May 15, 2014 | By Nathan Millican In Part 1 of The Pastor as Counselor, we discussed various responses that sometimes are heard from pastors concerning counseling, as well as a couple of passages that speak to the role and responsibility biblical leaders have in coming alongside the church to help them walk with Jesus. In this…
I imagine you or someone you know has said or thought one of the following statements regarding the issue of counseling in the life of a pastor: When I signed up to be a pastor I didn’t sign up to be a counselor! I just do not have the time to counsel anyone—I’m busy enough…
In reading Tim Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage I came across two truths regarding how God relates to us that I wanted to pass along. First, God exemplifies radical truthfulness about who we are. The second is God exemplifies radical, unconditional commitment to us. These two truths should not only encourage us as we ponder…
Here’s some thoughts on choosing to be angry and/or hot-tempered. Read and reflect. Be slow to become angry (Prov 14:16-17, 29; James 1:19-20) Love covers a multitude of sins and overlooks many offenses (Prov 10:12, 12:16, 17:9, 19:11; 1 Peter 4:8) Seek the more excellent way – the way of love (1 Cor 13:4-7) Hot…
Pastor Ron Edmondson posted this several months ago and I wanted to include it on my blog for a couple reasons. 1) To be reminded of some of the powerful statements that Jesus made and 2) to discern what believing these statements mean as we seek to apply them. You can find the original post…
Have you ever heard someone talk about meditating on Scripture and thought to yourself, “what in the world does that even mean?” Martin Luther, who lived back in the 1500’s, describes how to actually meditate on Scripture. First, discern what the passage actually teaches and consider what the Lord demands. Second, turn the passage into…
Why do most discipleship plans that people come up with have a light does of actually reading the Bible? In fact, why have I been guilty of putting a book, article before individuals rather than simply helping people get to a place in their lives where they can read the Bible for themselves…not completely independent…
At one point in the Gospel of John, the people directly asked Jesus what they must do to please God: “’What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus Answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’” (6:28-29). True belief is not a probationary test drive;…
Proverbs 18:1 reads, “whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” Bruce Waltke in his commentary on Proverbs says this, “the fool alienates himself from society by his self-indulgent pursuit and bares his teeth against the sage’s proficient thinking.” The person who isolates himself can also be translated antisocial…
Paul Tripp reminds us in Sex and Money of an unshakable and hope-giving promise that God gives us His presence in the midst of difficulties. When God called Moses to confront Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler on earth, and Moses was afraid to go, God said, “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12) When God called Joshua…
Theology Along the Way 