Plodding Along

The Glory of Plodding is an excellent article by Pastor Kevin DeYoung about being faithful to God in the ordinary.  I recommend it to you!

The Long-Term Care of Pastors: Encourage Your Shepherd!

I was glad to see this week a new initiative from the South Carolina Baptist Convention regarding the health of pastors, though I am saddened by the reality of the need.  The Baptist Courier, South Carolina's newspaper for Southern Baptists, published a cover-story article about a health-initiative for pastors.  Sadly, in the past seven years, seven SCBC pastors have committed suicide.  One of those pastors served in our association for a few years; he left behind a wife and four children. 

In January of 2010, The Courier ran an article about depression among pastors: When Pastors' Silent Suffering Turns Tragic.  They said that the article generated more reader response than any article in recent Courier history.  The newspaper still has a link to the article on its home page today.

This month is set aside by some as Pastor Appreciation Month (I was blessed this past Sunday by our congregation's surprising me with a pastor-appreciation luncheon at church).  Take some time to encourge a pastor in your life. 

H. B. London, founder of the Pastoral Ministries and Pastor to Pastor broadcasts at Focus on the Family, shared an article on his blog this month about how a congregation can care for their pastor long-term.  (You will have to scroll down to the October 8 listing.) 

Partner with your pastor.  Encourage him as he encourages you in the Lord.  Remember the exhortation of Hebrews 3:12-13, See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving hearts that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Should a Christian Vote for a Mormon?

More than one person this election season has posed the question to me, "Should a Christian vote for a Mormon?"  That is a great question and one that shows a person is thinking deeply about what appear to be opposing values.

It would be nice if we leaved in a squeaky clean world where every decision contained no ambiguity.  However, that world does not exist, and we often have to choose between complex options.

My response to sincere Christians struggling with casting a vote for Mitt Romney because of his Mormon faith has been as follows:

1.  You are not voting for an office that is primarily spiritual.  You are not voting on a pastor, deacon, elder, nor the president of a Bible college, seminary, or missions agency.  You are not voting on a theological creed that deals with salvation, prophecy, and the doctrine of revelation.  You are voting on a secular position.  We are not a theocracy.  We are a democracy.  Though our ideal would be for this person to be an evangelical Christian, the ideal does not always happen.  (And history has proven that being a born-again evangelical does not necessarily make one a great President.)

2.  Vote for the one most qualified to do the job.  If I were going to have a major surgery, I would want my surgeon to be the one the most qualified for the job - regardless of whether or not he or she were a Christian.  No, I would not want a satanist operating on me; but besides that, I would be glad to get the best of the field whether that person were a Jew, Mormon, or evangelical. 

One of the complexities of theology is that God has given some of his grace to all people.  Even to those who may not acknowledge Christ as their Lord and Savior, God has given them gifts, abilities, and desires to help build culture and help humanity.  The man who designs a bridge may not acknowledge God, but he is using his God-given abilities nonetheless.  In such situations, even if the person operating on me is not an evangelical Christian, I can trust God and go with that doctor.  My trust is in God, not the person.  God can help me through that person's hands and mind just as much as He can through the hands and minds of a born-again believer.  So, with this election, I can vote for a Mormon and put my trust in God.

3.  Vote for the person who best stands for biblical values.  You are not so much voting for a person as you are voting for the values for which that person stands.  Tony Evans recently gave an excellent illustration on Focus on the Family.  He said that when you are pulling for a football team, even if you do not particularly like the quarterback, you still root for that quarterback to get done what needs to be done in order for the team to win. 

Years ago in seminary I heard that theologically-conservative churches of different denominations would have more in common with each other than a theologically-liberal church would have with a theologically-conservative church of the same denomination.  So, as a conservative-evangelical, I have more in common with the Mormon candidate who stands for traditional values than I do with the other candidate who claims Christianity (and in at least one interview has claimed Islam) but does not hold the values and views of historic, orthodox Christianity.

Albert Mohler, the President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote an excellent article on the election entitled The Great American Worldview Test: The 2012 Election.  I highly recommend it to you.  In it, Mohler explains,

We are not looking at minor matters of political difference. We are staring into the abyss of comprehensive moral conflict. Christian voters can escape neither the consequences of their vote, nor the fact that our most basic convictions will be revealed in the voting booth come November. Christians cannot face these questions without the knowledge that God is the Giver of life, who made every human life in his image. We cannot consider this election without the knowledge that our Creator has given us the covenant of marriage as the union of one man and one woman as the demonstration of his glory and the promise of human flourishing.

Americans will elect a president in November, but our vote will reveal far more than our political preference. The 2012 election is a worldview exercise of unprecedented contrasts — an unavoidable test of our most basic convictions. The electoral map will reveal more than an election winner. It will reveal who Americans really are and what we really believe.

4.  Vote for the candidate who best models integrity, truth-telling, humility, and other good character qualities.

Charles Stanley has provided an excellent list entitled What to Look for When Choosing a Leader.  He provides nineteen questions to ask about the character and integrity of potential leaders.

Newt Gingrich has told America for eighteen months that this presidential election is the most important election of any of our lives.  It will determine the future of our country more than any election since that of Abraham Lincoln.

This Southern Baptist pastor will be voting for a Mormon in two weeks.

The Bible and American History

Various Texts

 

THE BIBLE AND AMERICAN PRESIDENTS

The first and almost the only book deserving of universal attention is the Bible.  I speak as a man of the world . . . and I say to you, “Search the Scriptures.”  - John Quincy Adams

The Bible is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God, and spiritual needs of man.  America was born a Christian nation.  America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelation of Scripture.  – Woodrow Wilson

The strength of our journey is the strength of its religious convictions.  The foundations of our society and government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.  – Calvin Coolidge

We cannot read the history of our rise and development as a nation without reckoning with the place the Bible has occupied in shaping the advances of the Republic.  Where we have been the truest and most consistent in obeying its precepts, we have attained the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity.  – Franklin Roosevelt

If you take out of your statutes, your constitution, your family life all that is taken from the Sacred Book, what would there be left to bind society together?  - Benjamin Harrison

That book, sir, is the rock on which our republic rests.  – Andrew Jackson

FAITH OF THE FOUNDERS

We submit our person, lives, and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, and to all those perfect and most absolute laws of His given us in His holy Word.  – Rhode Island Charter of 1683

While much has been written in recent years to try to dismiss the fact that America was founded upon the biblical principles of Judeo-Christianity, all the revisionism in the world cannot change the facts.  Anyone who examines the original writings, personal correspondence, biographies, and public statements of the individuals who were instrumental in the founding of America will find an abundance of quotations showing the profound extent to which their thinking and lives were influenced by a Christian worldview.  – American Patriot’s Bible, I-9

We recognize no sovereign but God and no king but Jesus!  - John Hancock and John Adams

The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. . . . I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.  – John Adams, Second President

My only hope of salvation is in the infinite, transcendent love of God manifested to the world by the death of His Son upon the cross.  Nothing but his blood will wash away my sins.  Come, Lord Jesus!  Come quickly!  - Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence

Signers of the Constitutional Convention (55 delegates) – the core group of men whose religious sentiments shaped the foundations of our nation: 28 Episcopalians, 8 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationalists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2 Methodists, 2 Roman Catholics, 1 unknown, and 3 deists.  (93% members of Christian churches)

It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.  – Patrick Henry

Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.  – John Jay, First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

Without moral a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure . . . are undermining the solid foundations of morals, the best security for the duration of a free government.  – Charles Carrol, Signer of the Declaration of Independence

MONUMENTS TO PATRIOTISM

From the halls of Congress to that monuments, to nearly every landmark building, biblical and religious quotations and images are inscribed and preserved as an official testimony to the true place God has in our nation’s birthright and history.  American Patriot’s Bible,  I-33

GREAT AMERICANS

In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.  – Robert E. Lee

The Word of God tends to make large-minded men, noble-minded hearts.  – Henry Beecher

The Bible is worth all the other books which have ever been printed.  – Patrick Henry

To call the Bible a great book is an understatement.  It is, quite simply, the cornerstone of Western civilization.  – Charlton Heston

If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper, but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no nan can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.  – Daniel Webster

The secret of my success?  It is simple.  It is found in the Bible, In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and Hs ehall direct they paths.  – George Washington Carver

Picture used by permission from Pixabay.

The Foundations of American Society

Psalm 11:3

 

Monuments to American Patriotism

The Washington Monument - Latus Deo – praise be to God; lining the walls of the stairwell are carved tribute blocks that declare biblical phrases: Holiness to the Lord, Search the Scriptures, Train up a child in the way he should go, The memory of the just is blessed.

The Bible and American Education

The New England Primer taught the ABC’s to children by memorizing basic biblical truths and lessons about life: A – In Adam’s fall, we sinned all.  B – Heaven to find, the Bible Mind.  Included were the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Westminster Catechism.

The Founding Fathers stressed the relationship between a sound education based upon biblical absoluters and the future of the nation.

Why then, if these [new] books for children must be retained – as they will be – should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a school book?  - Fisher Ames, Founding Father who offered the final wording for the House version of the First Amendment

In contemplating the political institutions of the United States, [if we remove the Bible from schools] I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them.  – Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration and Constitution, leading educator

Yale College established in 1701 with a stated goal that “every student shall consider the main end of his study to wit to know God in Jesus Christ and answerably to lead a godly, sober life.”

The Separation of Church and State

Many Founding Fathers asserted that religious faith was the most important source of civil virtues.

There is no country in the whole world in which the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America – and there can be no greater proof of its utility, and of its conformity to human nature, than that its influence is most powerfully felt over the most enlightened and free nation of the earth.  – Alexis de Toqueville, Democracy in America

It seems that today [21^st century] in sculpting the faith and values of American culture is the extraconstitutional phrase “separation of church and state.”  Significantly, that now-popular phrase is found in none of our governing documents, despite the widespread belief to the contrary.  – Barton

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.  – US Constitution.  They were seeking to prevent what they had experienced in Great Britain: the legal establishment by the national gov’t of a single religious denomination in exclusion of all others.  Congress could not establish any one denomination in America.  (The founding fathers often used the word “religion” interchangeably with the word “denomination.”

First Amendment- contained two separate clauses , 1 – to prohibit a national denomination, and 2 – to prohibit the interference with people’s public religious expressions.  Interpreted this way for 150+ years.  The First Amendment is now used to prohibit the very religious activities the Founders themselves once encouraged under that same Amendment.

The Ten Commandments

The tap-root of American order runs deep into a Levantine desert; it began to grow some thirteen centuries before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.  Through Moses, prophet and law-giver, the moral principles that move the civilization of Europe and America and much more of the world first obtained clear expression.  Moses made known that there exists but one God, Jehovah; that God made a covenant or compact with His people; that He had decreed laws by which they should live.  From that revelation have grown modern ethics and modern social institutions and much besides.  – Russell Kirk, The Root of American Order

Law is much more than a human tool.  Flowing from the divine law, it is a reflection of the Creator – it is primarily the Creator’s tool.  – Michael Schutt, Redeeming Law

Law is rooted in the created order.

The Founding Fathers embraced the Ten Commandments in both the legal and public arenas.  They viewed them and moral laws in Scripture as an indispensable part of sound public policy and gov’t.

The Seven Principles of the Judeo-Christian Ethic

When our Founding Fathers gave us documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and others, they had to lean upon a common understanding of law, government, social order, and morality, which sprang from the common acceptance of the Judeo-Christian Ethic, the system of moral and social values that originate from the Old and New Testaments.

Principle One – The Dignity of Human Life (Ex. 20:13; Mt. 22:39)

Principle Two – The Traditional Monogamous Marriage (Gen. 2:23,24)

Principle Three – A National Work Ethic (2 Thes. 3:10)

Principle Four – The Right to a God-Centered Education (Eph. 6:4)

Principle Five – The Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3; Gal. 3:7)

Principle Six – Common Decency (Mt. 22:39)

Principle Seven – Our Personal Accountability to God (He. 9:27)

What is the most sobering thought that ever entered your mind? wjas asked Daniel Webster.  He quickly responded, My personal accountability to God.

Resources: The American Patriot’s Bible, Separation of Church and State: What the Founders Meant by David Barton, The Ten Commandments: Foundation of American Society by Kenyn Cureton

A Call to Prayer

I called our church a few weeks ago to a month of prayer and fasting as we approach the upcoming election in November.

 

As it is the business of tailors to make clothes and of cobblers to mend shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.  – Martin Luther

 

God shapes the world by prayer.  Prayers are deathless.  They outlive the lives of those who utter them.  – E. M. Bounds

Prayers move the heart of God – not in violation of his sovereignty, but actually as an act of his sovereignty.  Think of the mom who prays for her wayward child for a decade or two without seeing any evidence of change.  That was my mom.  Even when it seems as if nothing is happening, God is at work.  – Britt Merrick

Prayer as encounter and communion . . .

Prayer is an exercise by which we verbally request that God manifest his divine glory in our lives and in our work.  The prayer of encounter and communion assumes that it is possible to meet Christ, to listen through and speak through spheres of time and to know the same risen Lord who met with and taught twelve disciples in Palestine.  Obviously such an encounter is experienced by faith.  Intercessory prayer is prayer that arises out of our encounter and personal communion with Christ. 

 

The place of silence in prayer . . .

Our Christian heritage would remind us again and again that prayer and discernment require silence, that we must slow down and find the space and time to set aside the noise of the world and of our own hearts.  This is not something that comes easily for us.  The effort is imperative; we seek silence because we long to hear God and God alone.  The discipline of silence is a learned art, one that requires persistence and patience.  The problem is not that God cannot speak loudly; the issue at hand is our capacity to hear.  There is too much noise in our lives, too much emotional clutter and intellectual busyness.  All too frequently we are simply too busy to slow down and listen – G. Smith

 

In doing God’s work there is no substitute for praying.  The men of prayer cannot be displaced with other kinds of men.  Men of financial skill, men of education, men of worldly influence -- none of these can possibly be put in substitution for the men of prayer.  The life, the vigour, the motive power of Gods work is formed by praying men.  The men to whom Jesus Christ committed the fortunes and destiny of His Church were men of prayer.  To no other kind of men has God ever committed Himself in this world.   – E. M. Bounds

 

Are the apostles saying that out of all the ministries they could do, what they cannot let go of is preaching/teaching the Word of God and leading the prayer life of the church?  Is this really what the Bible pictures here – that leaders ought to consider guiding the corporate prayer life of the church just as critical a priority as preaching/teaching the Word of God?  - John Franklin

There is no use of our praying unless we trust.  To pray is to ask, to make known our petition to the Lord.  Then our part is to trust that He has heard our prayer and that He will answer in His own time and way.  We must pray and trust!  - Joseph Evans

Is it astounding that the Spirit of God would have to seek far afield to find some intercessor on behalf of the King so that the many prayers offered by his mother should be answered?  There are those who have been taught to pray in the Spirit, as we read in Romans 8:26-27.  – V. Raymond Edman, Out of My Life

What is fasting? 

A Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.  – Donald Whitney

The voluntary denial of a normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity.  – Richard Foster

Areas of focused prayer and fasting:   1)      Personal areas, issues, needs. 2)      The state of our nation. 3)      The Spring church. 4)      Concerns for family and friends.

Normal fasts (Mt. 4:2)

Partial fasts (Dn. 1:12)

Absolute fast (Est. 4:16)

Supernatural fast (40 days; Dt. 9:9)

Private fast (Mt. 6:16-18)

Congregational fasts (Joel 2:15-16)

National fasts (2 Chron. 20)

Regular fasts (Old Covenant)

Occasional fasts (Mt. 9:15; Esther, Jehoshaphat)

 

What does the Bible teach us about fasting?

 

1)         Fasting is expected (Mt. 6:16-17) and a normal discipline in the life of a disciple of Jesus.

 

2)         Fasting, like other spiritual habits, should be done unto the Lord and not for show.

 

3)         Fasting is done for specific purposes . . .

 

a.       To know God better.

b.       To strengthen our prayers, particular in times of urgency.

