Category Archives: God’s Work

What Satan Did to Paul: Hindrance

Posted on March 12, 2018 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” series (post #15) Therefore we wanted to come to you — even I, Paul, time and time again — but Satan hindered us. (1 Thessalonians 2:18, N.K.J.V.) How many times has Satan blocked the progress … Continue reading →

Posted in Adversity, Disappointment, Faithfulness, God's Will, God's Work, Ministry, Perseverance, Personal, Problems, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Spiritual Warfare, The Devil | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What Satan Did to Peter: Sifting

Posted on March 7, 2018 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” series (post #11) And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.” (Luke 22:31, N.K.J.V.) The Jews of ancient Israel were well acquainted with sifting. … Continue reading →

Posted in Adversity, God's Sovereignty, God's Work, Influence, Ministry, Persecution, Personal, Problems, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Service, Spiritual Warfare, Suffering, The Devil, Trials | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Did Jesus Help the Eagles Win the Super Bowl?

Posted on February 8, 2018 by russellmckinney

The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots 41-33 in last Sunday’s Super Bowl. While that result was a bit of an upset, what stood out to me most about the game was the inordinate amount of “Jesus talk” the … Continue reading →

Posted in Adversity, Desires, Disappointment, Evangelism, God's Will, God's Work, Human Life, Perseverance, Personal, Problems, Prosperity, Sports, Suffering, The Holy Spirit, Trials, Trusting In God, Waiting | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Generation That Had to Die Off

Posted on February 1, 2018 by russellmckinney

I once heard a preacher’s thoughts regarding a troubled church. He said something to the effect, “There is a generation that is going to have to die off there before God can get in there and change things.” The preacher … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Attitude, Change, Church, Courage, Death, Faith, Fear, God's Guidance, God's Work, Leadership, Ministry, Personal, Worship, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Church Boss

Posted on January 30, 2018 by russellmckinney

The epistles of 2 John and 3 John paint a small corner of a larger picture of what life was like in the early church. Those two epistles speak of how itinerant teachers would travel around to different places and … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, God's Work, Headship, Humility, Leadership, Ministry, Pastors, Preaching, Service, Sunday School, Teaching, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What the Sabbath Teaches Us About the Days of Creation

Posted on January 13, 2018 by russellmckinney

“How Old Is the Earth?” series (post #3) Did you know that #4 of the famous 10 commandments tells us something about the age of the earth? Do you remember which commandment that is? It’s the one about keeping the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible Study, Creation, God's Work, Scripture, Series: "How Old is the Earth?", The Bible, The Old Testament Law, The Sabbath | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

An Interesting Question

Posted on January 3, 2018 by russellmckinney

I once ministered to an elderly man, a member of my church, who was dying from various health issues. During one of our visits, he asked me a question that no one had ever asked me. His question was, “If … Continue reading →

Posted in Backsliding, Belief, Doubt, Eternal Security, Evangelism, Faith, Forgiveness, God's Work, Grace, Ministry, Personal, Preaching, Salvation, Service, Sin, The Gospel, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Special Antenna

Posted on December 7, 2017 by russellmckinney

As a Christian, I sometimes get frustrated with people who just can’t seem to grasp spiritual issues. No matter how many Bible passages I cite, how many illustrations I use, or how eloquently I explain a subject, these folks simply … Continue reading →

Posted in Backsliding, Communication, Discernment, Discipleship, Evangelism, God's Guidance, God's Work, Personal, Salvation, The Holy Spirit, Truth, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Lesson Learned From a Poor Widow

Posted on November 28, 2017 by russellmckinney

Monetarily speaking, the greatest giver of all time was not a rich industrialist who made his billions and then contributed a portion of his wealth to philanthropic efforts. Instead, it was a poor widow who placed two small coins in … Continue reading →

Posted in Commitment, Discipleship, Doing Good, Dying To Self, Eternity, Faith, Faithfulness, Giving, God's Omniscience, God's Work, Heaven, Humility, Ministry, Money, Needs, Reward, Sacrifice, Sanctification, Service, Sowing and Reaping, Stewardship, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bigger Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Better

Posted on November 2, 2017 by russellmckinney

The idea that divine favor manifests itself by way of worldly success goes back a long way. History shows us two things about the races of antiquity. #1: They all worshiped some form of god or plurality of gods. #2: … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Deacons, Evangelism, God's Work, Greed, Ministry, Money, Persecution, Prosperity, The Sin Unto Death, Worship | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment