So churches need to try and test the character and maturity of their deacon nominees prior to their appointment by the elders, a process that requires time and familiarity. That’s the deacon’s examination....
Biblical deacons, then, are to be examined by the assembly. That’s at the heart of the deacon’s nomination for office....
Deacons, again, are to guard the unity of the church and the ministry of the elders from the demands of practical problems. Appreciating such problems requires the careful definition of each deacon’s role....
There is only one qualification Paul mentions to Timothy that is not found in Acts 6, and it is that qualification we now turn to examine: the deacon’s purity....
This combination of a practical, nuts-and-bolts focus and a separation from doctrinal and pastoral oversight ministry might tempt a church to overlook the piety and conviction of a candidate. That would be a grave mistake....
The very fact that this responsibility requires dedicated attention should tell us that it may not come easily, and that not just anyone will be able to fulfill it. It’s no surprise, then, that the third qualification emphasized by the apostles in Acts 6 is wisdom......
Having seen last week that the first qualification of a potential deacon is a solid reputation, we now turn to look at the second qualification found in Acts chapter 6: being “full of the Spirit.” Of all the qualifications, this one is perhaps most at risk of being misunderstood in the present day. What does “filled with the Spirit” mean?...
Now that we’ve looked at the intent, mission, and objective of the New Testament deacon, it’s time to look at what kind of Christians fill this office. What are the qualifications of those called to be deacons?...
We see in Acts 6 that even in the earliest church the temptation to be distracted from this ministry is strong. The apostles put it in blunt terms: “it is not right that we should give up the preaching of the Word of God to serve tables.”...
The mission of the office of deacon is to care for practical needs in the local church....
Deacons exist, first and foremost, with the intent of fostering unity in the church. Only with that primary purpose in mind can we then turn to look at others....
David talks in First Chronicles 29 about uprightness of heart, but why does he do that? Why does the heart matter when looking at good deeds like a Temple offering? ...
The Christian life might not be romantic or nostalgic but its real. Our organic connection to Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection is better than all of the hoped for clean eating and living that hopeless shoppers pursue. ...
Human beings have an innate longing for meaning and significance. As we continue to pray after David's example in First Chronicles 29 we wrestle with the need for us to confess our mortality and shortness of days to God, and live in light of them....
Even our willingness and ability to do things for God are gifts from his hand. In this article we look at and pray in light of this truth as David presents it in his prayer, found in First Chronicles 29....
God provides all that we have. As we continue to pray through First Chronicles 29 in celebration of a year in our own building, we look at how David acknowledged God's provision of all things as an example for our own prayers....
As we remember God's provision in the life of our own church one year ago, when we took possession of a building of our own for the first time, we look at the example of David's model prayer in First Chronicles 29. In this article we consider how David opened his prayer--with blessing and praise....
Gratitude is a crucial attitude of the Christian life. As we continue to mark our first anniversary in a building of our own, we seek to imitate David's example of thanksgiving in prayer found in First Chronicles 29....
As we continue to celebrate our first year owning our own church building, we are meditating on and praying through First Chronicles 29. How does the Christian look at a text like First Chronicles 29, or indeed any Old Testament story or promise or command? The answer is the classic Sunday School answer: “Jesus!”...
As we at Calvary Grace continue to mark our first anniversary as "homeowners" in a building of our own, we consider the miracle of Israel's offering for the Temple in First Chronicles 29:1-9, and mark its meaning....
Sometimes God provides spectacularly in the life of an individual or a church. On Calvary Grace's first anniversary as "homeowners" in a building of its own, we pause to consider the example of King David's Israel after God ordains a staggering offering by his people for his Temple, seeking wisdom on how to pray after God pours out blessings....
We can’t understand the amazing prayer offered in First Chronicles 29 unless we first understand the man who offered it. In this article, we’re going to look at King David, a "man on a mission." We’ll review what brought him to that moment, in order to help us grasp why he prayed the way he did....
We’ll wrap up this newsletter series by introducing three new e-book Ministry Guides you can download to help you with this ministry, along with providing (all in one place) the links to the Study Outlines introduced over the past month...
To get you started reading the Bible one-to-one, what follows is a simple method of Bible study called the COMA method. COMA studies a Bible passage in four steps: Context, Observation, Meaning, and Application....
