Ministry127 - Encouraging, Equipping, and Engaging Ideas from Local Church Leaders

The Pastor’s Toolbox

Dr. R. B. Ouellette — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:46:15 +0000

The Pastor’s Toolbox Dr. R. B. Ouellette Fri, 04/17/2026 - 14:46

Leading with Faith through Financial Challenges

Pastors often preach that God is able to meet our needs. But sometimes the greatest test of that belief comes when finances are tight.

When I was a young married man, I saved nothing. I tithed, gave an offering, and spent the rest. I often joked, “God pays better interest than the Second National Bank.” If we had a few extra dollars after paying bills, I’d take my wife Krisy out to eat. I was making car payments and carrying credit card debt equal to nearly a month’s salary.

Then one day, two verses from Proverbs changed my thinking—and my life:

“There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up” (Proverbs 21:20).

“A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just” (Proverbs 13:22).

Those verses taught me two simple but life-changing truths:

First, the reason I didn’t have any money was because I spent it all.

That may not sound profound, but it was revolutionary to me. No one can save anything unless they spend less than they make. While God is able to meet our needs, He expects us to steward wisely what He provides.

Second, I realized I could be neither wise nor good if I left nothing behind for the next generation.

My father-in-law, a financially prudent man, gave me advice that changed the way I handled money. He told me to make double payments on my smallest bill until it was paid off, then apply that amount to the next smallest bill, and so on until I was debt free. (He taught me this over fifty years ago, long before I ever heard it called “the snowball method.”)

As I began following biblical principles and my father-in-law’s counsel, I also started teaching our congregation what I was learning. I encouraged our members to avoid debt for items that don’t appreciate in value. I wanted them to be financially strong for their own families, not just so our church could be debt free. Financially weak members seldom make a financially strong church.

When I counseled individuals who were struggling financially, I used a simple system that was almost always successful: worked:

Gather the facts. We listed every bill, expense, and source of income.
Track every payment. I had them keep a notebook with one page per expense—like a checkbook ledger—with columns for date, deposit, withdrawal, and balance.
Divide and set aside. We divided monthly expenses by four and set that amount aside weekly.
Withdraw for payments. When a bill came due, they withdrew from that specific account.
Limit discretionary spending. Whatever was left after all “deposits” was their only spending money for the week.
Build a surplus. Since there are fifty-two weeks in a year, setting aside money weekly meant that four times a year they “overpaid” their expenses—creating a small cushion for emergencies.
Adjust if necessary. If income truly wasn’t sufficient, we discussed a temporary consolidation loan or additional income sources.

In forty-four years of pastoring, I only had one family I couldn’t help. When we went over their finances, I said, “You’re giving too much.”

They smiled and said, “No, that’s just what it comes to—our tithe, our missions, and our building fund offering.”

“Are you sure God wants you to give that much?” I asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

“Well then,” I said, “I can’t help you—but you’ll be all right.”

And they were. Not long after, they purchased a nicer home. Later, the husband started a business. Today they’re financially stable and still generous to the Lord, who continues to bless them.

That family reminded me of something I’ve seen again and again: God is able—able to meet our needs, to give wisdom when finances are tight, and to bless those who honor Him with their resources. Wise stewardship doesn’t limit God’s provision; it positions us to see it.

This article originally appeared in Issue 39 of the Baptist Voice. To read the full digital edition, click here:

Category

Pastoral Leadership

Ministry Resources

Order in the Church

Dr. Paul Chappell

Focus

Dr. Paul Chappell

Four Priorities for Cohesive Teams

Larry Chappell — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:27:20 +0000

Four Priorities for Cohesive Teams Larry Chappell Thu, 04/09/2026 - 13:27

What makes a team great?

For some teams, it’s easy to name. The 1990s Chicago Bulls found their identity in the triangle offense that revolutionized basketball. The 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers built their dynasty on the “Steel Curtain” defense. The early-2000s New England Patriots became known for their adaptability and discipline. The 2010s Golden State Warriors transformed the game with their precision and teamwork from beyond the arc.

Each of those teams was unified by a shared system or mindset that shaped everything they did. Their greatness wasn’t accidental; it flowed from cohesion around clear priorities.

So what makes a ministry team great?

Romans 12 provides the answer. This chapter lays the biblical foundation for true spiritual cohesion. It reminds us that lasting unity doesn’t come from charisma or talent, but from a shared devotion to Christ and a commitment to live out His priorities together. These priorities form the heart of every cohesive team.

1. Pursue a Personal Walk with God

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

Romans 12 begins not with a strategy for ministry but with a call to surrender. That’s because the starting point of every great ministry team is personal devotion. When each member of a ministry team is walking in fellowship with Him, unity becomes the natural overflow of shared obedience.

Before we can lead others spiritually, we must nurture our own spiritual health. It’s easy in ministry to replace intimacy with activity, to assume that because we’re serving, we’re growing. But God doesn’t bless who we pretend to be; He blesses who we truly are before Him.

A personal walk with God demands intentional focus. It requires guarding time to spend with God in prayer and Scripture.

When we pursue a personal walk with God, we bring something vital to the team: a life aligned with His purposes. A healthy staff culture doesn’t begin with policies or programs; it begins with people whose private devotion fuels their public ministry.

2. Practice Humility over Ego

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think” (Romans 12:3).

If devotion is the foundation of teamwork, humility is the glue. Pride destroys collaboration; humility fuels it. Paul warns that self-importance has no place in ministry. True humility recognizes both our limitations and the unique strengths of others.

Pride says, My idea, my agenda, my contribution. Humility says, Our mission, our gifts, God’s glory. Pride kills team culture; humility cultivates it.

The book of Job reminds us that the real target of spiritual attack is not always our circumstances but our perspective. Satan sought to distort Job’s view of God. Likewise, the challenges of ministry test our humility and reveal our dependence.

A cohesive team requires leaders who think soberly, who value the insights of others, and who remain teachable.

3. Perform Your Role with Excellence

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness" (Romans 12:6–8).

Romans 12:6–8 reminds us that every member of Christ’s body is gifted by grace to serve a unique purpose. Great teams succeed when each person knows their role and fulfills it faithfully. In ministry, that means serving wholeheartedly in the place God has assigned, using your gifts for His glory and the good of others.

Excellence in ministry is showing up prepared, dependable, and teachable. It’s bringing your best to the assignment God has given you and trusting others to do the same.

Joseph served under Pharaoh. Timothy served beside Paul. Both show that second place isn’t lesser value—it’s strategic support.

The strength of a cohesive team lies in people who understand that every role matters and that significance is found in service, not visibility.

When each person performs their role with excellence, the team thrives. Roles may differ, but the mission is one. Excellence unites what ego divides.

4. Protect the Culture of the Team

Romans 12:9–21 gives five characteristics of a protected culture:

A culture of love: “Let love be without dissimulation… be kindly affectioned one to another” (verses 9–10). Genuine love fosters trust and care within the team. It’s more than warmth; it’s commitment. Love chooses patience when opinions differ and kindness when tensions rise. When people truly love one another, unity follows naturally, and service becomes joyful instead of forced.

