We greatly value people who can do it all in a local church. These versatile members of the body seem to thrive no matter what responsibility they shoulder. They are precious gifts from God to the local church, but we would be unwise to let them do it all, especially when it comes to matters of church finances. In financial discipline in the local church, there are duties that are incompatible for the same person to do.

Five-point Calvinism has, in our generation, been a disincentive to soulwinning, a hindrance to evangelism, and sadly, a source of intellectual pride.

It was Memorial Day and my schedule had taken me to the beautiful Colorado Rockies for a week of camp with teenagers. I had arrived on Friday and spoken several times over the weekend to the staff and counselors and was ready for a great week.

I am reminded of a lighthouse resembling an iron skeleton that once stood far out at sea about eight miles east of Boston, Massachusetts. Its name was the Minot’s Ledge. The keepers inside this lighthouse always trembled when a stormy tempest swept their way and swayed their seventy-five foot home.

In Psalm 133:1, King David wrote, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” God desires His children to dwell together in peace and unity. How accurate are the famous lines, “To live above with saints we love, that will be glory. To live below, with the saints we know, that’s a different story.”

One of the most satisfying moments in ministry is when we see men and boys called of the Lord to serve full-time. It is wonderful when a man of God has a, “son in the ministry.” In truth it is the natural order of things.

A legacy of faithfulness is the accumulation of an entire life, and I know that I’m still a work in progress. But I am thankful for faithful men who have invested in me, and I would like to share what they have handed to me.

We often speak of waiting on God to do certain things in our lives. Yet, there are times when God is waiting on us to do certain things. He wants us to:

What a missionary does with his time while traveling full-time on deputation will greatly depend on his family situation, but using that time wisely as a good steward is absolutely necessary. Here are some pointers that my family found helpful to use our time wisely, and yet enjoy the journey when we were on deputation:

Have you ever heard a teacher make a statement like, “I don’t teach math, I teach students.” This is an interesting statement and this manner of thinking should impact each of us who are teachers. Regardless of what we are teaching, we must keep in mind that our focus ought to be the students, not the subject matter.