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March 29, 2019 by Jeff Jones
So churches need to try and test the character and maturity of their deacon nominees prior to their appointment by the elders, a process that requires time and familiarity. That’s the deacon’s examination....
March 22, 2019 by Jeff Jones
Biblical deacons, then, are to be examined by the assembly. That’s at the heart of the deacon’s nomination for office....
March 15, 2019 by Jeff Jones
Deacons, again, are to guard the unity of the church and the ministry of the elders from the demands of practical problems. Appreciating such problems requires the careful definition of each deacon’s role....
March 8, 2019 by Jeff Jones
There is only one qualification Paul mentions to Timothy that is not found in Acts 6, and it is that qualification we now turn to examine: the deacon’s purity....
February 28, 2019 by Jeff Jones
This combination of a practical, nuts-and-bolts focus and a separation from doctrinal and pastoral oversight ministry might tempt a church to overlook the piety and conviction of a candidate. That would be a grave mistake....
February 22, 2019 by Jeff Jones
The very fact that this responsibility requires dedicated attention should tell us that it may not come easily, and that not just anyone will be able to fulfill it. It’s no surprise, then, that the third qualification emphasized by the apostles in Acts 6 is wisdom......
February 15, 2019 by Jeff Jones
Having seen last week that the first qualification of a potential deacon is a solid reputation, we now turn to look at the second qualification found in Acts chapter 6: being “full of the Spirit.” Of all the qualifications, this one is perhaps most at risk of being misunderstood in the present day. What does “filled with the Spirit” mean?...
February 8, 2019 by Jeff Jones
Now that we’ve looked at the intent, mission, and objective of the New Testament deacon, it’s time to look at what kind of Christians fill this office. What are the qualifications of those called to be deacons?...
February 1, 2019 by Jeff Jones
We see in Acts 6 that even in the earliest church the temptation to be distracted from this ministry is strong. The apostles put it in blunt terms: “it is not right that we should give up the preaching of the Word of God to serve tables.”...
January 22, 2016 by Paul Toews | Category: Life Application | Tags: Discipline, Perseverance, Time
Having looked at various characteristics of the godly and having been exhorted to godliness, it is now time to turn to practical helps in godliness and the idea of perseverance. All this, again, is drawn from Thomas Watson in “The Godly Man’s Picture”....
Keep ReadingJanuary 15, 2016 by Paul Toews | Category: Life Application | Tags: Salvation, Fruit, Godly
Chapter 6 in Thomas Watson’s work, “The Godly Man’s Picture” is one of exhortation to godliness. He accomplishes this first by contrasting the godly and the ungodly. He starts by exhorting men to seriously weigh their misery while they remain in a state of ungodliness. Here Watson would have a person consider that the ungodly are in a state of death, that their...
Keep ReadingJanuary 8, 2016 by Paul Toews | Category: Life Application | Tags: Godliness, influence, Spiritual
Continuing with Thomas Watson on characteristics of the godly person from “The Godly Man’s Picture”...
Keep ReadingJanuary 1, 2016 by Paul Toews | Category: Life Application | Tags: Godliness, indulgence, Love, Relationships, Thanksgiving
This month we are continuing with Thomas Watson on characteristics of the godly person from “The Godly Man’s Picture”. This goes together with the earlier series I did in August, 2015. Thomas Watson’s words will be in italics as a means of identification....
Keep ReadingDecember 18, 2015 by Terry Stauffer | Category: The Gospel | Tags: Christmas, Evangelism, family
I haven’t heard any Calvary Grace people complaining about the culture war at Christmas. I do see complaints on various media sources from professing Christians that municipalities are banning Nativity displays and cashiers don’t say “Merry Christmas.” I think this is because we emphasize good, biblical theology at Calvary Grace and we know that the Gospel will be ...
Keep ReadingDecember 11, 2015 by Clint Humfrey | Category: Life Application | Tags: giving, offering, opportunity
Calgarians are anxious. As the oil boom comes to an end, there is a sense of stress and fear. People who have tried to buy their way to happiness are realizing the vanity of wealth and chasing after the wind. Others who have trusted in the security of a prosperous society are now disoriented and confused about what life is all about....
Keep ReadingNovember 27, 2015 by Clint Humfrey | Category: Life Application | Tags: Building, Prayer, Work
When the exiles returned from Babylon they rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah tells us that, “each laboured on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.” (4.17). They didn’t have the luxury of focusing entirely upon the building work, since they were in a hostile environment. But they couldn’t simply focus on fighting all of the time; they had...
Keep ReadingNovember 20, 2015 by Clint Humfrey | Tags: anniversary, birthday, ebook
If you have small children or elderly relatives you know that birthdays are a big deal. Birthdays mark out the early stages of life as well as milestones of a long life nearing the end. It seems that somewhere between years 30 and 60 we prefer that additional birthdays are forgotten! Nevertheless, we mark off our birthdays by keeping track of the years, like this one, 201...
Keep ReadingNovember 13, 2015 by Clint Humfrey | Category: Current Events | Tags: Church, Justice, paris
In the aftermath of the coordinated attacks in Paris murdering 150 image bearers of the living God, who were all somebody’s daughter or son, many wonder if the world is going mad....
Keep ReadingNovember 6, 2015 by Clint Humfrey | Category: The Gospel | Tags: Missions, outreach, partnership
Bolstered by your support, Calvary Grace has had new opportunities to encourage gospel ministry in Canada and overseas....
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