 

Whenever men are to pray to God concerning any great matter, it would be expedient to appoint fasting along with prayer.  – John Calvin

There’s something about fasting that sharpens the edge of our intercessions and gives passion to our supplications.  – Donald Whitney

Fasting does not change God’s hearing as much as it changes our praying.  – Whitney

The man who prays with fasting is giving heaven notice that he is truly in earnest.  He is using a means that God has chosen to make his voice to be heard on high.  – Arthur Wallis

c.          To seek God’s guidance.

d.         To express grief or repentance.

e.          To seek deliverance or protection.

f.          To humble oneself before God.

g.         To express concern and intercede for the work of God.

h.         To overcome temptation and dedicate yourself to God.

i.           To better minister to others.

j.           To ask God to intervene in large, even national, concerns.

 

 

Resources:  Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney

Preschoolers and Apps

Managing Your Preschoolers Fascination with Apps

Trouble in the Ministry

Why is there such a sad rate of depression, job-termination, and in extreme cases, suicide among pastors?  I think the roots of most are included in the following:

1.  Unrealistic expectations of members.

2.  Unrealistic expectations of self.

3.  The tendency to judge success by nickles and noses.

4.  Financial pressures.

5.  The tendency towards isolation and loneliness.

6.  The pace of society and the consumer-driven orientation of people.

Sifted for God's Glory

The Account of Gideon from Judges 6-7

 

The entire Christian life is one continuous experience of trusting God. (See Proverbs 3:5-7)

 

Trusting God, shown through our obedience, allows God to maximize our influence.

Outline of Gideon’s Experiences

I.                   Gideon’s Circumstances (6:1-10)

A.   Cycle of disobedience and discipline (1-6).

B.   Crying out to the Lord (7).

C.   Call of the Word of God (8-10).

 

II.                Gideon’s Calling (6:11-27)

A.   The angel of the Lord appears (11-16).

B.   The angel of the Lord confirms (17-24).

C.   The angel of the Lord commands (25-27).

 

III.             Gideon’s Challenge (6:28-40)

A.   Tearing down his father’s altar (28-35).

B.   Testing the word from the Lord (36-40).

 

IV.            Gideon’s Crescendo (7:1-25)

A.   The man is sifted (1-8).

B.   The man is encouraged (9-14).

C.   The man is victorious (15-25).

 

 Faith is not demonstrated by fearlessness, but by obedience.  Gideon obeyed God despite his fears.  Over and over again, I find God’s call in my life stretching me to the breaking point, and I face situations full of fear and uncertainty.  Still, God calls me to obey, and I discover that, when I focus on obedience, He deals with my fears.

-         Gary Inrig, Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay

 

What Gideon shows us about trusting God

1)      God will use our difficulties to build our faith.

2)      God will require us at times to do what seems unreasonable.

3)      God will require us to challenge the system and the status quo.

 

            Obedience, even in the darkness of night, produced results visible in daylight.

Gideon was challenged by the anger of the townspeople.  He experienced the transformation of his father.  And God displayed His strength through his life.

4)      God will lead us to do that which brings Him the most glory.

5)      God will strip us of all dependence on everything but Himself.

He does not build our self-confidence but our dependence upon Him.  God had to teach Gideon’s army radical dependence upon Him.  God is not interested in simply giving His People victory.  He is concerned with teaching us trust.  He strips us bare, taking us down to the place where we must depend on Him.  Then, in grace, He takes us by the hand and teaches us that we can trust completely in Him.  We need to learn the lesson of dependence so we may move on to learn the lesson of confidence.  We learn that we can do nothing without Him.  Then we delight to discover that we can rely completely on Him.  Having learned those great lessons, we are prepared for victory.

6)                God can send encouragement when we grow faint-hearted.

7)                 God works in the other camp on our behalf.

8)      God will show me what to do one step at a time if I obey Him.

God does not give us guidance as much as He gives us a Guide.  The word guidance does not occur in the Bible, but over and over I read of the Guide, the Lord Jesus, who personally leads and directs me.  That is how Gideon knew God’s will – by personal contact with the Lord Jesus.

Guidance is based on the principles and precepts of God’s Word.  Gideon did not know God’s will by putting out the fleece but by obeying the revealed Word of God.  Guidance is confirmed through the indwelling peace of God.   Trust Him.  Keep your eyes fixed on Him and follow where He leads (Psalm 73:23-24).

The Gift of Teaching

 The Motivational Gift of Teaching

Biblical Example: Luke

One of the great needs in the Church at this present hour is for more teachers of the Bible.  Teaching is simply a Spirit-given ability to build into the lives of Christians a knowledge of God’s Word and its application to their thinking and conduct.  Teaching has for its goal the conformity of Christians to the likeness of Jesus.  It can and should be done both simply, compassionately, and searchingly.