A culture of integrity: “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good… not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” (verses 10–11). Integrity means diligence, transparency, and consistency. It shows up in how we work, how we communicate, and how we follow through. Integrity doesn’t demand perfection, but it does require honesty. Teams that value truth over image create trust and advance God’s work unhindered.

A culture of honor: “…in honour preferring one another” (verse 10). Honor runs two ways: leaders give opportunity; followers give loyalty. When either side breaks that rhythm, trust erodes. Ministry is like looking through a two-way mirror—you only see your side until someone invites you behind the glass. Team members don’t always see the weight their leader carries, and leaders don’t always feel the burdens of those they lead. Honor bridges that gap through understanding, respect, and gratitude.

A culture of excellence and authenticity: “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer” (verse 12). Ministry brings both triumphs and trials, but cohesive teams stay steady through both. They pray, rejoice, and bear burdens together. Excellence without authenticity becomes performance; authenticity without excellence becomes apathy. Together, they form a culture where people serve wholeheartedly and grace fills every gap.

The Power of “Swing”

Cohesion isn’t automatic; it must be developed. Perhaps no sports story captures this more beautifully than that of the University of Washington rowing team, told by Daniel James Brown in his book The Boys in the Boat.

During the Great Depression, nine working-class young men—ordinary students from humble backgrounds—learned to row as one. They called it finding “the swing.” It’s that almost mystical rhythm when every oar moves in perfect harmony, the boat glides weightlessly, and the team feels unstoppable. Swing can’t be forced; it comes only through trust, timing, and unity.

Those boys went on to defeat Harvard and Yale and, in 1936, win Olympic gold before Adolf Hitler himself. They weren’t the most powerful or privileged. They were simply united.

That’s the kind of cohesion every ministry team should pursue. When hearts are aligned to please Christ, when egos yield to humility, when each member owns their role, and when everyone guards the team culture, something remarkable happens. Like those boys in the boat, we find our “swing.” United, we become unstoppable for God’s glory.

This article originally appeared in Issue 39 of the Baptist Voice. To read the full digital edition, click here:

Category

Ministry Leadership

Ministry Resources

Focus

Dr. Paul Chappell

Wisdom from the Word

Dr. Paul Chappell

What God Does in the Storm

Alan Fong — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 20:59:09 +0000

What God Does in the Storm Alan Fong Wed, 04/01/2026 - 13:59

Storms are not interruptions to ministry — they are instruments of it.

Every pastor, every leader, every servant of God will face seasons when the pressure rises, the path is unclear, and the weight feels overwhelming. But Scripture shows us something powerful: God does some of His greatest work in us — and through us — during the storm.

In Acts 27, the Apostle Paul is caught in a violent storm at sea. What unfolds is not just a survival story, but a leadership blueprint. God uses that storm to shape Paul in ways every leader needs to understand.

Here are six things God does in the storm.

1. God Establishes the Leader's Credibility

There are moments in ministry when you walk into a situation and feel completely inadequate.

A hospital room. A grieving family. A crisis you did not expect.

And then you are asked to pray.

You do not feel qualified — but the Holy Spirit shows up. God fills the room with His presence. People sense it. Sometimes lives are changed in that very moment.

That is what God does.

You do not need the credibility of a deacon board. You do not need somebody to write you a review or outsiders to vouch for you. What you need is to know that God has put His stamp of approval on your ministry. That is the only credibility that matters.

God uses storms to establish your credibility — not in the eyes of men, but through the power of His presence.

2. God Builds Courage in the Leader

Storms force leaders to stand.

Acts 27:21 says, "Paul stood forth in the midst of them." That is what storms do — they reveal who will stand.

Courage is not something you manufacture. It is something God builds in you through pressure, uncertainty, and fear. God uses storms to give us courage we did not have — or courage for a situation we did not anticipate He wanted to put us in.

When chaos hits a city, when fear grips people, when no one else knows what to do — God raises up men who will stand and speak. When Saul and his servant were searching for their donkeys, the servant said, "There is a man of God in this city." People need to know there is a man of God in our city.

God still calls men — men who surrender, men who have a heart for Him, men who are still praying and fasting, men with a burden for souls who want to reach their city. Storms are where that kind of courage is forged.

3. God Uses Leaders to Bring Comfort

In the middle of the storm, Paul says twice, "Be of good cheer."

That is remarkable, because he was in the same storm.

But that is the role of a leader. When everyone else is shaken, the leader speaks peace. When everyone else is afraid, the leader brings hope.

Jesus said, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." And now His leaders echo that same message. Maybe Paul's devotions that morning led him to John 16:33 — and the Lord spoke to him: Be of good cheer.

Words matter. Scripture says death and life are in the power of the tongue. In critical moments, one wrong word at the right time can discourage an entire room — but the right word can stabilize it. God places leaders in storms so they can give comfort to others.

4. God Develops Competence

Storms sharpen a leader.

Paul did not just speak emotionally — he spoke with clarity and conviction: "There shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship."

He knew what he was talking about.

Leaders must grow in competence: knowing God deeply, knowing Scripture accurately, being ready to give answers, and being honest when they do not know. The Bible says, "Be ready to give an answer to every man." We need to know what we are talking about. And when we do not know something, it is okay to admit it. We need to have ethics in the ministry.

Ships are replaceable. Cars are replaceable. Buildings are replaceable. People are not. Every time we are with a member, with somebody — we do not know how long they are going to be here.

Storms force leaders to rise to that level of competence and care.

5. God Builds the Leader's Confidence

One of the greatest outcomes of a storm is deeper confidence — confidence not in yourself, but in God.

Paul declared, "I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me." That is the anchor. That is what storms produce in a leader who stays the course.

Storms stretch your faith beyond what is comfortable. They push you into dependence on God in ways normal seasons never will. And here is something worth remembering: God is more attracted to our weaknesses than He is to our strengths. It is in those moments when we are weak that we realize we need greater faith.

If you want to get through the storm faster, start thanking God for it. Count it all joy. God sometimes builds our confidence for building programs, for sending missionaries out, for major decisions — through the very hardships we did not ask for.

Faith always has a companion, and that companion is obedience. "By faith, Noah obeyed." Maybe there is something God has told you that you are still being stubborn about. Storms have a way of dealing with that. They do not just build faith — they build the settled, deep-seated confidence that God will do what He said He would do.

6. God Makes Leaders Compelling

Before the storm, no one was listening to Paul.

During the storm, everyone was.

That is what God does. He shapes a leader in such a way that people begin to follow — not because of force, but because of spiritual authority.

Paul gave direction. Paul gave warning. Paul gave encouragement. When the soldiers wanted to lower the dinghy and escape, Paul told the centurion: if those men leave the ship, you will not make it. They cut the ropes. They listened to Paul.

For fourteen days nobody had eaten. Paul looked at them and said, "You need to take a little meat — you are weak." Who did they listen to? Paul. And he had a captive audience — and he led them in prayer.

Why? Because storms refine a leader's voice.

The Bigger Picture: Storms Have Purpose

The storm in Acts 27 was not random.

Paul thought he was just going to Rome. God had a stop planned in Malta — which means "honey." There, a church would be started. Lives would be changed. Doors would open. When Paul arrived, a man named Publius welcomed them — and his father was sick. Paul prayed for him. And that opened the door to the whole island. People came. He led them to Christ.

What looked like a delay was actually divine strategy. God does not make mistakes. Hardships are part of building a church.

And then you get to Acts 28 — another storm. Paul gets bitten by a viper and simply shakes it off into the fire. At some point, we need to shake off some of our worries and our concerns and just go on. God can be trusted.

Final Thought

We do not pray for storms.

But we need them.

Because often, the very thing we do not want is the very thing God uses most.

Our people are watching how we walk through the storm. And how we walk through it will determine how they walk through theirs. And that will determine the next level God takes all of us to.

So stand. Speak hope. Trust God.

And remember: storms are not interruptions to ministry — they are instruments of it.

Category

Ministry Leadership

Ministry Resources

Focus

Dr. Paul Chappell

Wisdom from the Word

Dr. Paul Chappell

Jesus Is Always Able

Jerry Ferrso — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:43:34 +0000

Jesus Is Always Able Jerry Ferrso Thu, 03/26/2026 - 09:43

Have you ever faced a situation that felt beyond fixing? A prodigal who won’t listen, a friend trapped in addiction, a heart weighed down by failure? We all encounter moments when it seems that nothing can change, no one can help, and no prayer will reach far enough.

But that’s when we remember this simple, powerful truth: Jesus is always able.

When Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee into the region of the Gadarenes, He went to a place most people avoided. It was associated with uncleanness, tombs, spiritual darkness, and fear. It was not the kind of place any respectable religious teacher would go. But Jesus wasn’t on a sightseeing trip; He was on a rescue mission. He crossed the sea in a storm to reach one man whom everyone else had written off.

That man lived among the tombs, naked, bleeding, tormented by demons. He cried out day and night, cutting himself with stones. The townspeople had tried to chain him, but no one could restrain him. Every human attempt to control or cure him had failed. Yet when Jesus arrived, everything changed.

Where man’s power stopped, Jesus’ power started. What no one else could do, Jesus did in a moment. The man fell before Christ, and the demons that had ruled his life for years were gone. When the people came to see what happened, they found him “sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15). The man who once terrified the town became a living testimony of God’s grace.

That’s the story of Mark 5:1–20, but it’s also the story of many lives today. Our world is filled with people who may not live in tombs but do live in darkness. They are enslaved by sin, addictions, fears, and memories they can’t control. Some try to fix themselves with new routines or stronger chains, but no earthly solution can heal a spiritual problem. Only Jesus can.

The same Savior who delivered the “maniac of Gadara” is still delivering souls today, and He invites us to join Him in His redemptive work.

Let’s consider three principles from this powerful passage that remind us that Jesus is always able to reach the unreachable.

1. Sin and spiritual bondage destroy life, but Jesus is able to restore broken lives.

The man in Mark 5 wasn’t simply troubled; he was destroyed. Sin and Satan always promise freedom but end in bondage. The demoniac’s condition is a vivid picture of what sin does to every heart apart from Christ. It isolates, enslaves, and dehumanizes.

But Jesus came to restore what sin ruins. As He declared in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives….”

That’s still His mission today. Jesus is able to take a person whose life is shattered and make it whole again. He restores marriages, renews minds, and reclaims souls. Every believer reading this is living proof of that restoring power.

2. No power, addiction, trauma, or darkness is stronger than Jesus.

The people of Gadara had done everything they could to subdue the man, but nothing worked. That’s because they were trying to solve a spiritual problem with physical tools. Chains can restrain hands, but only Jesus can release a heart.

When Jesus spoke, the unclean spirits had no choice but to obey. Mark 1:27 says, “With authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.” Every evil power is subject to Him. Every dark force must flee at His command.

Sometimes we face battles that are overwhelming—addictions, fears, or strongholds that seem impossible to overcome. But remember this promise: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Jesus doesn’t negotiate with evil; He conquers it. There is no chain He cannot break and no darkness He cannot dispel.

3. Once we come to Jesus, He is able to set us free and make us a testimony of His grace.

When the man was delivered, Jesus told him, “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mark 5:19).

In one moment, the man who had been a terror became a preacher. He didn’t need to attend seminary or earn people’s respect before he began to share. His transformed life was his message.

That’s what Jesus does. He not only saves us from something; He saves us for something. He gives us a new identity and a new mission. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

The same Savior who crossed the sea to reach one tormented man is still reaching people today. And He invites you and me to join Him in that mission—to go to the places others avoid, to love those others fear, and to share the good news that Jesus is able.

No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. No sin is too deep, no past too dark, and no heart too hard for Jesus to transform.

So when you see someone who seems unreachable, don’t give up. Pray. Love. Go. Because Jesus is still able—able to do the unbelievable, the unthinkable, and the unimaginable.

There is nothing too hard for Him. Jesus is always able. And because He is, we should always be willing to share the gospel with those in darkness.

Category

Christian Walk

Ministry Resources

Wisdom from the Word

Dr. Paul Chappell

Focus

Dr. Paul Chappell

The Power and Promise of Prayer

Joe Dickinson — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:40:05 +0000

The Power and Promise of Prayer Joe Dickinson Fri, 03/20/2026 - 09:40

As Jesus brings the Sermon on the Mount toward its conclusion, He turns His attention to a subject every Christian knows well—and yet often struggles with: prayer. Most believers would readily admit that prayer is important, but many also confess that their prayer life is inconsistent or weak. Why is that?

Part of the struggle is simply that prayer requires effort. It demands time, focus, and persistence in a world filled with distractions. I suppose another roadblock is pride. You may not have an outright pride that causes you to believe that you don’t need God. But like me, perhaps you’ve had more than one prayerless day which sort of implies it. And then I think another major source of prayerlessness is unbelief. At its core, a lack of prayer is often a lack of confidence in God’s power and willingness to answer. If we truly believed that prayer works, we would pray far more than we do.

Jesus addresses that very issue in Matthew 7:7–12, giving His followers compelling reasons to pray.

Prayer Works

Jesus begins with a powerful promise: “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” These are direct promises from Christ, intended to stir up the faith of his people. Prayer is effective.

The verbs Jesus uses carry the idea of ongoing action. We are to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. There is also a sense of increasing intensity, moving from a simple request to an active pursuit to a persistent knocking. This is not a one-time effort, but a continual, earnest pursuit of God.

An early idea that I believe Jesus wants to get across is that God is not annoyed at our asking. He isn’t hiding so that he can’t be found. His door isn’t locked so that you are denied entrance. He is open, available and willing to hear your prayers.

Prayer Works for Anyone

Jesus goes on to emphasize that this promise is not reserved for a spiritual elite. “Everyone that asketh receiveth.” I love this because it tells me that powerful praying is something that even I can do! Whatever weaknesses or personality flaws; whatever deficiencies of talent or skill…I can still pray. Regardless of whether you hold a ‘big’ position or a ‘small’ one, you can pray. Whether rich, poor, popular or unpopular, educated or no, good-looking or not so much…you can make a difference through prayer.

To help us understand God’s willingness to answer, Jesus uses an illustration practically all of us can understand. What kind of father would give his child a stone when he asks for bread, or a snake when he asks for fish? Even imperfect human fathers know how to give good gifts to their children. How much more, then, will a perfect heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him?

This illustration also provides important boundaries. First, the promise is for God’s children—those who have entered into a relationship with Him. Second, God gives “good gifts.” If my children ask me if they can have candy for dinner, or if they can stay up late and skip school, then my answer is going to be ‘no.’ But if they ask me to help them with homework, or purchase the uniform they need in order to play on their sports team, I don’t know how to tell them ‘no’ for those things.

Prayer Fuels Obedience and Love

At first glance, I could not understand how verse 12—the Golden Rule—was connected to the teaching on prayer. But it is deeply connected. Jesus commands us to treat others as we would want to be treated, a standard that is easy to understand, but not so easy to do.

Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus weaves together two dimensions of life: our relationship with God (vertical) and our relationships with others (horizontal). These two are inseparable. Our prayer life affects how we treat others, and our treatment of others affects our prayers (Mt. 6:14-15; 1 Pet. 3:7).

Prayer is like the Golden Key to living out the Golden Rule. When we feel unable to love others as we should—whether in our marriages, families, or even toward difficult people—Jesus has already given us the solution: ask for help. Prayer is the means by which we receive the grace and strength to obey (Heb. 4:16).

Conclusion: Prayer as Spiritual Power

Prayer isn’t just about getting things done. It is the means by which we receive the spiritual energy to follow Christ. It is the fuel that enables us to act like the people he has saved us to be. It is like a corporate credit card, that empowers you to carry out the Master’s business even though you are bankrupt in spirit (Mt. 5:3).

So pray. Ask for the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Ask for help in your relationships, in your struggles, and in your spiritual battles. Seek God’s face. Knock with persistence.

And as you do, believe that your Father hears you—and that He delights in giving His children exactly what they need to follow Him.

Category

Christian Walk

Ministry Resources

Wisdom from the Word

Dr. Paul Chappell

Focus

Dr. Paul Chappell

Prayer is Worth the Effort

Brandon Campbell — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:27:42 +0000

Prayer is Worth the Effort Brandon Campbell Fri, 03/13/2026 - 11:27

Proverbs 24:30–31 says,

“I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.”

Laziness leaves the vineyard filled with weeds, unprotected, and fruitless.

What would it look like if you could view your prayer life as a vineyard or garden? Would it be green and fruitful? Or would it be filled with weeds and thorns? Would the gates and fences be strong and standing or broken down and in disrepair?

Proverbs 20:4 says,

“The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.”

And Proverbs 22:13 tells us,

“The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.”

What “good” excuses do you have for not praying?

Our sinful, lazy flesh will always, in its “wisdom,” have a “good” excuse not to pray.

Proverbs 26:16 says,

“The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.”

Like anything worth doing, having a fruitful prayer life takes work.

Consider the following verses.

Matthew 6:6

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Luke 18:1

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint…”

It is work to maintain a prayer closet (Matthew 6:6) and pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It takes effort to follow the command of our Saviour to pray always and not faint (Luke 18:1).

Jesus’ lesson on prayer shows us that prayer requires work and is not for the lazy.

Luke 11:5–10

“And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

This friend Jesus speaks of came at midnight and received bread because he was persistent. The word importunityindicates that this man came with urgency and was not going to go away without bread. He put in the effort.

It takes work to ask, to seek, and to knock.

Jesus Christ put effort into His prayer during His earthly ministry.

Luke 5:16

“And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”

Mark 1:35

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

Luke 6:12

“And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus labored and agonized in prayer.

Luke 22:39–46

“And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”

A fruitful prayer life is not the work of a lazy man. It takes diligence, effort, and hard work.

There are two keys to overcoming the laziness of our flesh so that we might have a fruitful prayer life.

The first is fervency.

The word fervent is defined as hot, boiling, vehement, ardent, very warm, earnest, excited, animated, glowing—as fervent zeal, fervent piety.

We need to become passionate about prayer and see it as an absolute necessity in our lives.

The last half of James 5:16 tells us,

“…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestled with God all night in passionate, fervent prayer.

Genesis 32:24–28

“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”

Jacob was fervent. He knew he needed God’s blessing. He wrestled all night. He was not going to let go. He ignored the cry of his flesh to let go when his hip was put out of joint.

The need for God’s blessing was greater to Jacob than the excuses his flesh offered to stop.

When we become passionate about prayer and see that our need for God is greater than our excuses not to pray, we will overcome our laziness.

How often have we quit praying because we were tired or uncomfortable?

Our prayer life will be fruitful when we stop worrying about how tired or uncomfortable we are and focus on our need for God.

We see the need for fervency to overcome excuses again illustrated in Matthew 15.

Matthew 15:21–28

“Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”

This woman of Canaan received an answer to prayer because of her fervency.

She had every excuse to quit asking.

Jesus ignored her at first. The disciples wanted her sent away. Jesus told her that He was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel, and He referred to her as a dog.

Yet she humbled herself, worshiped, and asked for the crumbs that fell from the Master’s table.

She was fervent.

She had a need and understood that Jesus was the only one who could meet that need.

How often have we given up in prayer because God was silent or we didn’t immediately receive the answer we wanted?

Where is our fervency?

Another key to overcoming laziness in prayer is to be specific when asking.

Jacob prayed specifically for God's blessing upon his meeting with Esau, and the Canaanite woman prayed for her daughter to be healed of a devil. Both of these specific prayers were answered.

Generic prayers are lazy prayers.

They don’t build faith or fervency. They are thrown up casually, and no specific answer is ever seen.

Nothing will build your prayer life like a particular answer to prayer.

Seeing answered prayer builds faith, intensifies fervency, and encourages us to continue to pray.

Consider the very specific prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1, and read 1 Samuel 2 to see how her faith and fervency grew.

1 Samuel 1:11

“And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”

1 Samuel 2:1–2

“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”

To have a fruitful prayer life, one cannot be lazy. One must put the work in.

Get fervent and passionate about prayer. Your need for God is greater than any excuse not to pray.

Be specific in your prayers.

Answers to prayer build faith and intensify fervency.

Never forget that prayer is worth the effort.

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Christian Walk

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Wisdom from the Word

Dr. Paul Chappell

Focus

Dr. Paul Chappell

Five Hundred Years Later: William Tyndale and the Power of God’s Word

Dr. Paul Chappell — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:38:43 +0000

Five Hundred Years Later: William Tyndale and the Power of God’s Word Dr. Paul Chappell Thu, 03/12/2026 - 13:38

Five hundred years ago this spring, printed copies of the first English New Testament translated from Greek reached English soil. Hidden in sacks of flour, bales of cloth, and barrels of oil, they passed quietly up the River Thames. Carried ashore by faithful merchants and Lollard believers, they soon flooded London.

It was 1526, and England would never be the same. What arrived on those ships was more than ink on paper. It was the powerful Word of God.

The story traces back to one man—courageous, brilliant, and unshakably convinced that the Bible should speak in the language of the people.

William Tyndale was born in Gloucestershire around 1494. Educated at Oxford and Cambridge, Tyndale mastered Greek and became fluent in eight languages—so fluent that John Foxe wrote, “Whichever he spake, you would suppose it his native language.”