ACTS stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. When gathering one-to-one for prayer, you simply take turns, each praying a prayer of adoration, then each praying a prayer of confession, and so on....
Sermon listening is a central part of the Christian life, and so why not learn more about it? Christopher Ash has written a very short but very useful booklet called Listen Up! A practical guide to listening to sermons, filled with useful tips and challenging questions that will help you “take care…how you hear” (Luke 8:18). After getting started with Gathering One2One, we strongly urge you to find and use this book....
Here’s some steps to follow, both before the first meeting, and at that first meeting together....
Try to build up one another, and build up the church, by building fellowship across the whole congregation one-to-one around God’s Word!...
As a pastor entering the new year, I’m thinking about certain things that I’d like to highlight in my ministry to the church. For my church, the needed focus areas might be different than yours. There are also other items my church is focusing on that aren’t included here (like church planting). At this stage in our church’s growth, and in view of the current clima...
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Our Syrian brother not only understands but exemplifies a spirit that sees a local church and its pastors as not merely existing for themselves, but for the benefit of other churches for the sake of the Gospel....
Keep ReadingThe fact that Jesus took on the form of a man so that he could effectively mediate between man and God is one of the greatest truths we can think about....
Keep ReadingClint Humfrey, our lead pastor, wrote a great article in light of a recent Calgary tragedy at TheRebel.media on why Christians can keep faith in a fallen, dangerous world....
Keep ReadingI haven’t heard any Calvary Grace people complaining about the culture war at Christmas. I do see complaints on various media sources from professing Christians that municipalities are banning Nativity displays and cashiers don’t say “Merry Christmas.” I think this is because we emphasize good, biblical theology at Calvary Grace and we know that the Gospel will be ...
Keep ReadingBolstered by your support, Calvary Grace has had new opportunities to encourage gospel ministry in Canada and overseas....
Keep ReadingWhen some people compare religions with each other, they can come away thinking that they are all arbitrary. Not so with biblical Christianity. The Christian gospel is not merely another clever scheme to provide what Karl Marx called, “the opiate of the people”. The Christian message of salvation has an internal consistency. It fits....
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Keep ReadingIt’s been a few weeks since we looked at Mark last, and we left off with Jesus’s command to “repent” in chapter 1 verse 15. To repent is one side of the coin, and Jesus’ next command is the flip side, a call to faith. “Believe in the Gospel.” ...
Keep ReadingA couple weeks ago, we were breaking down Mark’s description of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Mark 1:14 and 15. Jesus began his preaching with an inidicative, a statement of fact, declaring what is. He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom is at hand.” After the indicative, though, he follows it up with an imperative, a command, declaring what his hea...
Keep ReadingThe Kingdom of God is a central theme of Jesus’ preaching. In Christian circles, we can become a little deadened to the true weight of this idea. We need to ask, and really consider, this question: what is a kingdom? It’s a place or a realm that is ruled by a king. Canada is, legally, a kingdom, because we are ruled by a king or queen. The United States is not ...
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Keep ReadingTom Cottrell recently posted this as a response to a discussion on legalism in our church forum. With his permission, we’re re-posting it here....
Keep Reading"Even if Christ had not been raised, our sins would still be forgiven when Christ died on the cross." I have now heard this statement numerous times and once again at a church I visited this past Easter Sunday. 1 Corinthians 15:17 says, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." Obviously both statements cannot be true. On...
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Keep ReadingClint’s excellent sermon last week unpacked the question of Christian liberty versus the two “ditches” of legalism and license. In light of that theme, I can’t help looking at the column I read as something of a parable for sanctification. ...
Keep ReadingIn this final installment in our series examining the Trinity and Oneness Pentecostalism, we look at how the mediatorial ministry of Christ in heaven is crucial for salvation, according to the book of Hebrews. By his eternal life, permitting him to intercede forever on our behalf, Jesus Christ can “save us to the uttermost.”...
Keep ReadingPsalm 110 has tremendous implications for the doctrine of the Trinity, and especially for the doctrine of Christ as our Mediator with God. As it is quoted in Hebrews twice in establishing the superiority of Christ, it is a natural place to begin when looking at Christ’s role as our Mediator....
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