“We had a great conversation about one of life’s transitions as children grow up, become adults, but for various reasons, remain living in their family home.” - P&D

“Many books on dementia offer information and practical guidance, but rarely do they invite readers into the heartbreak of this disease with such honesty, vulnerability, and hope as Karen Martin’s Memorable Loss: A Story of Friendship in the Face of Dementia.” - TGC

“Stanley never explicitly names Mohler in his message, but he does say at the outset that he does not hold to the same version of Christianity that Mohler holds to. The rest of Stanley’s message certainly bears that out.” - Denny Burk

Lee Strobel, William Lane Craig among speakers at Prestonwood apologetics conference - CPost

The subject of drinking intoxicating beverages is often discussed among Christians, even leading to strong disagreements. Whether or not believers in Jesus should consume intoxicating beverages is a very important issue since drinking and drunkenness are social norms in most of the world. All Christians should know what God’s Word has to say about the matter, as well as how to apply it to their lives.

“Even the largest churches stay at the top of the list for only about twenty years. Each generation has its own group of biggest congregations or fastest-growing congregations.” - Sam Rainer

“To live a conservative life is to live out the conviction that there are some things more important than politics: faith, family, community…. the long hard hours of being a spouse and a parent, a church elder or Little League coach…. It is also to prize truth above all else, even effectiveness.” - WORLD

“2024 will also mark the 50th anniversary of the First Lausanne Congress, which saw the release of The Lausanne Covenant… one of the most significant documents in modern church history, serving as a rallying cry and commitment for evangelicals around the world.” - TGC

“The problem is that religious authorities — the voices journalists quote – keep pinning this label on others. Thus, one expert’s ‘evangelical’ is another’s ‘fundamentalist.’” - GetReligion

“Merriam-Webster went full ‘beast mode’ this year, adding 690 words to their dictionary — nearly double the amount added last year.” - Relevant

It is indeed one of the great untold stories in all of the Bible—to say nothing of the prophetic future.

Did you know that a great end-time revival is promised in Holy Scripture, and that its impact will be such that it will push any previous so-called revivals or awakenings into the shadows forever?

“ ‘I offer two pieces of wisdom… Never be discouraged and never be a discourager.’ I have thought deeply about this counsel and have decided it is good—mostly good.” - Challies

“…this new ideology we’re talking about is fundamentally about forms of group identity like race, gender, and sexual orientation. It sees the world through the prism of those identities.” - L&L

“AI and ChatGPT … make a tantalizing, almost irresistible offer: They’ll do your work for you. They’ll write the sermon, exegete the passage, draft the lesson plan, and outline the discussion questions while you get to the real work of ministry.” - CToday

“The summit will bring 464 Catholic clergy and laypeople, including women, to the Vatican to discuss hot-button issues ranging from sexual abuse to LGBTQ inclusion and female ordination.” - RNS

“Less than a year into his head coaching position at Auburn University, Hugh Freeze is making headlines for more than his work on the field. Freeze, along with Auburn coaches from other sports, recently promoted and participated in a worship event involving baptisms.” - CLeaders

“18% say they are neither spiritual nor religious, up from 9% in 1999” - Gallup

Read the series.

Is the Rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:3?

On a related note, some Dispensational writers have believed that the catching up of the saints is what is in view in 2 Thessalonians 2:3:

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sinis revealed, the son of perdition.

“Throughout most of history, people have considered the author to be the locus of meaning…. But in recent decades the discussion has progressed beyond the exclusion of the author—and even beyond the exclusive focus upon the text itself.” - Kenneth Berding

“The measure requires K-12 schools to have at least one gender-neutral bathroom by July 1, 2026, and the restroom must be available when students are present during school hours and school functions.” - CPost

“The report, titled ‘Closed Doors,’ found the number of Christians coming to the U.S. from countries named on a prominent persecution watchlist dropped from 32,248 in 2016 to 9,528 in 2022 — a decline of 70%.” - RNS

“I love the gospel of John. I am writing a commentary on Romans, and I love Romans. And I’ve written commentaries verse-by-verse through Psalms, Job, and Philippians—but John has my heart.” - Ligonier

“For a meeting meant to explore the future direction of AI and the ethics necessary to guide it, nearly everyone in that room had a vested financial interest in its continued growth and expansion.” - Breakpoint

Read Part 1.

Practical Advice

It’s one thing to put some verses together and present a pastoral succession plan. It’s another thing to carry out this plan. The following distills many authors’ advice on pastoral succession, addressed here to key individuals and groups.

The Outgoing Pastor

1. Commit yourself to training pastors. This commitment takes focus and time. Your ministry can have continuity when you train a pastor and have him take your place.

“The online ‘Racial Justice Assessment tool,’ posted on the organization’s website… is designed to provide users with suggestions of books, videos, articles and online courses to consider based on their answers to a brief survey about racism and equality.” - RNS

“Our current culture views the world and people through a cheapened simplicity…. Can we outgrow our sterile, static view of others, and challenge ourselves to hold in mind multiple traits and characteristics of others—both virtue and vice—at once?” - L&L

“The prehistoric and famed biblical site of Jericho—Tell es-Sultan—was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site during a conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.” - Biblical Archaeology Society

“Today the Center launches with thousands of Bible and theology resources available and ready to search. But with translation projects underway and new resources under development, we’re just getting started.” - TGC

“Today, 45% of Americans see three or more children as ideal, a steep increase from 38% in 2013, and an even wider gap from 33% in 2003.” - Gallup

Related: Some analysis and perspective at IFS

Every pastor is an interim pastor. Every pastor eventually resigns, retires, or dies. What is your church’s plan to find your next pastor?

Scripture lays the foundation for an ideal pastoral succession plan: the outgoing pastor trains men for ministry, prepares his church for his departure, and, with the church’s approval, appoints one of these men as his successor. If a pastor does not prepare his church for his departure, the church will likely struggle after he leaves. The Bible suggests a better way.

Six Bible Passages for Pastoral Succession

Six Bible passages help us form a Biblical plan for pastoral succession.