Worship holds a unique place among other spiritual disciplines. In a sense, one could hold worship as the crux of any list of spiritual disciplines. For the Christian, worship is both the result of one’s growth in Christ as well as the catalyst for further growth. Our study of Scripture and personal prayer time should lead us to worship. At the same time, worship should fuel our passion for missions, evangelism, fasting, and other disciplines.  Quotes on Worship "If we are going to worship in Spirit, we must develop a spirit of worship." — Michael Catt “The more you pray, the Read the full article…

History of Mother’s Day: Mother’s Day in the United States was first proclaimed in 1870 in Boston by Julia Ward Howe, and Howe called for it to be observed each year nationally in 1872. As originally envisioned, Howe’s "Mother’s Day" was a call for pacifism and disarmament by women. Early "Mother’s Day" was mostly marked by women’s peace groups. A common early activity was the meeting of groups of mothers whose sons had fought or died on opposite sides of the American Civil War. In 1907 Mother’s Day was first celebrated in a small private way by Anna Jarvis in Read the full article…

History of Mother’s Day: Mother’s Day in the United States was first proclaimed in 1870 in Boston by Julia Ward Howe, and Howe called for it to be observed each year nationally in 1872. As originally envisioned, Howe’s "Mother’s Day" was a call for pacifism and disarmament by women. Early "Mother’s Day" was mostly marked by women’s peace groups. A common early activity was the meeting of groups of mothers whose sons had fought or died on opposite sides of the American Civil War. In 1907 Mother’s Day was first celebrated in a small private way by Anna Jarvis in Read the full article…

Quotables: "Prayer should not be regarded "as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty." — E.M. Bounds  "I never prayed sincerely and earnestly for anything but it came at some time; no matter at how distant a day, somehow, in some shape, probably the least I would have devised, it came." — Adoniram Judson  "Our prayers lay the track down which God’s power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, his power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails." — Watchman Nee Read the full article…

Research: From The Shape of Faith to Come by Brad Waggoner Only 16 percent of Protestant churchgoers read their Bible daily and another 20 percent read it "a few times a week." 23 percent "agreed strongly" with the statement, "When I come to realize that some aspect of my life is not right in God’s eyes, I make the necessary changes." Among evangelicals, 70 percent have identified their primary spiritual gifts through a class, spiritual gifts inventory or some other process. In the past six months, 29 percent of respondents said they shared with someone how to become a Christian Read the full article…

We turn our attention to Church Discipline in this week’s edition of Teaching Tools. A subject far more enjoyable to read about and study than to experience, church discipline is an integral part of maintaining a healthy local church. Left ignored, problems and sin within a congregation can decimate a local body of believers. From the HCSB Study Bible: An excerpt of Mark Dever’s article on Church Discipine Two categories of church discipline describe ways a church may teach its members right living and right beliefs. • Formative Discipline: Formative discipline is a preventative measure. It includes the positive, direct Read the full article…

Research: From The Millennials  67% of Millennials rarely or never read the Bible Only 21% read the Bible once a week or more 79% rarely or never study the Bible with others Only 15% study the Bible with others at least once a week From LifeWay Research Bible readers in the United States personally own 3.6 copies of Scripture Three-quarters of Bible readers (74 percent) have one primary Bible that they use most of the time Eighty-four percent of readers have more than one Bible. The higher the reader’s education and household income, the less likely they are to use Read the full article…

A burden of my heart for many, many years is how I can best be used to equip pastors and other leaders in the local church. Time pressures seem to grow greater and burdens heavier with each succeeding generation. Even today, when information is more readily available than ever before, preparing sermons and small group or Sunday School lessons can often be pushed into a corner. To assist leaders I am beginning a new type of post that will run most Tuesdays focused on providing content helpful to those tasked with teaching or preaching in the local church. You can Read the full article…