Mark WardWe at Logos looked at the stats, and here are forty of the top one hundred books self-described Baptists have bought from us. Certain trends are quite interesting. For example: Pastor John MacArthur utterly dominates the top hundred books for...
Karen EngleA Bible concordance is simply a reference tool in which words from a particular translation of Scripture are arranged alphabetically in a kind of index—often accompanied by words from the immediate context of each use. Scripture references are...
Timothy BergPentecostals and charismatics represent more than one out of every four Christians worldwide. Philip Jenkins suggests that this movement is perhaps the most successful social movement of the past century, one which should surpass one billion members...
Kelley MathewsI was that kid whose nose was always stuck in a book. I was also that kid who occasionally read a dictionary for fun. I just loved words—including and especially God’s Word. When I was eleven years old, I asked for my own Bible, having already worn...
Daniel StevensThere are many, many options for reading and studying the Greek New Testament. There are more studies, editions, and tools available to the student or scholar than ever before. Manuscripts are available at a click. Surveys of historical opinion are...
Josh StewartAs the Israelites said of the manna that fell from heaven, so it must be said of the youth pastor: What is it? Empirically speaking, youth pastors are half-friend, half-pastor, half-parent, half-can’t-decide-what-it-is types of things. But what...
Logos StaffThe most important lexicographer of the Greek of the New Testament had this to say about Greek lexicons: It is a mistake to shun the lexicon as a graveyard haunted by columns of semantic ghosts or simply fall back on it as on a codebook identifying...
Brian CollinsCommentaries are tools in the toolbox of Bible teachers and preachers. But just as a woodworker will use a table saw, miter saw, and band saw for different purposes, Bible teachers will turn to different types of commentaries for different purposes...
Ryan NelsonOctober is Pastor Appreciation Month. Your pastors do so much for you, your church, and your community. How do you show them that you appreciate their ministry and encourage them to continue? A pastor recently told me, “I work with so many...
F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” Even if it doesn’t get crisp where you live, your church can create that feeling at your fall festival or trunk or treat—and put a fresh start to your outreach...
Mary JahnkeAccording to Lifeway Research, “64% of churches either have nothing to assimilate new members, or no systemic plan to move people towards membership.” Imagine if that were true in the workplace . . . not a good start. Like onboarding and...
Jennifer GrishamSome years ago, Carl Trueman asked a question churches today are reckoning with: What can miserable Christians sing? In the midst of a pandemic, people in your services are likely struggling with fear, anxiety, grief, and uncertainty. We can’t know...
Every month, around 350 people search for “Bible reading plans PDF.” Nearly 12,000 people on average (and as many as 30,000!) search for “Bible reading plans” monthly. Here’s a great (free) option for every one of those people—and you too. Here’s...
Guest AuthorAlthough “performance review” may seem like a corporate term, it’s simply a way of tracking growth or decay—matters that concern every organization. Here are some quick tips on church performance reviews, as well as the unfortunate task of employee...
What were 2021’s most popular worship songs? What about most popular sermon topics? Find out in the free 2021 Songs & Sermons Report for worship leaders, pastors, and anyone who’s just really curious. (Can’t blame you there.) Popular worship...
The definition of spiritual endurance (or “steadfast endurance”) is this: the power to withstand hardship or stress; especially the inward fortitude necessary. This definition from Logos Bible Software (Bible app and Basic package available free) is...
Church volunteers are worth their weight in gold. How many Christmas programs, weeks of VBS, and successful church events have been pulled off only because of God’s grace and volunteers’ elbow grease? Too many to count! Cheerful, willing church...
I’m going to lay all of my cards on the table right here at the beginning: I wholeheartedly, unreservedly, and unashamedly believe that every church should have a plan in place to care for its guests.
“I am not the head of the church. Jesus is.” As a pastor, I had not only heard that many times, I had said it many times myself. And I really did believe it. But it left a major question unanswered for me. If I am not the head, what part of the...
Ray Deck IIIThe Bible is a big book. So big that fully understanding it remains a lifelong goal. Rather than trying to read it through in a few sittings, like most of us do with many smaller books, many people instead read a small amount every day. The slow-and...
Two years ago, I transitioned from leading and overseeing our church’s youth ministries to overseeing and leading our children’s and youth ministries. Practically, that’s an eighteen-year gap of kids under my care—not to mention their older...
An old saying goes, “A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to come unraveled.” And even though that’s true, Christians still need encouragement to pray. Here are nine sermon illustrations on prayer to help provide it. 1. How God listens In 2009 news...
Pastors are people, too. It’s such a basic, “Of course!” truth, yet it so easily slips from Christians’ minds. Like “Dad” or “Mom,” a pastor’s position becomes their name. So even as the world is more and more abuzz with talk of mental health...
By Andre Kazadayev and Derek Fekkes Do you want your worship team to love serving with you? Here’s one big thing to pay attention to—rehearsals. Since a worship team spends so much time rehearsing, how your worship band, A/V team, and vocalists feel...
This is a guest post by Peter Krol. A reader of my blog recently emailed to say, “I was never intentionally taught how to lead a Bible study, and, when the time came for me to teach others how to do it, I had no idea even where to begin.” Do you...
When we look back on Church history, we see lots of familiar names and stories, like the revolutionary time Martin Luther read Romans or Jonathan Edwards preached his most famous sermon. So many stories like these have been passed down for...
A 2015 study from LifeWay found that 61% of Americans attend church at Christmas time—and even more would come if invited. What an opportunity! Whether your church is meeting in person again or not, you can still take advantage of that opportunity...
Taylor BlomquistIt’s a hard time to be a pastor or church leader. Everyone has an opinion on how to tackle their church’s fall kickoff and what precautions to take. It’s a small comfort, but churches around the nation are asking the same questions and making the...
A few years ago, I wrote a few segments for a popular Bible study. I loved every little bit of the research and thinking and writing, but I was relying on a stack of books about half my height (which isn’t saying much—I’m not a tall...
Lives are shattered right now, inside and outside the Church. Fighting the pandemic has led to an economic downfall, heightened mental health challenges, and other fallout. Even healthy people with job security and no children to suddenly homeschool...