Through reading the Greek New Testament, Tyndale discovered and believed the simple gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. As he studied Scripture, he became convinced that the spiritual darkness of England could only be lifted by giving people the Bible in their own tongue.

In sixteenth-century England, ordinary people had almost no access to Scripture. The Catholic Church held copies of the Bible in Latin, but translating it into English was forbidden by law.

When a clergyman argued that it would be better to go without God’s Word than to oppose the Pope, Tyndale famously replied, “I defy the Pope and all his laws. If God spare my life, ere many years, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scripture than thou dost.”

Refused permission to translate, Tyndale fled England in 1524 and began his work in exile. Two years later, his completed New Testament was printed in Worms, Germany, and secretly shipped to England.

Church authorities responded with fury, burning copies of the book and hunting its translator. But God’s Word is not easily silenced. As Isaiah 55:11 promises, “It shall not return unto me void.” The Bible spread quickly, fueling revival and reformation across England.

Tyndale was eventually captured through betrayal, imprisoned near Brussels, and executed in 1536—only ten years after his work first reached England. During that decade, he persevered in translation. He revised his New Testament twice, translated the Pentateuch and other portions of the Old Testament, and wrote significant works defending the authority of Scripture and salvation by grace. Even under threat of death, he would not cease his labor.

As Tyndale stood at the stake, he prayed aloud, “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.” This prayer was soon answered. Within a year, an English Bible was authorized for public reading, drawn largely from his work.

Five centuries later, the Word Tyndale gave his life to translate is still at work.

Tyndale invested—and ultimately gave—his life for one of the greatest needs of humanity: access to the living, powerful Word of God. He understood what many in his day did not—that Scripture is essential to the Christian life and the local church. It is the very instrument through which God saves sinners, comforts sufferers, and equips His church.

Today, you and I have access to Scripture because of Tyndale’s sacrifice. But perhaps we forget just how powerful Scripture is. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful….” Indeed, God’s Word is powerful. And when it was unleashed across Europe, it changed the course of history.

The Word of God Is Powerful to Save

A sometimes overlooked fact is that the spread of the gospel during the Protestant Reformation (1517–1648) advanced alongside the translation of Scripture. Consider the timing. Erasmus published the first printed Greek New Testament in 1516. Soon after, these translations followed:

1522 – German New Testament
1525 – Zurich (Swiss) New Testament
1526 – English New Testament
1526 – Dutch New Testament (translated largely from German)
1535 – French Bible (New Testament from Greek, Old Testament from Hebrew)

As the Bible became accessible in German, English, French, and other languages, the gospel became accessible as well.

In almost every testimony of the men who became Anabaptist leaders or Reformers, we find the same story: a priest or scholar, steeped in the traditions of the state church, came into contact with Scripture—whether in Greek or in his native language—read it carefully, and discovered the simple truth of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. Having trusted Christ as Savior, he began to teach and preach the Word. For this he was persecuted. Yet the gospel itself, carried on the powerful words of Scripture, continued to spread.

As we share the gospel today, we should remember that the Holy Spirit works through His Word to convict hearts and reveal the need for a Savior.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

The Word of God Is Powerful to Comfort

Who can measure what it has meant for suffering believers across the millennia to hold Scripture in their hands and read its promises?

We can picture Tyndale himself—cold, hungry, and always knowing he was one step away from arrest and death—translating the Bible by candlelight. Imagine what it meant to him to steep his mind in the words of these passages as he translated them:

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).

The same Word that comforted persecuted saints then still steadies grieving, anxious, heavy hearts today.

The Word of God Is Powerful to Equip

When Scripture spreads, churches grow strong.

From the Waldensians to the Lollards to the Anabaptists, effective ministry followed the availability of God’s Word. The preaching of Scripture trained evangelists, formed disciples, and established churches.

Without the Word of God, we cannot equip believers or disciple the next generation.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God…that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

The Power of the Word Endures

Today, five hundred years later, we celebrate the courageous faith and dedicated labor of William Tyndale. But even more, we praise God for His amazing, powerful, and preserved Word that still saves, still comforts, and still equips His church.

“Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it….Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments” (Psalm 119:140, 164).

May we give ourselves to read it, study it, preach it, and share it—especially with those around the world who have not yet heard the gospel or who do not have Scripture in their language.

The same Word that changed Europe five centuries ago is still changing hearts today.

As part of this year’s Spiritual Leadership Conference September 27–30 and in partnership with Dave Smith and the Museum of the Book in London, we are honored to present a special historic Scripture display with dozens of incredible rare prints of Scripture. Included in this collection is an original 1526 Tyndale New Testament. For more information on this exhibit as well as the conference, visit slconference.com.

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Christian Walk

Ministry Resources

Focus

Dr. Paul Chappell

Wisdom from the Word

Dr. Paul Chappell

Secular Therapy Culture vs. Biblical Christianity

John Anderson — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 20:27:05 +0000

Secular Therapy Culture vs. Biblical Christianity John Anderson Thu, 03/05/2026 - 12:27

Reclaiming Dependency on Christ and His Word

The Rise of a New Religion

Therapy culture has quietly become a replacement religion within many churches; not by denying Christ outright, but by subtly redefining what salvation, healing, and transformation mean. In this new liturgy, the highest good is not holiness but emotional safety; the greatest sin is not rebellion against God but discomfort or offense; and the ultimate authority is not Scripture but personal experience.

In The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Carl Trueman observes that modern Western culture has shifted from moral formation to psychological affirmation, where identity is grounded not in divine revelation but in inner feelings. As a result, sermons increasingly sound like therapy sessions, discipleship feels like group counseling, and repentance has been replaced by recovery language. The cross is still mentioned, but more as a symbol of empathy than an instrument of atonement. Like the medieval church selling indulgences, the modern church now offers coping mechanisms instead of calling people to die to self.

The evidence is not theoretical; it is visible every Sunday. Congregants speak fluently about “triggers,” “boundaries,” and “trauma responses,” yet struggle to articulate repentance, mortification of sin, or obedience. Churches now defer the slightest spiritual problems to licensed professionals while sidelining the sufficiency of Scripture, despite Paul’s declaration that Scripture equips the man of God “throughly…unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Philip Rieff warned decades ago, in The Triumph of the Therapeutic, that when therapeutic categories replace moral ones, religion becomes a servant of self rather than a call to surrender.

The illustration is striking: many believers will faithfully attend counseling for years but resist biblical confrontation for fear it might harm their mental health. In practice, secular therapy culture offers absolution without repentance, comfort without change, and healing without a Savior, proving that what we are witnessing is not merely a tool used by the church, but a rival faith reshaping it from within.

Let me be clear: this is not an attack on biblical counseling, Christian counseling, or discipleship that wisely helps people process pain, suffering, and trauma through the lens of Scripture. God has gifted the church with pastors, counselors, and mature believers who come alongside others with compassion and truth.

This is a warning, however, against a secular therapy culture that functions as a rival worldview. One that refuses to acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ, minimizes the reality of sin, and denies the sufficiency of God’s Word to transform lives. When any system explains the human condition without reference to Christ, or seeks healing apart from repentance and obedience, it does not supplement biblical faith; it competes with it.

