Category Archives: God’s Work

Before Genesis 1:1

Posted on June 20, 2025 by russellmckinney

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:5, N.K.J.V.) Take your Bible and turn to its very first verse, Genesis 1:1. You’ll see that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Assurance of Salvation, Belief, Calvinism, Creation, Eternal Security, Eternity, Faith, God's Foreknowledge, God's Omniscience, God's Sovereignty, God's Work, Grace, Heaven, Inner Peace, Reward, Salvation, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Generation That Had to Die Off

Posted on May 12, 2025 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

Walking in the Midst of the Fire

Posted on May 9, 2025 by russellmckinney

And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three … Continue reading →

Posted in Adversity, Anger, Attitude, Commitment, Complaining, Courage, Depression, Disappointment, Doubt, Faith, Faithfulness, Fear, God's Chastening, God's Omnipresence, God's Guidance, God's Omniscience, God's Work, Human Life, Persecution, Perseverance, Problems, Restoration, Spiritual Warfare, Suffering, Trials, Trusting In God, Waiting, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Church Boss

Posted on May 7, 2025 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

An Interesting Question

Posted on May 2, 2025 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 April 23, 2025 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 , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Lesson Learned From a Poor Widow

Posted on April 10, 2025 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 April 7, 2025 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 , , , , | 2 Comments

Failed Lately?

Posted on March 31, 2025 by russellmckinney

When Tonya and I were raising our two sons, we didn’t want either of them to have any problems in life. We wanted them to enjoy perfect health. We wanted them to be the most popular kids at their schools. … Continue reading →

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Business, Character, Children, Disappointment, Divorce, Divorce & Remarriage, Encouragement, God's Work, Humility, Individuality, Ministry, Perseverance, Personal, Pride, Problems, Prosperity, Service, Trials | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When You Can’t See God Working

Posted on March 26, 2025 by russellmckinney

In his book Looking On the Heart, Dale Ralph Davis relays the story of a B-17 bombing run over a German city during World War II. As one plane approached the city, it was struck by Nazi anti-aircraft flak. The flak … Continue reading →

Posted in Adversity, Belief, Comfort, Depression, Disappointment, Doing Good, Doubt, Encouragement, Faith, Faithfulness, God's Love, God's Omnipresence, God's Timing, God's Provision, God's Will, God's Work, Grace, Impatience, Needs, Patience, Perseverance, Prayer Requests, Problems, Suffering, Trials, Trusting In God, Waiting, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment