During the sixteenth-century Reformation one of the standard practices for pastors was to preach lectio continua, chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse, through books of the Bible. At Geneva, for example, John Calvin preached from the New Testament in the morning and the Old Testament in the evening.

One of the biggest problems in Reformed churches, I believe, is that people come to church to critique the sermon rather than listen to it.

One of the lost and dying arts in the church these days is the practice of exercising hospitality. In days gone by people in church regularly planned to exercise hospitality on the Lord’s Day.

Regardless of whatever fears I might have, as a minister, you don’t have an option. You will regularly offer public prayers, whether from the pulpit, or at other church functions and occasions. So what should you do to be ready to pray in public?

Don’t be too quick to lay hands on a man. Take the time to determine whether he truly meets the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-7. You don’t want to ordain your worst problem.

Sometimes prayer is really a thin disguise for gossip.

One of the practical things you can do to ensure that you pray for all of the people in your church is to pray through your church directory. Depending on the size of your church, you might be able to pray for several households per day and get through your church in a month.  

All too often I believe preachers blow a lot of dry dusty data at their congregations absent of the anointing of the Spirit because they have failed to pray.

When fathers fail to love their children there can sometimes be disastrous consequences.

What might a reader do to ensure that she can keep up, retain information, and understand? I often give my students three pieces of counsel regarding reading strategies.