Pastoring Archive

  • A Pastor’s Forum Concerning Pastor’s Training New Pastors

    A Pastor’s Forum Concerning Pastor’s Training New Pastors

    9Marks asked a roundtable of pastors the following question: Do local churches have the responsibility to help raise up the next generation of pastors, and if so, why? Answers from: Rickey Armstrong (Glendale Baptist Church, Miami, FL) Stephen E. Farish (Crossroads Church, Grayslake, IL) David Helm (Holy Trinity Church, Chicago, IL) Juan Sanchez (High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, TX) Sandy Willson (Second [...]

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  • A Seminary President’s Forum

    A Seminary President’s Forum

    9Marks Ministries asked a roundtable of seminary presidents the following two questions: Why is your seminary needed? What’s an exciting example you have seen being done in a local church that would encourage pastors to think of raising up the next generation? Answers from: Daniel L. Akin (Southeastern) Bryan Chapell (Covenant) Dennis P. Hollinger (Gordon Conwell) Paige Patterson (Southwestern) Daniel L. Akin I [...]

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  • We are Soldiers – 2 Timothy 2:3-4

    We are Soldiers – 2 Timothy 2:3-4

    A strong believer is one who has the truth and guards it and gives it away. So a strong Christian is a diligent student of Scripture. A strong Christian is faithful to articulate that Scripture. A strong Christian is loyal to the intent and content of that Scripture and involved in the training of others who can train others still. What does it take to be successful in this endeavor? Consider the following characteristic of a successful soldier of Christ:

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  • Two easy ways church can shape the culture

    Two easy ways church can shape the culture

    The homepage of the 9Marks.org website poses the following question: Is Your Church Reflecting the Culture or Shaping It? That is a great question.  In fact, that very question is being asked by many various groups (Emergents,  church growth experts, church planting organizations,  postmil thinkers).  About the only Evangelical group that is not interested in the [...]

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  • When Pastors Stoke the Fire

    When Pastors Stoke the Fire

    In Paul’s first letter to Timothy he had already established that the best medicine for false teaching and apostasy is “sound doctrine” (1 Tim 1:10; 4:3). So vital is sound doctrine to the health of the church that it is something to be pursued (1 Tim 6:11), fought for (1 Tim 6:12), and even suffered [...]

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  • Will the Real Church Planter Please Stand Up

    Will the Real Church Planter Please Stand Up

    Much of the Church is in competition with the world for popularity these days. The world is very good at capturing people’s attention and affections because it targets and appeals to the pleasures of humanity. The church, on the other hand, tends to be very poor at “selling” its product because the message of the [...]

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  • Misconceptions About Plural Elder Led Congregationalism

    Misconceptions About Plural Elder Led Congregationalism

    I want to put the following article into the FIDE-O archives. It is a worthy opinion of a fellow blogger, Ben at PALEOEVANGELICAL Once every few months I find myself in a conversation about church polity. When I describe what I believe, more often than not people hear something different from what I’m saying. In the [...]

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  • What is an Eldership and What Does It Do

    What is an Eldership and What Does It Do

    Biblically the church office of pastor and elder are the same. Pastors are elders and elders are pastors. And the Biblical instuction is that each local church should have a plurality of pastors.  The decision of churches as to who shall be their pastors is one of, if not the most important decision they can make. Churches [...]

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  • Cowards Should Not Apply

    Cowards Should Not Apply

    God does not call cowards. Thankfully, with the calling of God comes the boldness of God. The Apostle Paul told Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). Paul was calling for a attitude of commitment that says, “I don’t care what [...]

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  • Pastors Should Suffer

    Pastors Should Suffer

    The Apostle Paul told Pastor Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:8-10, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to [...]

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  • In what way should a pastor be shameless?

    In what way should a pastor be shameless?

    Shamelessness is a result of Lordship. Paul was surrendered to the Lordship of Christ as seen in his embracing of a life calling. 2 Timothy 1:11-12 “for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. For this reason I also suffer these things…” such as found in 2 Corinthians 11:19-28. Faithful ministry [...]

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