by Dr. Paul Chappell | Aug 24, 2011 | Christian Life, Ministry Leadership
In part 1 of this post, we saw that God does some of His greatest works in our lives through suffering, and we began looking at a list of seven reasons for adversity. For a quick recap, here are the first three: The glory of God The growth of His servant The...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Aug 20, 2011 | Christian Life, Ministry Leadership
Without hesitation, I can say that God has done His greatest works in my life through seasons of adversity. Sometimes, however, in moments of introspection we wonder, Why all the suffering? I truly believe that God does far more through suffering than we see at first...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Aug 17, 2011 | Christian Life
Growth and victory in the Christian life is the fruit of faith. Hebrews 11 records many of the heroes of the Old Testament, and it reminds us that all of these exploits for God were accomplished “by faith.” Faith is what enables us to live in the victorious reality of...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Aug 11, 2011 | Ministry Leadership
One of the greatest enemies to a spirit of grace in a church is criticism—from within or without. Our carnal nature is easily drawn into defending and taking sides, but doing so breeds a spirit of defensiveness and cynicism within a church. As a young pastor, I...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Aug 8, 2011 | Christian Life, Ministry Leadership
Constructive criticism is an incredible asset. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend….” Some of the most helpful advice and counsel I have ever received has come in the form of such “wounds.” Yet, destructive criticism can be incredibly damaging to...