Tag: leadership
How to Lead a Great Bible Class
What makes a Bible class great? What separates effective from ineffective Bible class teachers? Over the years, I’ve often asked myself and others these types of questions. I have publicly taught Bible classes for 20+ years and several years beyond that if I count private studies. While that length of time is not going to…
Three Keys to Effective Church Meetings (How to Have Great Church Assemblies)
Today, our church had what I felt was a particularly good assembly. Considering some of our small group were absent, I found the feeling of its special effectiveness intriguing. In a small congregation, each person tends to be deeply valued and appreciated and, when they are absent, their absence tends to be more noticeable than…
Must Women be Silent in Church Meetings?
Does the Bible teach that women must be silent during church meetings? Few topics can stir up as much emotional response among Christians as that of gender roles within the church. In this article, we examine what the Scriptures teach regarding women’s participation in church assemblies.
The Purpose of Elders, Pastors and Bishops in the Church
I’ve previously shown from the Scriptures that elders, pastors and bishops referred to the same role in the apostolic church. The terms were interchangeable references to the same individuals. With that defined, and having looked at what the Old Testament and Jesus’ life can teach us about this role, in this post, I explain from the…
What Jesus Teaches Us about Shepherds (9 Qualities of Effective Pastors and Elders)
The Prophets foretold Jesus’ shepherding of His flock, spiritual Israel (the church). Here is an example from Micah: 1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us.They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of…
What the Old Testament Teaches Us about Shepherds
We are in the midst of a study of the various roles GOD has placed within the church and we’re currently thinking about elders. As we progress, it’s important to keep in mind what we have already established: the overall purpose of the church is to help transform individuals be into the image of Jesus,…
The Purpose of Other Spiritual Gifts within the Church
In addition to the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as performing miracles and healing, GOD has also given numerous non-supernatural, or “natural” (i.e., non-miraculous), gifts within the church. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, saying: 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of…
The Purpose of the Various Roles in the Church (And Why GOD Gave These Roles)
What roles exist within Jesus’ church? Why did GOD create these specific roles? Before diving into these questions, let me provide some context… This post is a continuation of thoughts regarding the big picture of Christian life and Jesus’ church. If you’re joining in the middle of this journey, I’d encourage you to start here:…
Jesus’ Church: Organism or Organization? (Why Our Thinking About the Church is Wrong)
I recently read a newspaper article written by a preacher that was discussing his view of the purpose of the church. Since I’ve been thinking and writing about similar things recently, the headline caught my eye, so I read it. The contents got me to thinking. As Christians, we understand (intellectually) the individual truths that…
To Whom are You Committed? (Why We Can Think We’re Following Jesus When We Aren’t)
In the posts “How to Know When GOD is Calling You” and “What it Means to be Jesus’ Disciple,” I discussed discipleship and obeying when GOD calls us, first to Himself for salvation, and subsequently, to do specific things for His glory. Today, we continue that train of thought and consider a few basic, but…