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?
What sometimes passes for Christian fellowship is about as nourishing as the doughnut you ate in Sunday School last week. Though enjoyable, it brings little spiritual benefit. To fellowship is to share. That’s the basic meaning of koinonia—sharing. But it’s a sharing … Continue reading Beyond the coffee and doughnuts
“I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord’s people were divided.” Like D.L. Moody, neither have I. Instead, most of us probably have seen too often how disunity hinders the Spirit’s work in the church and damages the … Continue reading 5 ways to destroy church unity
Mike Livingstone 
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