2026 is the year I became old. It’s not that old age arrived suddenly. I knew it was there, but it’d been a soundtrack playing in the background. It had a volume control — I had just turned down the … Continue reading 5 Words for Finishing Well
As legend has it, a group of artists was trying to outdo each other in the sophistication of their artistic compositions—until the well-known German artist Albrecht Durer drew a freehand circle so perfect it could have been done with compass … Continue reading The Ministry of Making Circles
The call came as I was having lunch with a friend. Seeing it was the cardiologist’s office, I let it go to voicemail. It wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have in the middle of lunch. And sure enough, the … Continue reading 5 affirmations for when life takes an unexpected turn
An old photograph sits in a frame on my desk. Taken in 1959 when I was barely a year old, the black and white photo is of my father sitting at his desk in the pastor’s study. Visible on the … Continue reading 4 Crucial Questions Regarding Our Responsibility to the Next Generation
Effective Bible teaching is artesian in nature. The word artesian describes a well through which water rises naturally to the surface as a result of internal pressure. Charles Spurgeon used this metaphor with reference to preaching: “True preaching is artesian; … Continue reading Teaching from the Overflow
I don’t like feeling weak, whether it’s physically, emotionally, or spiritually. I just don’t like it. Ironically, however, it’s been by learning to embrace my weaknesses that I’ve grown stronger. In the moments—the seasons—of life during which I’ve been made … Continue reading 3 reasons to embrace weakness
I’ve never met a Bible study leader who said, “I want to lead a shallow Bible study.” Neither have I met anyone who attended a weekly Bible study with the hopes of being bored by pointless superficialities. Regardless of our … Continue reading 3 Ways to Lead a Deeper Bible Study
“Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me” (Ps. 23:4, CSB). The most disconcerting thing about walking through dark valleys is the uncertainty. When you’re walking in shadows, you have no … Continue reading 4 lessons from the valley
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching …” (Acts 2:42). This tells me two things about the early church: (1) members were hungry for teaching; and (2) leaders taught. We have a pretty good idea about what they taught. … Continue reading 5 reasons the church must teach the Bible
The condition of a church can be accurately determined by its prayer meetings. Charles Spurgeon called the prayer meeting a “grace-ometer” from which “we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people.” More recently, Vance Havner said that “the thermometer of a church … Continue reading Whatever happened to prayer meetings?
Mike Livingstone 
You must be logged in to post a comment.