One of my goals as a pastor is to have a bunch of mini-Chris's running around the church. I want to people to think like me, act like me, and lead like me. Scary, huh!? But the apostle Paul embodied such a goal when he called to the Corinthians to be like him: "Be imitators … Continue reading Leaders Develop Leaders
Month: April 2021
Leaders Plan
"Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable"Dwight. D. Eisnehower "Winging it" is not an acceptable ministry strategy. Show me a leader who doesn't spend time planning and I'll show you an ineffective leader. Planning is one of the most effective uses of a time for leaders because it sharpens their focus on what is really … Continue reading Leaders Plan
Leaders Think Culture
I've done things in my life that I'm not proud of, and after the fact, I have thought to myself, "That's not me." Maybe you've had a similar experience. We can probably all relate to those times when we surprise ourselves by how bad we can be. What motivates us to do those things? While … Continue reading Leaders Think Culture
Leaders Think Systems
When was the last time you felt like you had too much to do and not enough time to do it? What was your solution? Was it to "just work harder"? Or maybe you threw your hands up in despair and just walked away from the pile of working sitting on your desk or kitchen … Continue reading Leaders Think Systems
Doug Moo on the New Covenant in Paul
In NT scholar Doug Moo's article, "Every Spiritual Blessing," he seeks to provide the "general contours of Paul's concept of salvation" (135). In other words, Moo wants to sketch out the basic framework that Paul used to explain what Christ had done for the church. Moo first begins explaining the idea of "new creation." New … Continue reading Doug Moo on the New Covenant in Paul
Paul Williamson on the New Covenant
Paul Williamson explains his take on the new covenant in his book, Sealed with an Oath. Williamson first begins by pointing out that the concept of the new covenant appears in several places in the Old Testament, even though the actual phrase is only used in Jeremiah 31:31 (146). But since Jeremiah 31 is the … Continue reading Paul Williamson on the New Covenant
Peter Gentry on the New Covenant
Peter Gentry exposits the new covenant as found in Jeremiah in his book, Kingdom through Covenant. After placing the classic new covenant text of Jeremiah 31:31-34 in its literary structure, Gentry proceeds to walk through the various elements of the covenant. Gentry contends that the phrase "days are coming" refers to a time in the … Continue reading Peter Gentry on the New Covenant
William Dumbrell on the New Covenant
William Dumbrell has an extended discussion on the new covenant in his OT survey, The Faith of Israel. Dumbrell points out that while Jeremiah 31:31-40 doesn't explicit speak in global terms, the emphases of the text affirms "an international context" (144). The new covenant brings with it a new creation and a New Jerusalem, the … Continue reading William Dumbrell on the New Covenant
Tom Schreiner on the New Covenant
Tom Schreiner unpacks the new covenant in the final chapter of his book, Covenant and God's Purpose for the World. Schreiner begins making the point that the new covenant can be described various ways in the Old Testament without actually using the exact phrase, "new covenant" (89). Sometimes other descriptions for the new covenant are … Continue reading Tom Schreiner on the New Covenant