By Brian Croft

My wife and I promised each of our children when they turned 13 years old, they would get to take a special trip with one of us. My son with me and each of my daughters with my wife. The purpose of these trips is to first have fun and enjoy each other’s company, which is why they each get to pick the destination (must be within a day’s drive) and determine much of the agenda.

By Brian Croft

How does a fast work? The simplest way to explain it is to say that the moments we inevitably feel unfulfilled hunger pains of food should instead move us to pray. We translate our natural hunger for food, which is necessary for life, into prayer. Our physical yearnings are transferred into spiritual hunger for God, for the life we have in him, and for him to do what only he can do.

It is a common scenario. You move to a new area. You get settled at your new residence and job. You get the kids settled in school. Where you settle in a local church often times becomes a longer, more drawn out task. After checking out all the churches you desire to visit, here are 4 questions to ask yourself as you narrow the search to make a decision.

Some pastors go way over the top, while others do nothing trying to make a statement about how church is not a place to celebrate your country, but worship God. Regardless where you find yourself on this spectrum, most churches have men and women who have served in the military who are present on Sunday. How does a pastor encourage these members in his church?

A few years ago had the privilege of baptizing a new believer. I quickly came to realize this was not going to be the typical discipleship scenario (as if there is one). He is an elderly man who cannot see well and more importantly cannot read or write.

I often get asked this question, as many churches affirm the distinct roles between pastors and deacons, yet confuse these roles functionally. Particularly in SBC churches, the deacons commonly carry the title of “deacon” but actually function like a pastor with “pastoral type” authority. Many factors can cause this, but a primary reason for this confusion is short-term pastorates. Pastors come and go. But the deacons remain and feel the absence of this missing office. Nevertheless, the Bible has distinct roles for these two biblical offices.

I get it. It is hard to invest and train leaders, then send them out. It is hard to deeply love others only to let them go. But I am reminded in encouraging notes like this that despite the real personal loss pastors and churches feel, it is still worth sending them. Pastors, pour yourself into young men and women. Train them. Raise them up. Send them out.