I have perceived two pervasive responses in our culture that seem to influence and dominate how we react to grief. The first treats grief as an unwelcome, uninvited trespasser to be shunned or dismissed.

The gospel of John tells a story with which many are familiar. Lazarus, a dear friend of Jesus, becomes sick. Jesus does not immediately travel to see His ailing friend, but instead arrives several days later.

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Adapted from Where I End: A Story of Tragedy, Truth, and Rebellious Hope by Katherine Elizabeth Clark (© 2018). Published by Moody Publishers. Used by permission.

I’m afraid a look into popular Christianity in America reveals teachings of a religion far from what the early church would have recognized. This Christianity worships a god who wants us to achieve worldly happiness, make our dreams prosper, and reach our fullest potential. We have largely set aside dated “prosperity gospel” preachers in fancy suits and gaudy television studio sets, yelling into a camera with a phone number to call at the bottom of the screen to receive a special blessing or prayer cloth. This kind of instant health-and-wealth teaching is now a fringe movement, more broadly mocked than followed. But in its place is a new prosperity gospel carried into the mainstream by trendy, attractive, compelling speakers.

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Excerpted from Getting Over Yourself: Trading Believe-In-Yourself Religion for Christ-Centered Christianity Dean Inserra (© 2021). Published by Moody Publishers. Used by permission.

DEAN INSERRA holds a M.A. in Theological Studies from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is pursuing a D. Min. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is the founding pastor of City Church in Tallahassee, FL.

Ministry is hard work, beset by temptation, difficulty, and weariness. Clergy are not immune to depression or suicidal thoughts. What follows is advice for pastors, designed to help prevent the depression that can lead to suicide.

Fellowship

It is all too common for pastors to report feeling isolated and lonely. A providential friendship is a thing worthy of getting on your knees and asking the Lord for. The Bible and close friends should be like sandpaper: constantly challenging and always helping to make rough places planed. When that stops being the case, the pastor has stopped growing.

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About the Author

Matthew Sleeth, MD, is a pastor, former ER physician, and the author of Hope Always: How to Be a Force for Live in a Culture of Suicide. To request a Church Suicide Prevention Tool Kit, email [email protected].

What happens before the Bible’s most famous verse, John 3:16? To Jesus, the

master conversationalist, it’s all fair game toward one overriding mission.

Nicodemus is confused. Jesus comes right back at him. “Pay attention. That which is holy and true to God is like the wind….”

Back and forth the two men go at it. At every turn, Jesus drives the discussion exactly where He wants to go, verbally batting Nicodemus back and forth—first this way, then that.

How does Jesus get away with such verbal antics?

Nicodemus already is risking all to have this one conversation with Jesus.

So, Jesus doesn’t waste time. He rudely interrupts, He ruthlessly changes the subject…with one provocative statement after another.

Finally, Jesus presents the most quoted verse in the Bible.

What happens before the Bible’s most famous verse, John 3:16? To Jesus, the master conversationalist, relationship and meaning triumph over social norms…every time. He interrupts. He puzzles. He changes subject. He provokes. He monologues. It’s all fair game toward one overriding mission.

Because of the intense hatred of the majority of the ancient Jewish religious elite, any true seeker among them had to talk with Jesus privately, in secret, for fear of swift and terrible retribution. So one night an important and widely respected religious leader, Nicodemus, uses the cover of darkness to visit Jesus.

It has been said that “An education cannot make the most of a person, but a person can make the most of an education.” Some of the greatest men in the modern history of Christian ministry were without any formal theological training. Such a list is too long to include here, but names many will recognize are Charles G. Finney, Dwight L. Moody, Lewis S. Chafer, and A.W. Tozer.

On the other hand, the names of countless persons who have served in ministry (following graduation from well known schools), who could parse both Hebrew and Greek, explain complicated doctrinal theories, and argue apologetics with crisp reasoning, have passed though history scarcely known.

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Dennis D. Frey, M.Div., Th.D., President,

Master's International University of Divinity

the.mdivs.edu

Pastor, you are called to preach. You are called to shepherd. You are called to lead. You are called to serve. You are called to sacrifice. You are also called to rest! This is especially important after this long season of stress we have all endured during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Why rest?

Because the Bible commands us to rest.

The Old Testament principle of rest, enshrined in the teaching of the Bible in the book of Genesis and the creation account, is a call

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Josh Moody (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is the senior pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois. He is the president and founder of God Centered Life Ministries, which proclaims God’s Word worldwide through daily broadcasts on Moody Radio, One Place, podcasts, and live-streaming on godcenteredlife.org.

Praying Through Your Church Directory 

By Timothy Merrill

The apostle Paul says that we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The apostle James tells us to “pray for one another” (James 5:16). Good ideas, but easier said than done. The sainted apostles didn’t have to work 8-10 hours a day, take care of family obligations, change baby’s diapers, mow the lawn and take out the trash. Yet, there it is: “Pray without ceasing.”

Of course, the Bible has a lot to say about praying, and most people of faith really want to pray, but lack a clear idea of when and how to do it.

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TIMOTHY MERRILL is an ordained minister and has served churches in Oregon, Minnesota and Colorado. His doctoral work at Princeton Theological Seminary focused on the apocalyptic nature of the preaching of the First Crusade in 1096 A.D. His work has been published in the academic press including the Patristica and Byzantine Review and the Westminster Theological Journal. His book, Learning to Fall: A Guide for the Spiritually Clumsy (Chalice Press) appeared in 1998.

In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, CityServe, along with churches around the nation will be observing a National Day of Prayer, referred to as Blue Sunday, this April 25th. This day reminds faith communities to intercede in prayer for abused and neglected children and to open their doors to provide good homes for those who need them. Giving children a safe place to lay their head every night is not only a beautiful expression of God’s love, it is the responsibility of the Church. We at CityServe believe wholeheartedly in this mission and challenge the faith community to go a step further - to strengthen the American family so kids stay safe in their homes and empower churches to go all in when caring for children who are waiting for their forever families

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By Crissy Sanchez-Cochran, Director of Communications, CityServe

Mark and Jeff and I are sponsors of our sons’ soccer teams this year. After a bruising Saturday morning chasing the kids through an activity that was something like soccer, we loaded the rowdy bunch of 9-year-olds into the van and headed towards the local pizza parlor, which was a welcome sight, believe me.

When we had the kids watered down, the dads relaxed with some refreshment of our own at a table next to them. Jeff was talking about his work when Mark chimed in with a remark about the fantastic baseball card purchase he had recently made.

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Robert McAnally Adams is a retired mathematician and curator of The Christian Quotation of the Day. See cqod.com