Click here to suppport the gospel advance in Calgary!
March 29, 2019 by Jeff Jones
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....
March 22, 2019 by Jeff Jones
Biblical deacons, then, are to be examined by the assembly. That’s at the heart of the deacon’s nomination for office....
March 15, 2019 by Jeff Jones
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....
March 8, 2019 by Jeff Jones
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....
February 28, 2019 by Jeff Jones
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....
February 22, 2019 by Jeff Jones
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......
February 15, 2019 by Jeff Jones
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?...
February 8, 2019 by Jeff Jones
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?...
February 1, 2019 by Jeff Jones
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.”...
January 20, 2012 by Terry Stauffer | Category: Life Application | Tags: Words, Speech, read
Words have power. They can be used for good or evil. They are useful tools for building up, but can be destructive weapons for tearing down. Gospel partnership requires that we cultivate wisdom in our use of words....
Keep ReadingJanuary 7, 2012 by Jeff Jones | Category: Life Application | Tags: child, proverbs, God
Proverbs 22:6 is a well-known passage relating to child-rearing. It is, unfortunately, an oft-misunderstood one, as well. It’s fairly easy to find Christians who read or even teach this passage as a promise: if you train your child with all the correct methods and influences, God has promised that he or she will turn out a good and believing child. A darker twist on the ...
Keep ReadingDecember 30, 2011 by Jeff Jones | Category: Life Application | Tags: resolutions, year, God, Promise
Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, and with the dawn of the new year comes the annual making of New Year’s resolutions. Many will resolve to lose a certain number of pounds this year, or read a particular book, or save a particular amount of money, or spend more time doing this or that....
Keep ReadingDecember 21, 2011 by Jeff Jones | Category: The Gospel | Tags: God, Christmas, Christ, Sin, life, incarnation, Hope
At Christmas, we celebrate the miracle of the Incarnation: the God of heaven and earth, the Lord of Hosts, Creator of all things, took on flesh. The Son of the Most High left behind the glories of heaven, leaving behind his exalted place with the Father, and descended to the earth to live among us....
Keep ReadingDecember 16, 2011 by Jeff Jones | Category: Theology | Tags: mormonism, christian, mormon, Jesus, evangelical
Over the last few years, the Latter-Day Saints have become more and more prominent and accepted in popular culture....
Keep ReadingDecember 9, 2011 by Jeff Jones | Category: Theology | Tags: experts, interpretation, world, facts
Even seasoned archaeologists and scholars are stumped. They’re having trouble even speculating what they might have been for. ...
Keep ReadingDecember 2, 2011 by Jeff Jones | Category: The Gospel | Tags: God, nature, enemy, Sin, problem, Christ
Clint’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 ReadingNovember 25, 2011 by Jeff Jones | Category: The Gospel | Tags: God, Jesus, Father, Christ, Faith, believer
In 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 ReadingNovember 4, 2011 by Jeff Jones | Category: The Gospel | Tags: Jesus, God, hebrews, Christ, nature, oneness, lord
Psalm 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....
Keep ReadingOctober 27, 2011 by Jeff Jones | Category: Theology | Tags: God, oneness, modesty, Theology
Last week I wrote about the critical importance of the Trinity, especially in contrast to its distortion by “Oneness” Pentecostals. Behind the theological errors of this movement lie an even deeper logical and methodological error, and I thought it would be useful to explain that deeper error in some depth....
Keep Reading