Articles

Browse select Tabletalk articles and columns exploring themes and topics across a spectrum of relevant issues.

Topics

  • The Head of the Church by Guy Waters

    What comes to mind when you hear the phrase the head of the church? Some may think of the pope in Rome. Others may think of an influential pastor or a board of elders. Still others may think of denominational …Read More

  • Ministering to the Abused and the Abusers by Sean Michael Lucas

    It is a nightmare scenario for all involved: a man calls his pastor in tears and demands a meeting as quickly as possible. Thirty minutes later, he is in the pastor’s office, confessing that his wife caught him touching their …Read More

  • Keys of the Kingdom by Guy Waters

    For many Christians, mentioning the “keys of the kingdom” calls to mind the extravagant claims of the Roman Catholic Church for the papacy. Protestants justifiably shrink from such claims. In Matthew 16:19, Jesus is addressing Peter, but He is not …Read More

  • Comfort My People by Michael Lawrence

    Because shame is always hiding, it often catches us by surprise. An unbeliever had been attending my church for several months. Always professionally dressed and well spoken, he often thanked me for my sermons. But nothing in our previous interactions …Read More

  • Our Shameless World by Andrew Davis

    The first mention of shame in Scripture actually celebrates the absence of it: Adam and Eve were naked and felt no shame (Gen. 2:25). The final destination of Scripture is the New Jerusalem, where nothing shameful will ever enter (Rev. …Read More

  • Tackling Shame by W. Duncan Rankin

    Binding and demoralizing, shame alienates us from both God and man. But where do we as believers begin to unravel our shame? There must be a Christian answer to it, for God would not abandon His beloved at their profoundest …Read More

  • What Should We Say? by Jonathan Akin

    “Brother, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Gal. 6:1). Church discipline is both painful and awkward. How should …Read More

  • Finding the Sheep That Refuses to Be Found by Tim Witmer

    Sheep are interesting creatures. They are weak, defenseless, and not very smart. They wander away quite easily if not attended to, and their shepherds need to be ready to respond. It’s no accident that God’s people are called sheep. And, …Read More

  • Church Discipline by Fred Greco

    Church Discipline—the very phrase seems to bring to the minds of most Christians a parade of horrors. It seems like our current image of church discipline is that of repressive, out-of-touch tyrants telling us everything that we may and may …Read More

  • The Prodigal Son(s) and Church Discipline by Scotty Smith

    Providence reigns, even over editorial requests. When asked to offer pastoral insights on church discipline in light of the story of the prodigal son, little did I realize where this assignment would take me both spiritually and emotionally. Listening to …Read More

Topics