Pilgrimage

Pastoral Leadership

Robert McCready — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:00:24 +0000

(Another Unrevised Piece of the Prospectus) Various types of pastoral leadership are found in most every community of Christian believers. Thomas Schreiner suggests that while titles and descriptions of church leaders vary in the New Testament, the presence of structured leadership is evident in the first century church (Scheiner 2008, 735). A further examination of [...]

The Church

Robert McCready — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 02:42:07 +0000

(An Unrevised Piece of the Prospectus) The New Testament describes the church as both a local body of believers (local church) and all those who have believed in Christ at all times and places (church universal) (Erikson 2006, 340; Schreiner 2008, 695). “To become a Christian is to enter into the community of faith and, [...]

Learning Self-Discipline

Robert McCready — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:02:51 +0000

I thought this was a helpful article adapted from a book by John MacArthur. Some good practical points on becoming a person of discipline. Adapted from The Pillars of Christian Character by John MacArthur. © 1998 by John F MacArthur, Jr. Used by permission. For many years, I have had the privilege of knowing the [...]

Pratical Family Ministry

Robert McCready — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:17:58 +0000

I was sitting in a bible study one Sunday morning where a West African Bible teacher was sharing about building a strong family. He talked about God’s purposes for the family being a means to transmit the gospel from generation to generation. He also spoke of the biblical role of the father to literally lay [...]

A personally convicting thought…

Robert McCready — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:27:02 +0000

“70 percent of leaders do not finish well…First, leaders who do not finish well lose their learning posture. They stop listening and growing. Second, the attractiveness of their character wanes. Third, they stop living by their convictions. Fourth, they fail to leave behind ultimate contributions. Fifth, they stop walking in an awareness of their influence [...]

Sound Theology

Robert McCready — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:25:20 +0000

Due to being extremely busy as of late, I haven’t posted anything. I was, however, over at a friends house this weekend and he mentioned this Peanuts cartoon. I found it and thought it was excellent.

The Secret Place

Robert McCready — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 02:56:08 +0000

I’ve been reading Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge as part of my morning devotions. Sorge really gives some excellent insight into the devotional life…hence the post on Thomas a’ Kempis who’s writings are classic for Christian devotion. I am coming to believe that our sanctification and ability to wage spiritual warfare are [...]

The Devotional Life of Thomas a’ Kempis

Robert McCready — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 02:26:11 +0000

In one’s spiritual pilgrimage the realization of temporal finiteness births a longing for personal communion with God. O my God, sweetness unspeakable, turn into bitterness all my fleshly consolation, which draweth me away from the love of eternal things, and wickedly allureth toward itself by setting before me some present delight. Let not, O my [...]

Conflict in the Church

Robert McCready — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:19:19 +0000

Conflict can be defined as a “circumstance in which two (or more) persons have incompatible needs, desires, or goals” (Shaffer 2005, 281). This is an issue from which the church is not immune. In addition to preaching, teaching and counseling, pastors often serve as initiators, moderators and terminators of church conflict. It is not surprising [...]

Change in the Church

Robert McCready — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:26:29 +0000

The socio-economic and cultural changes in post-modern society have presented an unprecedented challenge to traditional evangelical churches. While Catholics and high-church protestant denominations have experienced serious decline in the last several decades, this has only been a relatively recent phenomenon to plague some evangelical churches. Pastors, church boards and congregations are grappling with the theology [...]