Do you want to be your own God?

September 18, 2020 joshnmarda

Be warned. Self-righteousness is a serious sin. “Everyone who seeks righteousness by works without faith denies God and wants to be known as God. Such a person thinks like this, ‘If I do this particular work, I will be conqueror over sin, death, the devil, God’s wrath and hell and obtain eternal life.’ But tell me, what else is this but to want to pry away that work that belongs to God, and that is acting like your own god.” Martin Luther Continue reading Do you want to be your own God?

Discipleship Helps, Pastoral MinistryLeave a comment

Learning to Make Disciples from the Apostle Paul, part 2

September 15, 2020 joshnmarda

The disciples are to make disciples. Being a disciple implies multiplication. Being a disciple is to become the co-worker with Christ in this great worldwide mission of helping others follow him. Or to say it another way, just so … Continue reading Learning to Make Disciples from the Apostle Paul, part 2

Discipleship HelpsLeave a comment

Learning to Make Disciples from the Apostle Paul

September 8, 2020September 15, 2020 joshnmarda

I love the church. And I love thinking and talking about our responsibilities as a church. Because though we look pretty ordinary, the fact is, when we talk about a church, we are talking about something that is pretty extraordinary. … Continue reading Learning to Make Disciples from the Apostle Paul

Leadership, Pastoral MinistryLeave a comment

Pastoral Commitments, 2020

September 4, 2020September 4, 2020 joshnmarda

I was so encouraged by reading Christmas Evans’ prayer commitments the other day that I thought I might try and write some of my own. It’s not as easy as you might think because you want to include everything. But here are a few I quickly came up with as I thought about myself, my life and specifically future pastoral ministry. What would you add? I am not self-sufficient at all. I am needy. I will never not be dependent on someone outside myself to meet those needs. And I believe there is only person in the entire universe who … Continue reading Pastoral Commitments, 2020

Church History, QuotesLeave a comment

A Dedication and Prayer

September 1, 2020 joshnmarda

I was moved by these commitments one old preacher named Christmas Evans made to God. He calls it a covenant actually, and so long as you understand covenant here with a lower case c, it works. He’s throwing himself upon … Continue reading A Dedication and Prayer

Children, Discipling DadsLeave a comment

Parenting and Self Esteem

August 7, 2020 joshnmarda

Should we as fathers work at raising our children’s self esteem? Listen in as Andre and I discuss. Continue reading Parenting and Self Esteem

Children, Discipling Dads, Fathering Devotional, PodcastLeave a comment

Helping Your Children Listen Well, part 2

July 10, 2020 joshnmarda

Continue reading Helping Your Children Listen Well, part 2

Discipling Dads, PodcastLeave a comment

Listen Up! How to help your children learn to listen.

July 7, 2020 joshnmarda

Listening is one of the most important skills a child can ever learn. It’s also very difficult. Parents have a responsibility to help their children learn to listen well. But how? In this episode Andre and I discuss how to … Continue reading Listen Up! How to help your children learn to listen.

ChurchLeave a comment

Every Member’s Responsibility

June 23, 2020June 23, 2020 joshnmarda

If you were going to take all the responsibilities we have as church members, and pick just one word that summarizes them, the word the Bible would pick most often, is love. For example, Ephesians 5. Paul’s been talking about … Continue reading Every Member’s Responsibility

Through the Bible QuestionsLeave a comment

Through the Bible: Day 83, Exodus

June 22, 2020 joshnmarda

It is vital that we spend time in God’s Word. But it’s not always easy. We read a chapter and we don’t know what to get out of it or even how to start to understand it. I thought I … Continue reading Through the Bible: Day 83, Exodus

Joshua Mack

a random nobody serving the only somebody