Five Ways Secular Therapy Culture Is Replacing Biblical Christianity

I. Therapy Culture Has Replaced Sin with Suffering

Therapy culture identifies nearly all problems as trauma, wounds, or emotional injury, and moral rebellion has all but disappeared. Of course, trauma, wounds, and emotional injury are legitimate; however, so is sin. Therapy has replaced almost all sin with victimhood and “what has been done” to the victim. People don't sin; they suffer. They’re not sinners, they’re victims.

But Scripture views humanity differently, declaring “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Biblical Christianity acknowledges suffering but establishes sin as man’s greatest problem.

When sin is redefined as suffering, sinners become patients, not penitents, and the cross becomes unnecessary.

Leadership Application:

Preach sin clearly and compassionately
Call people to repentance, not merely resilience
Resist the temptation to "therapize" disobedience

II. Therapy Culture Has Replaced Responsibility with Diagnosis

Biblical anthropology says mankind is responsible before God.

Therapy culture says mankind is conditioned by environment and therefore not accountable. Anger is described as “a dysregulated nervous system,” lust as “attachment insecurity,” and laziness as “executive dysfunction.” But Scripture confronts personal responsibility head on and says, “Every man shall bear his own burden.” (Galatians 6:5)

Diagnosis may explain behavior, but it cannot excuse it. Christ heals people who take responsibility, not hide behind labels.

Leadership Application:

Help people acknowledge sin rather than rename it
Equip people to fight the flesh, not justify it
Teach that self-control is the fruit of the Spirit, not a coping strategy (Gal. 5:23)

III. Therapy Culture Has Replaced God’s Word with Personal Experience

In therapy culture, self is the ultimate truth and validation of all reality, and we hear phrases like “my truth,” “my story,” and “my journey.”

The therapist’s job is to help you discover and validate your inner narrative.

But Scripture teaches us to “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) and that “The heart is deceitful above all things.” (Jeremiah 17:9)

When feelings become authoritative, truth becomes negotiable; and when truth becomes negotiable, holiness becomes impossible.

Leadership Application:

Teach believers to trust God’s Word over their wounds
Disciple people to submit feelings to Scripture, not Scripture to feelings
Normalize spiritual disciplines over emotional venting

IV. Therapy Culture Has Replaced Transformation with Coping

Therapy culture focuses on management, not transformation. Its goal is to manage anxiety, trauma, and triggers. But the gospel aims much higher. It says, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Coping may help you survive, but Christ came to make you new. Modern culture teaches that people are fragile. Christ teaches that His people are free!

Leadership Application:

Preach transformation, not tolerance of dysfunction
Call people to spiritual maturity, not perpetual fragility
Teach that victory comes from the Spirit, not techniques

V. Therapy Culture Has Replaced Christ with Self

Therapy culture places the entire burden of healing on you. It tells you that you must find wholeness, create meaning, rewrite your narrative, and heal your inner child.

But Scripture proclaims a different gospel and declares we must be “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Therapy culture tells people to save themselves; Christianity declares they can’t. The cross is a humiliating message: "You are not enough. But Christ is."

Leadership Application:

Point people away from self-focus to Christ-focus
Teach dependency, not self-discovery
Replace self-esteem with gospel identity

Leadership Considerations for the Church

Leadership considerations for the church begin with this truth. Therapy and psychology are not the enemy. Worldview is! Helpful tools can be valuable, but they must never become a replacement theology.

The church must resist outsourcing discipleship to therapists, because the body of Christ is commanded to counsel one another according to Romans 15:14. Leaders must preach a gospel that is big enough to confront both sin and sorrow, neither minimizing suffering nor excusing sin. They must form people who are resilient, holy, and hopeful, not fragile, excused, and self absorbed.

Therapy culture has replaced repentance with recovery and holiness with healing. The gospel does not coddle self. It crucifies it! Jesus does not help you cope with the old life. He gives you a brand new one. Therapy culture promises healing without holiness, peace without repentance, identity without surrender, and freedom without obedience.

But Scripture offers this. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

The church must not trade the transforming power of Christ for the therapeutic gospel of self-care. Christ is not a coping mechanism; He is King.

Leadership Challenge

As leaders, we must boldly and graciously call people to repent rather than rebrand sin, to believe rather than self validate, to submit rather than self create, and to trust Christ rather than treat self. This is the path of true discipleship and the only way hearts are transformed by the power of the gospel.

The church must decide where authority truly resides. Not in cultural trends, not in therapeutic language, not in personal narratives, and not in professional credentials alone, but in the unchanging Word of the living God.

When Scripture is sidelined, Christ is softened; when Christ is softened, sin is excused; and when sin is excused, transformation is replaced with management.

The church was never commissioned to help people cope with life apart from Christ, but to proclaim a gospel that crucifies the flesh and raises new life through the power of the Spirit. Any system, no matter how compassionate it sounds, that refuses the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the sufficiency of His Word must be lovingly but firmly resisted.

This call must echo from the pulpit, where preaching is once again marked by biblical authority rather than emotional affirmation; from the home, where parents disciple children with Scripture instead of outsourcing formation to culture; and from the counselor’s office, where proper care points people not merely inward but upward, toward repentance, faith, obedience, and hope in Christ alone.

The Bible does not merely inform us; it transforms us. It does not simply soothe wounds; it sanctifies hearts. As long as the church believes that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable” (2 Timothy 3:16), it will never need to bow to a rival gospel of self-healing.

The answer to a wounded world is not less truth delivered gently; it is unchanging truth delivered lovingly, with Christ as Lord, Scripture as final authority, and the Holy Spirit as the true Counselor.

This article originally appeared on Pastor John Anderson’s blog, HelpingYourJoy.com.

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Ministry Resources

The Christian Counselor's Guidebook

Dr. Paul Chappell

Wisdom from the Word

Dr. Paul Chappell

God Is Able

Dr. Paul Chappell — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:23:59 +0000

God Is Able Dr. Paul Chappell Fri, 02/27/2026 - 16:23

When Terrie and I first drove through the Antelope Valley in early 1986, we were on vacation. A friend asked if I would preach a Sunday evening service while our family passed through, and I gladly agreed. After the service, he asked us to step outside for a moment while the church conducted a brief business meeting. When he joined us a few minutes later, he told me he had resigned and the congregation had just voted for me to be their pastor.

I was twenty-four. Twelve people had cast the vote. And I hadn’t even known I was candidating.

Initially, Terrie and I said we couldn’t come. We were happily serving on a church staff in Northern California. But God changed our hearts, and before we had even left town, He gave us a burden for this desert community and the small church who had asked for a shepherd.

In those early days, Terrie and I poured our hearts, energy, and meager savings into a struggling flock. But it was God who did the miraculous. We watched as He brought people to Himself, restored families, and transformed lives by His grace.

Looking back now, I can only marvel. The same God who called us then has proven Himself faithful at every turn. He has done far more than we ever dreamed.

There is only one explanation for what God has done here: God is able. He is able to take twelve people and a failing property and build a thriving church. He is able to bring fruit from desert places and strength from weakness. He is able to take small offerings, humble service, and persistent prayer and make them abound to His glory.

