November 12, 2019
In the future, if you’re a Christian, you most likely will be an African! By 2060, 40% of all Christians will live in Africa, according to a recent Pew Research study.[1] Currently, about 26% of Christians live there. Why the change? Several factors are at play: Africa has higher birth rates than the West, the West is quickly secularizing, and – let’s not forget – Christ is building His church in Africa! This presents us with an amazing opportunity to impact the future of the global church. It also begs the question of how healthy the African church will be if […]
September 26, 2019
This is the final installment in this three part series reshared with kind permission from Leadership Resources. To access parts one and two, simply click the corresponding links. What follows is the final part of an interview with Colin S. Smith on what it means to preach Christ. Click here for the audio below is the transcript. KH: We’ve talked a little about theory about preaching Christ and why it’s important. Can you share a couple examples? Maybe walk us through a message you’ve preached before and how you think about preaching Christ. CS: Sure, I’d be glad to talk about […]
September 19, 2019
Reshared with kind permission from Leaderhip Resource (LRI) LRI’s Kevin Halloran sat down with his pastor, Colin S. Smith, to talk about what it means to preach Christ. Listen to the audio or read the transcript below. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:23, “We preach Christ crucified,” and a few verses later, he said he was determined to “know nothing among the Corinthians except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). But what does this mean? And how can a preacher faithfully preach Christ? Pastor Colin Smith With me is my pastor, Colin Smith, of the Orchard Evangelical […]
September 12, 2019
Being a follower of Jesus requires us to be obedient and submissive to his commands. And although we often fail to do so God does not leave us on our own nor does He expect us to do so with our own power. God gives us His Holy Spirit to enable us to follow His Son. His Word says in Acts 1:8 that “we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us.” In Romans 8:26 it says that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” And in Galatians 5:16 it says that “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful […]
August 1, 2019
reshared with kind permission from Leadership International Everything we do has a reason behind it. What we do comes from what we believe is true. The motives for our actions come from our worldview- what we believe about life, God, humanity, etc. If your convictions align with God’s truth, you will be conformed to do God’s will. That is why theological education is important. It is the foundation for proper praxis, missional living. Theological education seems to be less important to Americans, who want more “practical” teaching instead. The assumption is that theology isn’t practical. Let’s look at why theology isn’t just practical; […]
July 23, 2019
Reshared with kind permission from Leadership Resource International. LRI’s Kevin Halloran sat down with his pastor, Colin S. Smith, to talk about what it means to preach Christ. Listen to the audio or read the transcript below. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:23, “We preach Christ crucified,” and a few verses later, he said he was determined to “know nothing among the Corinthians except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). But what does this mean? And how can a preacher faithfully preach Christ? Pastor Colin Smith With me is my pastor, Colin Smith, of the Orchard Evangelical […]
July 2, 2019
reshared with kind permission from Leadership Resources. Jeff Gage, Leadership Resource International (LRI)’s Program Director for South Africa, joined pastor and host Tyrell Haag on his radio program, Table Talk with Tyrell, to discuss how to study the Bible. In the interview, Jeff shares an insightful summary of LRI’s approach to Bible study and sprinkles in compelling stories about on how God is at work through our ministry in Africa. Even if you’re very familiar with LRI’s training, you’re not going to want miss this interview. (Their insightful conversation may just inspire you to grow a great beard, too.) Many […]
May 14, 2019
Leadership Transitions and Overcoming “Founder’s Syndrome”: A Case Study in Humility and Gratitude reshared with kind permission from Leadership Resources Intl. Some leadership transitions are fraught with tension and conflict. Others can even sink a church or an organization. Thankfully this wasn’t the case for Leadership Resources when Craig Parro took over for LRI’s Founder Bill Mills in 2010 as LRI’s President. Craig and Bill recently sat down to discuss the challenges of avoiding “Founder’s Syndrome,” and shared how God helped them transition with grace. Bill Mills Bill Mills: God gave Karen and me the grace – the joy – of […]
February 12, 2019
There are many Christians who struggle with understanding the Old Testament in the Bible and how it connects with the Gospel, or the New Testament. Consequently some Christians discount the Old Testament entirely and claim that all that matters is the Gospel and what Jesus said and did. Some go so far as to say that the Old Testament doesn’t apply anymore and was written for a different time, a different culture and a different purpose. In other words, the Old Testament is not relevant to the Christian faith and can simply be discarded as some Jewish history and a […]
November 6, 2018
Reshared with kind permission from Leadership Resources. The difference between a hearer of the Word and a doer of the Word is stark—just read James 1:22–25. Those who only hear the Word and fail to live it out deceive themselves (1:22) and are like a man who looks into a mirror, “goes away and at once forget what he looks like” (1:24). But the one who hears the Word and does it “will be blessed in his doing” (1:25). As preachers of God’s Word, we desire to do God’s Word and produce other doers of the Word. One crucial step […]
