A woman in her late 20’s enters an elementary school and opens fire killing children. I don’t know about you, but this angers me. How can anyone be so depraved that they would do such a thing? Why would anyone even think to enter a school and kill children? It is a senseless horrible act.…
In ministry to children it is important that we are confident in how to respond to children in various counseling situations. In children’s ministry programs such as Sunday School, Children’s Church, Good News Clubs, and other such programs where an invitation is given; it is imperative that there is a strategy to address the various…
One of the greatest joys is seeing a young child come to faith in Christ. Unfortunately, there are those who do not understand that a child has both the mental capability and the spiritual intuition to make a definitive decision to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Some struggle to realize the necessity of…
The missional strategy of the local church is founded upon two key Bible passages. The first is what we know as the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to…
Listen very carefully: Your life matters. Your life counts. You have a purpose. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. In Jeremiah 1:4-10 we have the historical account of God’s call on the life of the prophet Jeremiah. In verse 5 we see a very powerful statement from the Lord. “Before I formed thee in the…
When God came down to man as a baby, He came with a purpose. As the incarnate of God, Jesus lived out His life on earth fulfilling the mission that He was sent to accomplish. That mission was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets and started with His birth and culminated in the cross and…
“God is a missional God.” What do you think about that statement? What does it mean to be missional and how is God a missional God? The word mission means to send. It also means to go or to engage. A mission is something that we purpose to do. To be missional is to live…
There are seven basic categories of spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to the church. Those categories are: leadership, missional, service, sign, encouragement, wisdom, and teaching. The final category of spiritual gifts is the teaching gifts. The teaching gifts are the gifts of prophecy and teaching. All of the spiritual gifts are needful in…
Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Every spiritual gift is given to us by the Holy Spirit as He wills. Though it is not our choice as to what spiritual gifts we have, we should pray for and seek to develop…
“George Truett was a tremendously effective pastor for decades in Texas. His heart was broken when he accidentally killed his best friend while they were on a hunting trip. His daughter said that she never heard him laugh after that day. Truett had a radio program, and each day when it came to a close…
One of the most confusing and controversial subjects in the church is the spiritual gifts of tongues, interpretation, healing, and miracles. These gifts are used to display the mighty power of God and, thus, are referred to as the ‘sign’ gifts. The reason such gifts have become so confusing and controversial is the fact that…
Do you know someone that is always ready to jump to the aid of others? They defend the defenseless and they are quick to offer forgiveness and a fresh start. They make sacrifices to meet the needs of others. They put the needs of others ahead of their own. They love to entertain and to…
As the vehicle through which God carries out His purposes in the world today, the church must be missional. We cannot just simply enjoy the comforts of our sanctuary and cathedrals and bask in the fellowship we enjoy with one another. We must fulfill our purpose as ambassadors of Jesus Christ and bring the Gospel…
Every born-again believer has been called by God to serve His Kingdom through the local church. The scripture is very clear in its pattern that the life and ministry of believers in Christ cannot be separate from the local church. Just as God chose the nation of Israel to be the nation through which the…
After the Lord speaks to Job out of the whirlwind, Job responds to the Lord and experiences a complete restoration. When we have gone through a season of suffering, we need to be restored. God has a way of providing restoration to those who have suffered. In Job chapter 42 we see three things that…
Pastor Chris Noland 