2018 » GProCommission

December 27, 2018

2 Corinthians: The Supreme Pastoral Letter – Interview with Phil Smith

Enjoy this audio interview with Leadership Resources, Kevin Halloran and Phil Smith reshared with kind permission. Kevin Halloran: When we think of the Pastoral Epistles, we usually think of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus because they were written to pastors and bear the official title of “Pastoral Epistle.” Even so, some have called the book of 2 Corinthians the “Supreme Pastoral Letter” because it helps us see the pastoral heart and pastoral suffering of the Apostle Paul in a unique way.[1] Since Leadership Resources is an organization that encourages and equips pastors to teach God’s word with God’s heart, I […]

December 25, 2018

5 Keys to Making Sure Your Christmas Break Doesn’t Break You Or Your Family (A Post for Driven Leaders

So Christmas break (following your Christmas services) is almost here and you’re trying to take some time off. Ever notice that’s what driven leaders say all the time? I’m going to try to take two weeks off. I’ll try to unplug. I’m trying to relax. We A-types stink at vacation, don’t we? It’s also really tough if you’re married to us. Or, we’re your parents. How do I know this? Because I’m one of you. I’m speaking my native tongue. Being a driven kind of person, the idea of doing nothing but resting is unsettling for me. But I also understand how important it is. Sabbath is God’s idea. And, […]

December 18, 2018

Understanding the Trinity

In this episode, Dr. Darrell Bock and Dr. Fred Sanders discuss the Trinity, focusing on how a biblical understanding of this doctrine affects the Christian life in a holistic manner. Transcript below: Darrell Bock: Welcome to The Table where we discuss issues of God and culture. I’m Darrell Bock, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement at the Hendricks Center at Dallas Theological Seminary. And I my guest today is Fred Sanders, who is professor of theology at the Torrey Honors – is it the Torrey Honors Institute within Biola University? Do I have that right?Fred SandersThat’s correct. Darrell Bock: Well and […]

December 13, 2018

5 Hard Truths About Healthy Church Growth

Most church leaders I know would love to see their church grow. Similarly, most leaders I’ve met want their church to grow for what we might call the ‘right’ reasons: they sincerely want more people to encounter the love of Jesus Christ. That’s amazing. And yet there’s a strong reaction against growing churches by many leaders. For some reason, many people love to take pot-shots at growing churches and large churches. Some are categorical denouncements. I don’t know what to do with those. Sometimes I sense that underneath the anger are jealousy and resentment on the part of leaders whose […]

December 11, 2018

Why Preach Overview Sermons of Bible Books

Article shared with kind permission from author Kevin Halloran of Leadership Resources. Preachers want their people to love the Word of God. They also want to grow as preachers and keep their preaching calendar fresh. Preaching a whole book of the Bible in one sermon is one way to accomplish all three of these objectives and might be worth adding to your preaching repertoire. Here are a few reasons: Preaching book-overview sermons encourages Bible engagement in the congregation. All preachers should want their preaching to engender responses like, “I can read this for myself!” The more exposure your people have to […]

November 28, 2018

Your Team is Brainstorming All Wrong

Shared with kind permission by Leading With Questions. Guest Post by Art Markman | Originally posted in the Harvard Business Review When your team is tasked with generating ideas to solve a problem, suggesting a brainstorming session is a natural reaction. But does that approach actually work? Although the term “brainstorming” is now used as a generic term for having groups develop ideas, it began as the name of a specific technique proposed by advertising executive Alex Osborn in the 1950s. He codified the basic rules that many of us follow when getting people together to generate ideas: Toss out as many ideas as possible. […]

November 22, 2018

The Relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament

Reposted with kind permission of the Table Podcast. In this episode, Drs. Mark Yarbrough, Darrell L. Bock, Mark Bailey, and Pastor Andy Stanley discuss the relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament, focusing on communicating biblical truth to a variety of audiences. Timecodes below: 00:15 Yarbrough introduces Bock, Bailey, and Stanley 02:03 How does Acts 15 fit into Luke’s work as a whole? 05:48 What is the central issue in Acts 15? 10:50 How did Gentiles become Christians in the 1st Century? 18:14 Explaining Acts 15 to new believers today 21:39 Letting go of the old covenant and an improper view of the […]

November 20, 2018

The Difference Between Churches That Grow and Churches That Don’t

So…what’s the difference between a growing church and a declining church? Well, there are many, but one of the biggest differences I see is the attitude of the leaders. The leaders of growing churches almost always share a common attitude. So do the leaders of declining churches. And the attitude has a huge influence over the results each church sees. Attitude may or may not be everything, but it’s close. Here are 5 attitude differences I see again and again in growing churches and declining churches. 1. WE CAN V. WE CAN’T Perhaps the biggest differences I see between growing churches and declining churches is the attitude around […]

November 15, 2018

When Someone Doesn’t Pull Their Weight

Post reshared with kind permission from Josh Reich. One of the realities of leadership and relationships is that someone will always do more work than the other person. When you are the person who is taken advantage of it can be hurtful. When you are the person who is taking advantage, it doesn’t feel as bad. For many, this can be devastating in a relationship or job. The closer a person is to us, the more hurtful it is. As I preached through the book of Nehemiah this year, I was struck by a verse in chapter 3. Verse 5 says: The nobles, […]

November 13, 2018

Fundamentals of Fundraising

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 One of the hardest things we do in ministry is to ask others for money or financial assistance. Yet God’s Word tells us that if we ask for whatever we need in His name, we shall receive it. When we ask God in prayer for the things we need for our ministry, including money, it is through […]