“Do you love Me?…Feed my sheep.”[1] – Jesus “…the church exists for the edifying or the building up of the saints; to bring the saints into full maturity so that they might engage in the work of the ministry.”[2] – Chuck Smith “Preach and teach the Word—the very life of the church depends on it! […]
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”[1] – John the Baptizer speaking of Jesus “Ritualism is nothing more than a rut, and the only difference between a rut and […]
“…You shall be Witnesses to Me…”[1] – Jesus “If you are a Calvary Chapel pastor or in teaching leadership, chances are you are concerned about the death of biblical truth in our culture and within our churches…As a pastor or teacher, you have the privilege of expositing and expounding God’s truth to your community.”[2] […]
PLANTING POWER “John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’”[1]—John the Baptizer speaking of Jesus “We believe that there is an experience of the empowering of […]
Called to Plant “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”[1] – Jesus “If there is one characteristic that is absolutely essential for effective ministry, it’s that we must first have a sense of calling—the conviction in […]
BIBLICAL MEDITATION AND SPIRITUAL BLESSING Psalm 1: 1-2 “(1) Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day […]
One of the most mind-bending and yet rewarding things we can do is meditate on the trinitarian nature of God. While not all agree, the Trinity, or Triune nature of God, is a reality most definitely affirmed by the teaching of Scripture. The biblical testimony portrays God as existing as three separate persons who […]
“God…saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” (2 Tim. 1:8c-9) Pastors Sin Alot The other day I was talking with a good friend who senses God’s call to vocational […]
All church planters want people to come to theirchurch. We who have started a churchfrom the ground up all share that in common. The first official gathering of Refuge Church was a home bible studywhich consisted of six adults and our three little kids. I remember that we all had that mix of emotions that all […]
INITIAL LEADERSHIP FOR YOUR NEW CHURCH – Part III TIME FOR CHANGE When the church you’ve planted becomes established and new leaders are being called to serve by the Holy Spirit you will need to start looking at leadership transitions. In part three of this series I want provide a biblical basis for training local […]