Some seek to measure how they are growing creatively or in the subjective realm of “excellence.” When we make these our benchmarks, we start doing stupider and stupider things, as anyone who’s seen the promotional videos from the church that hosted a fart-themed sermon series can attest. One pastor sleeps on the roof of his church with his wife to

Should we switch things up? Try another tack? Measurable nonresults is one of the reasons so many churches tuck the gospel behind fog and lasers or adjust their teaching to the “7 Steps” busywork of moralistic therapeutic deism.

Galatians 5:12 shows us that Paul is being both rational and angry. It is possible to be both. Paul has not lost his temper, as harsh as his call for the heretics to castrate themselves is. (And let’s not say it just sounds harsh. It is harsh.)

A plurality of elders can be an example to the congregation of unity of mind and heart despite differences. Pastors are not appointed to a church primarily to lead in the instruction of skills and the dissemination of information; they are appointed to a church primarily to lead in Christ-following.

“Mature” is a big-picture label encompassing most of the other qualifications, similar to the adjective “holy.” What Paul is instructing in his list of qualifications, and what Peter is commanding in 1 Peter 5:1–11, is that elders exemplify the namesake “elder.” Grown-ups will lead the church. Not necessarily old people, but grown-ups. Grown-ups ha

The pastor who neglects personal holiness has forgotten who’s in charge. He believes he is an employee of his flock, so it is not holiness he is chiefly after but the appearance of success, of “having his act together.” When today’s pastors think of being an example to their flocks, they primarily think in terms of appearing well-off materially, ha

Some very sincere, honest, intelligent people who have been believers for a long time say that the gospel-centered stuff is all very nice but they know the gospel already, and what they really need to know is what the Bible says about getting out of debt or surviving the workplace. Sounds totally reasonable, no? Law-drivenness almost always does, a

You’ve likely heard the dictum “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.” This is why God uses shepherds, fig farmers, youngest sons, prostitutes, and widows. This is why he uses sinners. Not so that they will realize their potential. Not so that they will finally see how inherently awesome they are. Not so they can live their best

The scale is enormous, the stakes are high. Instead of spiritually dressing up the idols we know people want, let’s give them what they need—God as all in all, the filling of the Spirit, the exaltation of the risen Lord. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). That should be the chi