’s blog. Goals and resolutions are helpful tools in the discipleship toolbox. The Christian life demands self-discipline and an orientation towards the future (Philippians 3:12-16). But resolutions aren’t without their difficulties. Often, we, like Israel, pledge obedience and fail to deliver (see Joshua 24:24). The power of our … Continue reading Pray This Missions Prayer in 2020
4 Steps to Avoid Ministry Burnout: Lessons From Moses
Tracing Israel’s repeated rebellions in the wilderness is as dizzying as watching dirty bathwater circle the drain. In spite of its refrain stressing the patience of God, the book of Numbers exhausts the reader with its reports of these cyclical revolts of the exodus generation. Time and again, they clamor for food, drink, or a … Continue reading 4 Steps to Avoid Ministry Burnout: Lessons From Moses
Learn How to ‘Adult’ Before You ‘Missionary’
Author's note: This article is cross-posted on Founders.org and ABWE.org. Every head bowed, every eye closed. Good. Now, do you feel a stirring deep in your soul when I talk about missions? If so, stand up. If you’ve spent any time in evangelicalism, you know all too well this familiar scene, when the trajectory of one’s life boils down to a single, mystical moment … Continue reading Learn How to ‘Adult’ Before You ‘Missionary’
The Right Kind of Reductionism
“Evangelical” is a dirty word these days. Not just because of the politicization of the term; that’s a given. Rather, it’s becoming taboo even within theologically conservative, Bible-believing Christian circles (heretofore known as evangelicalism). W. Robert Godfrey, in lecture 72 of his church history series, notes that “evangelical” is not strictly synonymous with conservative Protestantism … Continue reading The Right Kind of Reductionism
5 Marks of a Faithful Sending Church
Not everyone is called to be a cross-cultural missionary who takes the gospel to unreached places. So what does Scripture say to those who stay behind? It is just as much a church’s responsibility to send as it is a missionary’s responsibility to go. One of the greatest missionary rally-cry passages in the Bible, Romans … Continue reading 5 Marks of a Faithful Sending Church
Giving Teens the Full Gospel
Have you ever struggled to explain your faith? Could you explain it to a 5th grader? What about five of them in a circle? Talking about our faith can be daunting. Sometimes we’re so afraid to say the wrong thing that we don’t say much at all. It’s harder if students can’t define “sin,” “salvation,” … Continue reading Giving Teens the Full Gospel
5 Foolish, Simple Things God Uses
Looks are everything. That’s the thinking of Western culture today. We live in a society centered on branding and slick advertising where organizations and even individuals swim in the deep water of social media image maintenance. Perception is key. How you look is what you are. Only you can define your own identity. You are … Continue reading 5 Foolish, Simple Things God Uses