The Approved Workman

2 Timothy 2:15, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

Ezra 7:10, For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

Isaiah 66:2b, But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

"Sunday Morning Begins Saturday Night"

Charles Spurgeon: "We are told men ought not to preach without preparation. Granted. But we add, men ought not to hear without preparation. Which do you think needs the most preparation, the sower or the ground? I would have the sower come with clean hands, but I would have the ground well-plowed & harrowed, well-turned over, and the clods broken before the seed comes in."

Fight the Good Fight of Faith as a Faithful Christian Soldier; (Heeding the Call of Christ Our Captain)

One should never engage in a theological controversy simply for the sake of a good fight.  However, the holy Scriptures does call true pastors "to fight the good fight of faith as faithful Christian soldiers" (see 2 Timothy 2). In addition to passages like this that are addressed specifically to church leaders every believer is commanded to "contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3-4).  Failure to comply to the clear instructions of Scripture is to disobey the one true Head of the Church (see Col. 1-2).  The Captain of the Lord's (spiritual) army is none other than Jesus Christ!  Where He sends we must go. What He commands we must do.  We are after all bond-servants (not independent contractors or self-serving mercenaries).  In short, we are not at liberty to pick and choose which parts of the New Testament we will follow and defend and which parts we will skip or disregard.  If and when the gospel itself is in question silence is not an option (see Galatians 1-2).

Tragically, the contemporary church seems to think nothing of it when passages (such as the ones listed above) are routinely ignored; often under the so called banner of "love," "unity," and "tolerance." As one who has grown up in the American evangelical church I have witnessed time and time again the accuracy of the following quote.  "The doctrinal ignorance of the Evangelical church is shocking (think Eph. 4:11-15; Heb. 5:12-14), matched only by its cowardice I fear."

Consider the inspired testimony of the New Testament Scriptures beloved.  The following three biblical examples come to mind:  1) When the Apostle Peter began to act in manner contrary to sound doctrine the Apostle Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to confront Peter to his face.  Go back and re-read Galatians 2:11-21.  If Peter himself was not above biblical confrontation neither is the Pope, a Pastor, a church member.  This is not to say we should act hastily in this process as Galatians 6, 1 Timothy 5:19 so remind us...but now I digress.

The Mandate of Gospel Ministry

If You Only Believe What You Like in the Bible....

The Wisdom of this Age

Our Future Ministry Home (Grace Upon Grace)

Our Future Ministry Home

Lake Country Bible Church (Candidation Sunday 2017)

Lake Country Bible Church

Candidation Sermon at LCBC 2017

LCBC Worship Service

The Word-Driven Ministry of a God-Centered Pastor

"All Word and no Spirit, and the Church dries up; all Spirit and no Word, and we blow up; both Word and Spirit, and the people of God grow up."

Understanding the proper relationship of the Spirit of truth and the wholly sufficient Word of truth (that the Holy Spirit inspired) is an essential aspect of God-honoring worship and of Christian ministry (John 4:23-24; Colossians 1:29).

(The following is a series of articles written by a friend, Pastor Don Green about our former shepherd John MacArthur)... "I was first introduced to the ministry of John MacArthur in 1984. I had been a Christian for less than six months and was wrestling with the issues of the charismatic movement.

A friend recommended his book The Charismatics (1978) to me. It was the precursor to the better-known Charismatic Chaos (1992).

It was among the first ten Christian books I ever purchased.

It was by far the most strategic.

At that formative crossroads in my spiritual life, I read words that changed my spiritual trajectory: “Experience is not the test of biblical truth; biblical truth stands in final judgment on experience” (p. 14).

Who You Are When No One Is Watching: Godly Character

The Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden, was known to say that, "The true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching."   Pastor Don Green makes this very point in his opening series of articles on the life and ministry of John MacArthur; (his former boss and pastor).  This is the kind of compassion that endears people to their church leaders; it's also the measure of kindness that should characterize all of God's people.  Without further ado here is part one:

"When I first started at Grace to You in 1996, my supervisor in the counseling department was Doug McMasters, a very fine pastor and theologian in his own right. Doug is now serving as the pastor of New Hyde Park Baptist Church.

Early in our friendship, Doug told me a story. He was a young and somewhat isolated missionary in England when John MacArthur came to that country for a time of ministry.

Doug’s time was not without difficulty there. Men around him in ministry did not live up to the faithfulness that their position should have required.

Leadership Styles and Following Those Who Are Wired Differently Than You

"What is your style of leadership?"  This is a common question pastoral search teams often ask potential Senior Pastor candidates.  Regardless of the man, biblical leadership has many common ingredients.  Having said that, each leader is wired differently, processes things differently, and inspires his people differently.  I was reminded of this while reading a post by an older pastor/friend of mine (Don Green).

Over the past few weeks Pastor Green has posted various stories about his time at Grace To You and GCC related to his former boss/mentor, Pastor John MacArthur. I thought this was an informative and helpful blog post about different kinds of leadership “styles.”  The following article provides some helpful insights that we can all no doubt benefit from.

"John MacArthur taught me a lot about leadership.

His track record at Grace Community Church, Grace to You, The Master’s University, The Master’s Seminary, his writings, and other things too numerous to mention establishes conclusively that the man knows how to lead people and organizations effectively.

To sit under his teaching is one thing, and is obviously the way most people “know” him.

To work under him is something different. He has a unique style of leadership that takes time and patience to grasp.  So.  Phil Johnson promoted me into the administration of Grace to You in 1999. In time, I became the managing director and held that position until I left Grace to You in April 2012.