Through every need and every new beginning, God has proved what His Word declares: “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

God is able to work in your life too. He is able to renew what has grown weary, to enlarge what is limited, to strengthen what is fragile, to multiply what is small, and to sustain what we entrust to Him. The work of God has never depended on the ability of man; it has always depended on the sufficiency of His grace.

God Is Able to Renew Your Spirit

Every Christian who has served the Lord for any length of time knows what it feels like to grow weary in well-doing. Fatigue settles in quietly—spiritual fatigue, emotional fatigue, sometimes even physical fatigue. The heart that once burned bright for God can cool under the winds of opposition or the weight of routine.

But God specializes in renewal. The same power that raised Christ from the grave is able to breathe new strength into tired servants. Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers to know “the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:19–20).

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you.” That word abound means “to overflow.” His grace doesn’t trickle; it pours. When our strength is spent, His supply is full.

For an example of God’s ability to renew your spirit, consider the prophet Daniel. Daniel’s life in Babylon was marked by loss, hardship, and personal attacks. Yet Scripture says he had “an excellent spirit” (Daniel 5:12). His circumstances didn’t define his attitude; his God did.

The same renewing grace that sustained Daniel works today. God is able to renew your spirit with faith when you’re surrounded by fear, with humility when pride creeps in, and with joy when duty begins to feel heavy.

History is full of examples of believers whose renewed spirits changed everything around them. One of the early Anabaptist pastors, Michael Sattler, knew his ministry would likely end in martyrdom. When arrested for his faith, he prayed for his persecutors and reminded his congregation that God’s grace would be enough, even in death. As the flames rose, he lifted two fingers—the sign he had promised his church to show that God’s grace was sustaining him. What courage. What grace. What renewal.

That same renewing grace is available to every believer who feels pressed, forgotten, or discouraged. You may not face what Sattler faced, but you may face your own fires of disappointment or fatigue. God has not changed. His mercies “are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23). His Spirit still whispers hope where the world speaks despair.

When God’s grace renews your spirit, Christ will be magnified in and through your life.

God Is Able to Enlarge Your Vision

When God renews your spirit, He doesn’t do it merely to comfort you; He does it to expand your faith. Renewal always precedes vision. A refreshed heart begins to see possibilities that a weary heart could never imagine.

Biblical vision is not human ambition; it is spiritual sight. It’s the ability to see what God can do when His grace goes to work in impossible places. Proverbs 29:18 tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” The opposite is also true: where there is vision—rooted in God’s Word and led by His Spirit—people flourish.

Spiritual vision is viewing my life and ministry through the lens of God’s Word. It comes from reading in His Word what He has commanded us to do, seeing in His Word what He is able to do, and believing by faith what He desires to do through me. Thus, the implementation of vision is primarily an act of obedience to the Word of God.

For instance, as a pastor, I have shared with our church family a vision for our fortieth year of ministry. That vision includes audacious goals related to outreach, discipleship, missions, and more. Yet each of these goals is rooted in Christ’s Great Commission and fueled by His promises and power.

Indeed, God delights in giving His servants a fresh view of His power. Sometimes vision begins with a burden, a prayer, or a dream that seems far beyond reach. David looked across the valley and saw a giant. While others saw a fearful threat, David saw an opportunity for God’s glory. Nehemiah looked at the crumbled walls of Jerusalem and saw what could be rebuilt. Every great work of God begins with someone who dares to believe that God is able.

Vision, however, does not come without challenge. The moment you begin to see what God could do, the critics begin to speak. Eliab mocked David’s motives. Sanballat and Tobiah ridiculed Nehemiah’s efforts. Yet those who fix their eyes on God’s promises instead of man’s opposition find the courage to keep trusting that God is able.

Every generation needs fresh faith. Every local church needs renewed vision. Every Christian needs to look beyond what is and believe again in what God could do. We must have faith to believe, make time to pray, exercise courage to do, and anchor our hope in God to endure.

God Is Able to Strengthen Your Hands

When God enlarges your vision, He also equips your hands. His calling never comes without His enabling. Yes, every new opportunity brings its own set of challenges, but every challenge becomes an invitation to experience God’s strength in fresh ways.

In Scripture, we see this pattern often. When Nehemiah saw the broken walls of Jerusalem, he didn’t stop at vision; he picked up a trowel and invited others to join him. The people responded, “Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work” (Nehemiah 2:18). Their renewed vision gave way to renewed effort, and their effort was sustained by grace.

Serving God is not for the faint of heart. It takes endurance to build, courage to adjust, and faith to keep rowing together when the winds of adversity blow.

Forty years ago, on my first Sunday night as pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church, I stood before fewer than twenty people and preached a message titled “Striving Together” from Philippians 1:27: “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

As a young pastor, I longed for a church that would strive together to reach our community for Christ—to see people saved, added to the church, and growing as spiritual Christians who would love and labor alongside one another. At the time, I could never have imagined the incredible ways God would work through a church who did just that.

The Greek word translated “striving together” comes from the athletic term synathleō. It refers to rowing or contending side by side toward a shared goal.

There’s something powerful about believers pulling in rhythm. When one side rows ahead in pride or lags behind in discouragement, the whole boat veers off course. But when every heart beats to the rhythm of grace—when we serve humbly, give faithfully, and pray fervently—God strengthens the entire team.

Sometimes His strengthening grace takes the form of growth. He gives grace to grow spiritually when you feel stagnant, to grow relationally when unity is strained, and to grow in stewardship when faith is tested.

Other times His grace helps you adjust. When, like the early church in Acts 6, we find ourselves at capacity, we need to adjust our methods without compromising principle. You may be in a season that requires new rhythms, new partnerships, or new perseverance. Don’t retreat from the work. When your hands tremble, His hands hold you. When your strength fades, His grace abounds.

As we labor together in God’s vineyard, the goal is not comfort but faithfulness. We are not here to maintain; we are here to build. God is able to strengthen your hands to do what He has called you to do.

God Is Able to Multiply His Grace

The grace of God is never stagnant. It doesn’t stop with one generation, one ministry, or one life. When God strengthens your hands, it’s not only so you can build; it’s so you can invest in others. The same grace that renews and sustains us is meant to multiply through us.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:1–2). That’s the divine pattern of multiplication: grace received becomes grace extended.

Every Christian is both a recipient and a steward of grace. We’re not meant to hoard it; we’re meant to pass it on.

In ministry, this happens when we invest intentionally in people. Training others is not just about transferring knowledge; it’s about transferring a heart. It’s teaching truth and modeling faith. It’s helping others see the sufficiency of Christ in both victory and hardship.

Sometimes that work feels slow. But there is no success without succession. The healthiest ministries are not those that depend on one person’s strength but those that rest on God’s grace multiplied through many hands and hearts.

If God has placed someone in your life to mentor, encourage, or equip, remember that you are part of His multiplying work. You’re investing in what will outlast you.

God Is Able to Sustain Your Faith

The longer you serve the Lord, the more you realize that strength for the journey doesn’t come from within; it comes from above. The same God who renews, enlarges, strengthens, and multiplies His grace also sustains His people when the winds of adversity blow hardest.

Paul urged the Thessalonian believers, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). In every generation, the call remains the same: stand fast in truth and steadfast in grace.

