The Nature of Spiritual Growth

As many of today’s churches cater to those seeking entertainment-based worship services, they end up demanding very little of the average Christian and offer little or no shepherding or accountability. As a result, many people slip in and slip out below the radar. Though it often attracts the crowds, the question is whether this model […]

In addition to making life-long Christian disciples, churches in our day need to equip the saints so that they can faithfully share the gospel with outsiders. And as we take the gospel out to the world, we need to resist the temptation to change or dilute the message in order to remove the offense of […]

Successful churches in our time are often led by dynamic pastors with excellent communication skills. But are these particular virtues praised in the pages of the New Testament? On this program the hosts will take a look at the issue Paul faced with the “super-apostles” of his own day, and they’ll discuss how this manifests […]

How are pastors to care for Christians in our day who hop from church to church and refuse to recognize any authority over the self? Why should anyone even go to church if they can listen to sermons online? On this program Michael Horton, Steve Parks and Mike Brown unpack this subject by pointing out […]

According to the latest statistics, nine out of ten pastors don’t end up retiring as pastors, and close to 50% don’t even make it to their 5th year of ministry before changing professions. What are the causes of these alarming trends, and what can we do to create a more sustainable vision of Christian ministry? […]

As churches conform more and more to the values of the marketplace, true and lasting community is getting harder to find. Most of us don’t even know the person we’ll sit next to on Sunday morning, and few of us care. What are the essential ingredients of an authentic Christian community? Joining Michael Horton to […]

As churches have downplayed doctrines like the holiness of God, the message of the gospel has become warped and distorted. As a result, many think of Jesus more as a best friend or life coach than they do as a divine redeemer who rescues them from sin and hell. On this special conference edition of […]

Do today’s Christians end up focusing more on the experience of faith rather than the object of faith? Are we more interested in the practical application of Christianity than we are in truly understanding the Christianity that is to be applied? What are the dangers of this kind of approach to the Christian life? On […]

Meditating upon the Law of the Lord leads us to prayer. The goal is that as you meditate, the Spirit brings conviction, thanks, praise, or some other reality up into your heart. It is with these realities in mind that you then approach God directly in prayer. In this sense, prayer is truly conversation with God, and there is much to discuss. We talk to God directly concerning the things upon which we have reflected.

Sanctification isn’t effortless. The act of dying to sin implies spiritual battle and life-long war against sin. Living unto righteousness implies costly, intensive labor that daily says “no” to sin and “yes” to Christlikeness. So what do we do when we fail yet again? How can we overcome feelings of failure, defeat, and self-loathing when we sin?

What if the discomfort we’ve avoided—the very trial we’ve begged God to remove—is the instrument our loving Father is using to bring us to completion, the place where lasting joy is found?

Kyle Strobel joins Michael Horton to discuss different views of spiritual formation, how pastors and theologians from church history have approached this topic, and why seasons of desolation (spiritual dryness) are meant for our good, not punishment.