Spiritual Growth / Service

  • Remembering the Poor

    Galatians 2:10

    Martin Luther comments, “After the preaching of the gospel, the office and charge of a true and faithful pastor is to be mindful of the poor.” Our pastors and leaders must lead the people of God in assisting the impoverished ...Read More

  • Investing God’s Gift

    Matthew 25:14–30

    John Calvin says, “There will be no excuse of the indolence of those who both conceal the gifts of God, and waste their time in idleness.” Far too many professing Christians are content to sit around and not use their ...Read More

  • The Greatness of Service

    Matthew 20:24–28

    Matthew Henry writes, “It is the duty of Christ’s disciples to serve one another, for mutual edification.” A true leader leads by example, never asking others to do something that the leader is unwilling to do himself. He does ...Read More

  • The Golden Rule

    Matthew 7:12

    John Calvin says, “All the precepts [of the Mosaic law]…have a reference to [the Golden Rule].” Even the Old Testament laws that deal more directly with God teach us to love our neighbor. The law against idolatry, for example ...Read More

  • How to Serve

    Joshua 24:14–15

    Any one who leads Christian ministry in the church will tell you that his most challenging task is recruiting volunteers. Most churches depend on the same faithful people for everything while the rest of the congregation is content to just ...Read More

  • Entrust Your Soul

    1 Peter 4:18–19

    Today’s passage, which also says that the righteous are scarcely saved, does not warn us that salvation can be lost. Rather, as John Calvin says, it tells us that no one enters the kingdom without experiencing hardship. Even in ...Read More

  • Serve One Another

    1 Peter 4:10–11

    Peter does not give us an exhaustive list of gifts here; he gives two broad examples that encompass many of the specific ones listed elsewhere in the New Testament. What are your spiritual gifts? Do you have particular talents that ...Read More

  • True Freedom

    1 Peter 2:15–17

    The passage we have been studying over the past two days can be applied not only to the civil authority but also to any institution that exercises authority over us. Because we are to be subject to “every human institution ...Read More

  • Mobilizing the Laity

    Numbers 11:1–30

    One of the many burdens that church leaders face is the difficulty of recruiting volunteers in the church. Sometimes it can be like pulling teeth to get people to sign up to do the work of ministry. Take some time ...Read More

  • Deacons

    Matthew 25:31–46

    Are you serving others in the church and in the world as God commands? Take some time to look at the priorities in your life and see whether you are serving others as God would have you do. Then, go ...Read More

  • The Ministry of Presence

    1 Corinthians 2:1–5

    When God calls us to serve, He calls us to come alongside others and become a part of their lives. He uses us to hold each other up and to help others grow in their walk with Christ. Look at ...Read More

  • Power to Minister

    Acts 1:8

    Many of God’s greatest saints, including men like Moses and Jeremiah, did not feel that they could fulfill God’s call. But, as we have seen, God always gives us what we need to do His will. Go to ...Read More

  • Share What You Have

    Hebrews 13:16

    It is a sad state of affairs when many evangelicals do not donate their time or money as they could in service to the church and to mankind. Take some time to look at your priorities, and see if there ...Read More

  • Those in Prison

    Hebrews 13:3

    Oftentimes when people are sent to prison, most of their friends and family turn their backs on them. In the body of Christ, however, this is not as it should be. If you know anyone in prison, make sure to ...Read More

  • Lifting Up the Rod

    Exodus 17:8–16

    Do you ever pray for someone in ministry? It could be any ministry from a pastor, to a missionary, to a husband and wife ministering to their children, to a Sunday School teacher. If you do not already do this ...Read More