To stand for truth in an unstable world takes courage, but to do it with grace takes maturity. It’s easy to grow sharp in conviction but cold in spirit. Yet the grace that strengthens our stand also softens our hearts.

Standing in truth has always required grace. The balance of conviction and compassion marks true spiritual stability. Jude 3 calls us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,” and Romans 14 reminds us to walk in love toward one another. We must hold our doctrine tightly while relating to our co-laborers in the gospel graciously.

True faith doesn’t waver with every cultural trend or theological debate. It endures because it rests on the unchanging character of God. He alone is faithful through every season of ministry, every moment of uncertainty, and every transition still to come.

Maybe you’re walking through a trial that has tested your endurance. Maybe you’re facing a future that feels uncertain. Remember, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Faith doesn’t survive because we hold tightly to God—it survives because He holds tightly to us.

God Is Still Able

Forty years ago, a handful of believers gathered in a desert town with little more than faith in their hearts and God’s Word in their hands. They didn’t see what was coming—the lives that would be changed, the families that would be restored, the students who would be trained, the missionaries who would be sent. But God saw it all.

Every answered prayer, every changed life, every milestone of ministry is living proof of one truth: God is able.

He has been able to renew our spirits when we were weary, to enlarge our vision when our sight was small, to strengthen our hands when the work was great, to multiply His grace through generations of faithful people, and to sustain our faith through every trial.

The same grace that carried us yesterday is the grace that will carry us tomorrow.

And He is able still.

There are more souls to reach, more children to teach, more cities and nations to touch with the gospel. There are new battles to fight and new leaders to train. There is another generation rising who must see in us the same confidence we found in Him—that God is able.

If these years have taught me anything, it is that God’s ability never diminishes with time. His grace is as boundless today as it was when we first believed.

Whatever season you’re walking through—whether you’re planting a new work, enduring a desert season, or simply trusting God to meet a personal need—His promise to you is the same: “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you.”

Look back with gratitude. Look around with grace. Look ahead with faith.

Our sufficiency is not in our wisdom, planning, or strength. It is in our God. The God who began the work is able to finish it. The God who met every need in the past will meet every need in the future.

So keep believing. Keep building. Keep standing. Because whatever comes next, God is able.

This article originally appeared in Issue 39 of the Baptist Voice. To read the full digital edition, click here:

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Dr. Paul Chappell

Wisdom from the Word

Dr. Paul Chappell

Five Biblical Steps to Navigating Marital Conflict

Dr. Paul Chappell — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:36:30 +0000

Five Biblical Steps to Navigating Marital Conflict Dr. Paul Chappell Fri, 02/20/2026 - 16:36

Terrie and I celebrated forty-five years of marriage this past December. For those who are married, it will not come as a surprise to learn that over four and a half decades, we have experienced our share of conflicts and disagreements.

Conflict is an inevitable part of any relationship of real depth, including marriage. Some couples assume that conflict should be avoided at all costs. The real issue, however, is not whether disagreements will arise, but how we respond when they do. The greatest danger comes when conflict is ignored, denied, or left unresolved.

Thankfully, God’s Word provides clear and practical instruction for handling conflict in a way that protects unity, strengthens trust, and honors Christ. When approached God’s way, conflict can become an opportunity for growth rather than a source of division.

When approached God’s way, conflict can become an opportunity for growth rather than a source of division. SHARE ON X

Here are five biblical steps to navigating marital conflict.

Step 1: Acknowledge the Conflict

One of the most common and destructive responses to conflict is denial—pretending that everything is fine when it is not. Ignoring conflict does not make it disappear. Rather, unresolved issues often resurface later in more harmful ways.

Scripture encourages us to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). This means addressing disagreements honestly, but with grace and humility. Avoiding difficult conversations may feel easier in the moment, but over time it often leads to bitterness and emotional distance.

Acknowledging conflict does not mean escalating it. Rather, it means being willing to admit that something is wrong and committing to address it instead of avoiding it. When both spouses are willing to face an issue with a loving spirit, space is created for understanding, repentance, reconciliation, and growth in the relationship.

Step 2: Seek God’s Wisdom

Before engaging in a difficult conversation, pause and seek the Lord. James 1:5 promises wisdom to those who ask God sincerely and humbly: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

When conflict arises, emotions can easily take control, and reacting too quickly often leads to words we later regret. Prayer slows us down. It allows God to search our hearts, expose pride, and align our responses with His will.

Seeking God’s wisdom reminds us that the goal is not to win an argument, but to glorify God through how we treat our spouse.

Step 3: Communicate with Grace

The way we speak during conflict has a significant impact on the outcome. Proverbs 15:1 teaches, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Harsh or accusatory words tend to inflame tension, while gentle and thoughtful responses can help de-escalate a situation.

A helpful guideline is to focus on the problem rather than attacking the person. Using “I” statements instead of placing blame can keep communication constructive. For example, saying, “I felt hurt when…” is often more effective than, “You always…,” because it expresses concern without putting your spouse on the defensive.

Effective communication also involves listening. Scripture reminds us, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). True communication requires a willingness to hear your spouse’s heart without interrupting or becoming defensive. When both spouses are committed to listening and responding with grace, they create space for resolving conflict rather than escalating it.

Step 4: Choose Forgiveness

Unforgiveness is one of the greatest threats to marital unity. Ephesians 4:32 calls us to “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” When forgiveness is withheld, bitterness takes root and intimacy suffers.

Forgiveness does not mean minimizing the hurt or pretending the offense never occurred. It is a deliberate decision to release the debt and refuse to hold it against your spouse. In doing so, you free both yourself and your marriage from the weight of resentment.

Forgiveness is not a feeling that comes naturally; it is a choice of obedience. Often, we must choose to forgive before our emotions have caught up. As forgiveness replaces bitterness, healing is allowed to begin.

God calls us to forgive because we ourselves have been forgiven. When we rely on His grace, forgiveness becomes a pathway to restoration rather than a barrier to closeness.

Step 5: Work toward Unity, Not Victory

In moments of conflict, it is tempting to focus on being right or proving a point. But marriage is not about winning arguments; it is about building unity. Genesis 2:24 describes God’s design for marriage: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” When spouses view each other as opponents, both lose.

Unity does not happen automatically. It requires humility and a willingness to prioritize the relationship over personal pride. Instead of seeing your spouse as the opposition, remind yourself that you are on the same team.

When husbands and wives remember that they are striving together—not against one another—conflict can become an opportunity for deeper understanding and stronger unity. Rather than asking, “How can I win this argument?” a better question is, “How can we move forward together in a way that honors the Lord and reflects His grace?”

From Conflict to Growth

Conflict is a normal part of married life, but it does not have to damage your relationship. When conflict is acknowledged, brought before the Lord, addressed with gracious communication, met with forgiveness, and guided toward unity, God can use it to strengthen your marriage.

The next time you face a disagreement, remember these five steps. By choosing to honor God in how you respond, you’ll strengthen your marriage and build a lasting foundation of love and trust.

This article was originally published on PaulChappell.com, where you can also access podcasts, subscribe to daily devotionals, and discover additional ministry resources.

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Are We There Yet?

Paul and Terrie Chappell

A Faith Full Marriage

Paul Chappell