By Dr Sam StormsThe easiest thing about praying is quitting. Giving up seems so reasonable, so easy to justify. It’s always been that way, which is why Paul wrote in Colossians 4:12, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Persevering in prayer when no one seems to listen strikes many people as a sign of fanaticism, if not mental instability.
People in Paul’s day faced the same temptation to quit that we do. But too much was at stake. Though defeated at the cross, Satan and his demons are still active. The weakness of the flesh abides. The threat of schism in the body of Christ is ever present. Great opportunities to share the gospel are at every turn. So, don’t quit, says Paul. Continue steadfastly in prayer. Keep watch ...
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By Yancey Arrington
How often have we exposed ourselves as pretenders when it comes to battling indwelling sin? All of us have approached a certain temptation in our life with confidence only to wind up succumbing to its pain-inflicting consequences. We are often exposed – assuming ourselves to be contenders when we are truly impotent in our ability to defeat a seemingly unimposing sin.
How can we fight sin well and not fool ourselves? One of the ways we do that is by discovering what kind of repentance we employ in our fight against sin.
Repentance is the essential aspect of spiritual growth. Martin Luther penned in the first of his “Ninety-Five Theses” these words: “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ…willed the entire life of believers to be one of ...
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By Scott Thomas, President of Acts 29
(Adapted from CH Spurgeon’s Lectures to His Students)
A pastor’s life is most effective as a sharpened tool in God’s hand by nurturing the spirit, soul and body and not just organizing information in a logical manner. We are God’s sword in a holy war and are not dependent as much on our talents as we are on our likeness to Jesus. A pastor that is spiritually out of order is a serious disaster to himself and his ministry.
Our first care must be our own soul and we must be regenerated men. This cannot be overlooked. Our faith must be personal and not just professional.
Secondly, a pastor must be vigorous in his personal piety and he must be advanced significantly beyond the typical Christian. His godliness must be vibrant, ...
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By Steve Timmis, Acts 29 Western Europe Director
Character often gets overlooked, but it is the key issue in Christian ministry. Although more emphasis is placed on charisma or gifting, character is the key issue in leadership.
Every aspect of my life is to be lived for God’s glory
1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
At first reading, this principle may appear something of a no-brainer. However, if taken seriously, we will find that no other principle is quite so counter-cultural and counter-intuitive as this one. This principle defines ‘me’ in relation to ‘Him’. It says that ‘me’ and my life is all about ‘Him.’ It is only about ‘me’ to ...
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The Spiritual Man
Romans 8:5-11
by Scott Thomas, Acts 29 President
Spiritual vitality was the highest rated quality of a church planter as polled by Acts 29 pastors. What are the characteristics of a spiritually vital pastor? The following responses came through Twitter and Facebook.
No matter how busy, portrays God's grace and accessibility
A rich prayer life
Not afraid to be prophetic and take unpopular stands.
Happy in God, loves wife, constant learner, overall discipline, humble, sleeps (evidence of peace/humility)
He must love his wife.
Humble, Reverent to God, Continues to grow, loves his family, and preaches from the Bible and not his opinions.
Suffers well and, in adversity, points to Jesus.
#1 - Humility, in my humble opinion
Knowledge of and passion for ...
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