John Wesley on Prayer Lesson 20

*Your Father Knows “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8 NASB In His words just before those above cited, our Lord had been advising against vain repetition. Repeating any words without meaning them is certainly vain repetition. Therefore, we should be extremely careful in all our prayers to mean what we

Labels

By Rev. Dr. J. Patrick Bowman We all have the tendency to attach labels to ourselves. We call ourselves certain things based on physical attributes, health issues, age, national heritage, marital status, profession, etc. Therefore I might call myself a slightly overweight, diabetic, mid-senior, Scandinavian, married minister. Now I will surely modify some of those

Like a Tree- Lesson 5: Pruning

By Rev. Dr. J. Patrick Bowman There are reasons why pruning is very beneficial to a tree’s health, fruitfulness, andlongevity. These reasons all have spiritual meaning for us as well. Let’s go through these considerations and make an application in our own lives. But before we look at trees, let’s look at what Jesus says

Like a Tree- Lesson 4: The Root System

By Rev. J. Patrick Bowman Most of us don’t consciously consider that when we look at a tree, we only see that which is visible above the ground. We are impressed with the great height of the tree. We are impressed with the mighty canopy that spreads out before us. We are impressed with the

Like a Tree- Lesson 3: Soil

By Rev. Dr. J. Patrick Bowman Along with light and water, healthy trees need good soil. Soil contains micronutrientsvital to tree health and helps to retain moisture so the roots can utilize it. A good tree planted in poor soil will struggle. In nature, the soil is called a planting medium. Soil, in our spiritual

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Part 2

By Rev. Dr. J. Patrick Bowman In verses 15-20, we see what had happened and what was happening. Woe for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, And it will come as destructionfrom the Almighty. (Joe 1:15 NASB) This verse is our first real clue that the judgment that came was not

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Part 1

By Rev. Dr. J. Patrick Bowman “OYEZ, OYEZ, OYEZ” is a cry originating long ago when a small village or larger city would appoint and pay men to act as town criers. Often, they would sound a bell with their cry, which means “Hear ye, Hear ye.” It would alert all hearers to be still,

The Greater Part of Responsibility

By Rev. Dr. J. Patrick Bowman According to the dictionary, responsibility is “the state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one’s power, control, or management.” That definition immediately brings two questions to my mind. The first is, “What exactly is being responsible, answerable, and accountable?” and the second is, “What

Exploring the Posture, Purpose, and Results of Church Ministry

By Rev. Dr. J. Patrick Bowman Exploring the posture, purpose, and results of church ministry must be centered around the One to whom the church belongs: Jesus Christ. It is only as we take a Christ-centered approach that we give heed to Jesus’ declaration in Mark 16:18 that He would build His church and the

Evangelical Fears and Concerns Regarding Spiritual Formation- Part 3

By Rev. Dr. J. Patrick Bowman Having touched on the fears and concerns of some in the Evangelical tradition regarding spiritual formation, we will now reconstruct spiritual formation in a manner useful for further thought. Working Definition of Christian Spiritual Formation The first task is producing a working definition of spiritual formation. To do this