Body of Christ

We Must Hold to Biblical Traditions Faithfully—Not Abandon Them Flippantly

(Read Part 4) So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. (2 Thess. 2:15) In this series, we are dealing with the concept of ministry philosophy—addressing a paradigm shift that is taking place in many churches. It includes a variety of issues which all churches, of all sizes and shapes and stripes, are currently facing. Many times today we are differing with other believers, not so much on [...]

We Must Teach the Old Testament Systematically—Not Superficially

(Read Part 3) In this ongoing series on developing a Biblical philosophy of ministry, we are dealing with some hot contemporary issues. Order Dr. Andy Woods' new book, "The Middle East Meltdown." What you will discover is that there is a lot of disagreement in churches today—not so much over their doctrinal statements. The disagreement is over how they have decided to do ministry—ministry practicum or a philosophy of ministry. This is important and significant to me because issues nearly identical [...]

We Must Teach the Entirety of Scripture—Not Merely the New Testament

(Read Part 2) Many new ideas are being touted today in terms of changing the direction of churches. We need to become educated on the mood of the body of Christ, and how new ideas are percolating. In this series, we are taking an in-depth look at nine troubling ideas that keep resurfacing in the area of philosophy of ministry. If you have not yet faced these issues in your local Bible-believing church, be assured that you will be facing them soon. They are [...]

We Must Emphasize Prophecy—to the Extent that Scripture Emphasizes It

(Read Part 1) We continue our discussion about ministry philosophy and the temptation to compromise with regard to it. I want to challenge pastors and spiritual leaders to think deeply about these issues—and not go down that road of compromise. Last time we began looking at nine troubling ideas in this regard. The first of those was: There is a tendency to reach the youth at the expense of the truth. We often hear the plea to tone down truth because of [...]

Returning to My Ministry Roots

Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it. (Col. 4:17) The last two years have been a time of returning to my ministry roots—in the IFCA International.[1] Back in the summer of 2015 (shortly before I first heard of the idea of Dispensational Publishing House), I was invited to speak at the Wisconsin IFCA Regional in October of that year, where I delivered five messages on the book of Daniel, applying the prophet’s [...]

We Must Reach the Youth—with the Truth

The issue that we are going to be dealing with in this series of articles is a philosophy of ministry issue. As we develop a philosophy of ministry, we must realize that it will impact all that we do in our ministries. And when we seek to implement a Biblical philosophy of ministry, we will quickly perceive that there are voices in the church which propose concepts that actually lead us away from Biblical truth. Certainly, this is a hot-button issue within the body of Christ today. What [...]

Dr. Ralph Turk: Passion for Christ, Zeal for Ministry

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him (Job 13:15). Ralph Turk (1930-2002) had the privilege of growing up in a pastor's home, laying the foundation for a life of service for the Lord. His salvation at age eight provided him with years of knowing and walking with the Lord before he began his ministry. Turk's ministry in churches—in both rural and urban settings—for 23 years in Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa gave him great credibility in his 25 years of Bible [...]

Many Members in One Body

Many of us will observe the ordinance of the Lord's Supper this Sunday in our local churches, so it is appropriate that we take some time to pause and consider some of the implications of this Divinely-authorized teaching tool. This memorial of eating the bread (representing Christ's body) and drinking the cup (representing Christ's blood) reminds us of our need to receive Christ's work on the cross as the only payment for our sins—and of the immediacy of the forgiveness that He [...]

By |2018-01-08T19:34:54-06:00March 4th, 2016|Categories: Body of Christ, Church, Featured Posts, Lord's Supper, Ordinances|Tags: |0 Comments

Title

Go to Top