An evident phenomena within religious bodies in recent decades is that of a releasing of long-held common beliefs. Understandably, some issues are effected by time and culture, but for the most part, there is a cause for great concern regarding the willingness of some to so easily move away from an identity that has defined us for so long. Specifically speaking in the realm of holiness Pentecostals, there seems to be a trending among our current generation to dismiss the traditional beliefs on holiness principles in particular, and even core …

Do you know of a former minister or even a former “Apostolic” Minister who now preachers a watered down version of truth? Chances are you do. When I considered all those who used to preach the gospel but have walked away from Apostolic ministry, I was amazed at the number. If this is your label, God isn’t finished with you. God is able to restore if we sincerely repent. Just because you failed or quit doesn’t mean that you will never again serve the Lord. You have a choice concerning your future. …

Why do preachers preach? Since the goal of preaching is to change lives, preaching is the
ultimate tool for church growth. But how can you be effective in communication through
preaching? Listed below are eight questions to ask about your preaching.
Who will I be preaching to?
Asking questions like, “What are their needs?”, “What are
their hurts?”, and, “What are their interests?”, will help us focus on where the people
are. Why ask? Because although there are three things that always get one’s attention:

Things that threaten us
Things that are unusual
Things that we value

A preacher …

I Kings 8:15-19
I Chronicles 28:5-10
I Kings 8:15-19 “And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying, Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people Israel. And it was in the heart of David my father to build …

When studying scripture, it is important to follow guidelines which retain the spirit of the text. Following are several rules of interpretation to aid in Biblical study.

Discover the Author, the People Addressed and the Life and Times of the People involved in a give case.
Discover the Facts and Truths presented in a given passage and note the exact wording of the text.
The Golden Rule of Interpretation: When the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense. Take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless …

The law of first mention may be said to be the principle that requires one to go to that portion of the Scriptures where a doctrine is mentioned for the first time and to study the first occurrence of the same in order to get the fundamental inherent meaning of that doctrine. When we thus see the first appearance, which is usually in the simplest form, we can then examine the doctrine in other portions of the Word that were given later. We shall see that the fundamental concept in …

Notes from Thom Ranier, church planer, pastor and author.
1. I would spend more time in the Word and in prayer. I would follow the biblical pattern of the church leaders in Acts 6:4: “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry.”
2. I would give my family more time. No one remembers the church committee meetings I missed. My family still remembers those times I was too busy for them.
3. I would spend more time sharing my faith. Paul told the young pastor Timothy to do the …

By Fred Kinzie
You’ve often heard it said, “Old men for counsel, young men for war.”
As an older minister, and throughout my pastoral years, it has been my pleasure and privilege to counsel and help many young men in the early years of their ministry. In our church, there has always been at least one and often as many as five young ministers, either aspiring to the ministry or in their beginning years. Then some of those pastoring or evangelizing, sensing my concern for them, have talked with me …

Seth Godin cuts past the excuses for not being successful and gives five simple steps to getting things done…
The number of people you need to ask for permission keeps going down:
1. Go, make something happen.
2. Do work you’re proud of.
3. Treat people with respect.
4. Make big promises and keep them.
5. Ship it out the door (deliver).
When in doubt, see #1.
Great advice… How might the above steps help churches and pastors reach their goals?

These items were suggested by Pastor Greg Davis. The original list. Was created by. A psychologist regarding disruptive influences within a family. Pastor Davis suggested that perhaps these are also reasons people can become disenfranchised with the ministry.
1. Disrespectful Judgments – talking down to people. Using names like Dumb, stupid, ignorant… Acting arrogant and tearing down others efforts, actions, or abilities. “You are the worst….”
2. Angry Outbursts – Unloading your frustrated feelings may make you feel better, but is a poor representation of self-control.
3. Independent Behaviors – Having …