Miles Stanford

Posted on January 16, 2013 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

On the difference between a hireling and a shepherd

In John 10:12–13 Jesus is quoted as saying the following about the difference between a hired hand and a shepherd: “The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The […]

When your dream is beyond your reach

If your dream remains beyond your reach, it is not a surprise to God. If you feel that your talent is being wasted, take it to God in prayer to see how he wants to work in you through the frustration.

How do we define success?

How do we define success in ministry? How do we distinguish whether a ministry is on track? Is it even quantifiable? These are not rhetorical questions; I am hoping that you take the time to respond. Is success in Christian ministry quantifiable? Jesus gave us two commands and one mission. We are to love God […]

On those who have walked away

Honesty demands that we admit our struggles to work out our faith. Real faith is at times a gritty mess and we all face difficult times. My experience is that God remains faithful even when we are faithless, as Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 2:13. Feeling doubt and even expressing doubt does not automatically disqualify someone from being relationship with God.

A checklist for the church

In looking at all of these questions, I realize that there is a gap between my behavior and my belief. I believe in God’s love, I know that I am forgiven, I know that God is in control and I know that I have received and am to give grace. Yet, I do not always live according to that knowledge.

Division vs. Diversity in the Church

I’ve been thinking about my post of 5 days ago regarding division in the church and feel the need to clarify something. Unity in the church does not equate to uniformity. We should not all look the same inside the church because the people in the culture around us are not all the same. Within the bounds of correct belief and practice is the opportunity for diversity.