The Heidelberg Catechism - The Foundations Of Our Faith

TRELLIS AND THE VINE    Chapter 12. Making a start We began, some time ago it now seems, with a vine, a trellis, and the Great Commission. And we made a promise at the start that we would offer no new special technique, no magic bullet, and no guaranteed path to ministry success and stardom. We did this because Christian ministry is really not very complicated. It is simply the making and nurturing of genuine followers of the Lord Jesus Christ through prayerful, Spirit-backed proclamation of the word of God. It's disciple-making. This is not hard to understand, nor even hard to do—unless, of course, you happen to be a sinful person living in a sinful world. The deceptively simple task of disciple-making is made demanding, frustrating and difficult in our world, not because it is so hard to grasp but because it is so hard to persevere in. This is why we are such suckers for the latest ministry expert, who has always grown a church of at least 50...

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Consider The Preacher. The Lord Jesus Christ. The best of preachers. 'He went up.'  His words—an oracle; his works—a miracle; his life—a pattern; his death—a sacrifice. 'He went up into a mountain and taught.' Jesus Christ was every way ennobled and qualified for the work of the ministry. The Lord Jesus was an INTELLIGENT preacher. He had 'the Spirit without measure' (John 3:34) and knew how to speak a word in due season—when to humble, and when to comfort. We cannot know all the faces of our hearers. Christ knew the hearts of his hearers! He understood what doctrine would best suit them...

Can pastors be restored after moral failure? JULY 16, 2024 -  JIM DENISON, PHD Dr. Tony Evans, the highly respected pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, made headlines with his recent  announcement  that he was stepping down from his pastoral duties for a "healing and restoration" time. He told his congregation, "The foundation of our ministry has always been our commitment to the Word of God as the absolute supreme standard of truth to which we are to conform our lives." He added: "When we fall short of that standard due to sin, we are required to repent and restore our relationship with God. A number of years ago, I fell short of that standard. I am, therefore, required to apply the same biblical standard of repentance and restoration to myself that I have applied to others." Dr. Evans wrote: "While I have committed no crime, I did not use righteous judgment in my actions." He is therefore submitting to a restoration process establis...