David VanDenburgh

Jesus said,."I came to cast fire upon the earth" (Luke 12:49, RSV). And He did. Every time He healed, every time He taught, every time He cast out a demon, He cast fire upon the earth. He kindled fires in villages and in hearts. It was dangerous…

Let me begin with an overview of my own preparation process for an expository sermon. It starts with selecting the preaching passage; my preference is having it as part of an ongoing series on a Bible book. That relieves…

Conflicts between churches and their pastors are becoming more frequent. Reasons are many and varied. Whatever the causes, pastor-parishioner conflicts are so frequent that they absorb too much time and energy and…

An effective pastorate is crucial to the mission of the church. An effective training program for young pastors is crucial to the pastor ate. An effective internship is crucial to pastoral training.

Does that sequence of statements…

The first ministers' meeting I attended after seminary left me wondering if I had made a terrible career mistake. Instead of being a time of spiritual enrichment, characterized by fellowship, worship, and prayer, the meeting was more like…

Who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Cor. 2:16). The context of Paul's question is ministry, and the implied answer is "No one," including the apostle himself.

This is a point every pastor needs to keep in mind; for in a very…

Not unusual in pastoral ministry, crises may come without notice and may take different shapes. A death of a family member, an accident, a marriage falling apart, a run-away child, a theological conflict, a challenge…