By Mark Driscoll
Two sides exist with every spiritual discipline. A Pastor’s healthy relationship with God involves both being and doing. On one hand, there is a contemplative practice, and on the other, a corresponding active practice.
Subsequently, anyone who practices one aspect of a spiritual discipline without the other becomes increasingly immature and imbalanced in his or her walk with Jesus.
This is true for the two disciplines of Solitude and Fellowship. German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote,
“Only in fellowship do we learn to be rightly alone and only in aloneness do we learn to be rightly in fellowship.”
Solitude
Solitude is fasting from people for a prescribed time to connect with God and replenish the soul. Solitude is not a punishment like that ...
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One major aspect of Spiritual Vitality in a church planter is his deep commitment to Biblical authority.
Scott Thomas interviewed Dr. Sam Storms while he was in Seattle last week about what it looks like for a pastor to be under Biblical authority. Dr. Storms is pastor of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma and recently published Convergence: Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calvinist. (See also Dr. Storms’ interview on the Spirit-led Pastor).
In this video:
Functional Deists and Biblical Sterility
“There are people who say, “of course I believe in the existence of God,” but they are functional Deists. They don’t see God as being meaningfully active in their lives, and they don’t actually expect Him to answer prayer or to provide guidance in ...
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Last week, Dr. Sam Storms was in Seattle and graciously took some time to talk with Scott Thomas about what it looks like to be a Spirit-led pastor. Dr. Storms is pastor of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma, and recently published Convergence: Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calivinist.
In this video:
How can a pastor be led by the Spirit?“The Spirit-led pastor begins with a confession and heart-commitment to God saying, ‘Lord, I am open to the prompting, correcting and redirecting of my life, ministry and decisions by your Spirit in accordance with Your will.’"
Through the Scripture“Most of all, pastors need to understand that the Spirit leads through God’s Word, principally and primarily.”
Nurturing a Spirit-led Life1. Spend time alone with ...
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By Scott Thomas, President of Acts 29
Pastors and church planters must be Bible guys. In order to be able to teach (as a biblical qualification of all pastors), we have to know our Bibles well and be able to defend its central truths with clarity and passion. A bit of winsomeness never hurt either.
In his book, Brothers, We Are NOT Professionals (Broadman and Holman, 2002), author and Pastor-scholar John Piper said that every pastor should become a biblical theologian. “If we are going to feed our people, we must ever advance in our grasp of Biblical truth,” Piper said. We have to be like Jonathan Edwards who among his seventy resolutions said:
“Resolved: To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive, myself ...
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Pastor Scott Thomas
The Bible specifically speaks about the qualifications for those who will lead a congregation of people. These qualifications have been the same for almost 2,000 years. Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of these qualifications as the “senior pastor” of the Church.
Above Reproach (Titus 1:6, 7; 1 Tim 3:2)
This is the overarching, summarizing characteristic. You will find similar (but not identical) lists in First Timothy and Titus. Living a life above reproach is the first requirement in both lists and Titus repeats it. The other items on the list explain what “above reproach” means. If we peruse the two lists, as well as First Peter, we find 17 qualifications of an elder who is above reproach.
1. A Pastor must be devoted to his wife; ...
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