-          Billy Graham, The Holy Spirit

DEFINITIONS

·      The Spirit-given capacity and desire to make clear the truth of God’s Word.

·      The divine enablement to understand, clearly explain, and apply the Word of God,

causing greater Christ-likeness in the lives of listeners.

·      The ability to explain Scripture and apply it to people’s lives in a way that leads to obedience.

 

CHARACTERISTICS

1.                  The need to validate truth to certify statements that are made by others (Luke 1:4).

2.                  Tendency to validate new truth by established patterns of truth (systematic theology).

 

3.                  Prone to give teaching credentials before speaking and get them from others before they hear them.

4.                  Desire to present truth in a systematic sequence (we need the sequence of Scripture).

5.                  Delight in researching and reporting as many details as possible.

My duty is to fill the pulpit.  God’s responsibility is to fill the church.  – Adrian Rogers

   

6.                  Emphasis on accuracy of reporting (Luke 4:38).

7.                  Alertness to factual details not noticed by others.

8.                  Tendency to remain silent until information has been heard, observed, and discussed.

9.         Need to show diligence and endurance (2 Tim. 4:10-11).

10.              They are the mind of the body; they help the body to think

more accurately.

 

When you don’t study the parchments, you will be parched. – Johnny Hunt

 

Every believer should examine his own life to see whether or not he possesses this gift.  If he does, he should be using it.  If he doesn’t he should quit trying.    

There’s only one way a preacher can help a congregation grow long-term: equip you to do ministry and then give the ministry back to the church.  When you serve where your strengths are, the church causes herself to grow.  Are you giving yourself?  - Johnny Hunt

Enthusiasm apart from biblical teaching is contrary to the spirit of divine revelation.  Truth without enthusiasm is also inconsistent with God’s Word.                          - Leslie Flynn

MISUSES

1.      Becoming proud of their knowledge (1 Cor. 8:1).

2.      Despising practical wisdom of uneducated people (Jn. 7:15; Acts 4:1)

3.      Communicating skepticism toward their teachers (it’s not right until they research it).

4.      Criticizing sound teaching because of technical flaws.

5.      Rejecting a teacher or theological movement in entirety because of disagreement on some secondary doctrines (Mark 9:40).

6.      Dependence on human wisdom rather than the Holy Spirit (Prov. 3:5).

7.      Giving information which lacks practical application (Matt. 28:18-20 obey).

8.      Boring listeners with details of research.

9.      Forgetting relationships.

FACTS ABOUT THE GIFT OF TEACHING   * the gift needs to be developed * the gift is often linked with the gift of prophecy * far more was said of Jesus as a teacher than as a preacher * seems to be the main required spiritual gift of a pastor * if you are going to teach, you must first learn * this gift does not require formal education * may be used in various contexts – from a seminary or     college to a home Bible study * may be manifested one-on-one, in small or large groups, in formal or informal settings * they love to spend large amounts of time studying * they work hard on details, they organize and reorganize * they search for illustrations that will make the material more meaningful

TRAITS WHEN WALKING IN THE  SPIRIT VERSUS THE FLESH

 

Self-control     /           Self-indulgence

Reverence  for the Word /      Disprespect

Diligence         /           Slothfulness

Thorough         /           Incomplete

Dependable     /           Inconsistent

Secure             /           Anxious

Patience           /           Restless

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Have the Motivational Gift of Teaching?

 

1.            Content comes alive for students when I teach.

2.            People have told me that I have helped them learn biblical truth in a

meaningful way.

3.            I am able to communicate God’s word effectively.

4.            I pay attention to the words, phrases, and meaning of those who teach.

5.            I enjoy explaining things to people so that they can grow spiritually and personally.

6.            I get excited about new ideas I can share with others.

7.            I can devote considerable time to learning new biblical truths in order to communicate them to others.

8.            Studying the Bible and sharing my insights is very satisfying to me.

9.            I can communicate Scripture in ways that motivate others to study and want to learn more.

10.         I usually know what it takes to hold the interest of those I teach.