Bible | AGW MINISTRIES

A Bible Study for Men’s Accountability Partners

October 14, 2017April 3, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

A Bible Study for Men’s Accountability Partners

Men who are accountability partners with one another often start their relationship with good intentions. Most often they want to be accountability partners because of the lustful temptations that swirl around them on a daily bases. Having another Christian man who wants to obey God’s lessons in the Bible, who will ask you hard questions, who will pray with you, and who you know is fighting sexual temptation right alongside of you is truly a great advantage in the war against lust.

So why do accountability partners so often fail? Not to oversimplify the answer, but often times men’s accountability partners fail because this relationship is based on talking, emotional transparency, and difficult conversations. In other words, men’s accountability partnerships require men to do what does not come natural to them.

How to Listen to a Sermon

February 8, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

If you are a Christian, you probably have listened to a lot of sermons. For God has ordained that his message found in the Bible should be regularly and publicly communicated through preaching sermons.

It’s truly amazing when you think that even in an entertainment saturated culture such as the America, every Sunday masses of God’s people gather together to listen to a preacher give a sermon out of God’s word. From the moment of the churches birth in Acts 2, all the way up the present time, sermons have been God’s first choice in communicating (besides the Bible) to his people. If sermons are so important, every Christian should take the time to learn how to listen to a sermon.

Worldly Wisdom vs. Biblical Wisdom

January 22, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Every day life presents us with an unquantifiable amount of questions. Where you go for answers will make all the difference. Christians will always have to make the choice, will we seek worldly wisdom or biblical wisdom?

Part 3: How to Overcome Sexual Sin

January 11, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

How to Overcome Sexual Sin (Part 3)

If you choose to deny your disease, you will also ignore the Cure, Christ Jesus. Without a deep and sincere disgust for sexual sin, you will never overcome the lusts that plague you.

It’s crucial to notice that the first word in Psalm 51:3 is “For.” This word is like “because.” This means that that what was said in Psalm 51:1-2 is being said “because” of the truth found in Psalm 51:3.

David pleaded for mercy and love because of God’s loving and merciful nature. But he would never have done this action if he was not first convicted of his sin. Psalm 51:2 says, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” Why? Psalm 51:3 explains, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” If you don’t come to grips with how evil your sexual sin really is, you will never truly cry out to God for deliverance.

How to Resist Temptation (James 1:25)

December 18, 2015December 18, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.-James 1:25

It had been a very, very long Sunday. Setting up the church in our rented space for the morning service, navigating a few difficult personalities in the foyer, trying to make new people welcomed, trying to make sure no one goes into the children’s ministry whose not supposed to, trying to stay in a good spirit even though where I was stationed in the church there was no air conditioning and it was now a humid 90 degrees, and a whole host of other random tasks a pastor ends up doing on Sunday where beginning to take their toll. As I was driving into our night service, McDonald’s golden arches seemed to be shining a little brighter to my weary eyes.

How to Fight Against Satan

September 10, 2018December 14, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Satan is a liar (John 8:44), Satan is a deceiver (Revelation 12:9), and Satan is an accuser of Christians (Revelation 12:10). Satan is the Christian’s chief enemy, for we fight not against flesh and blood, but against Satan’s spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12). And we are to resist him (James 4:7), but how? How do we fight against Satan?

Not Knowing God’s Word is Like . . .

November 9, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and light for my path.”

What Does 1 Timothy 2:15 Mean? “women will be saved through childbearing”?

October 10, 2015October 10, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

But women will be saved through childbearing–if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.-1 Timothy 2:15

The meaning of 1 Timothy 2:15, particularly the phrase, “women will be saved through childbearing” is a notoriously difficult passage to interpret. Therefore this post is more technical and a bit longer, for as C.S. Lewis said about Christian reality, “So let us leave behind all these boys’ philosophies–these overly simple answers. The problem is not simple and the answer is not going to be simple either.”

3 Biblical Ways From Psalm 19 To Get Out Of A Spiritual Rut

September 12, 2016September 28, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

If you are stuck in a rut spiritually, Psalm 19 provides a blueprint for connecting with God. It provides the three staples every Christian should regularly engage in to stay spiritually awake.

There are many other devotional practices which can and should be done to connect with God, but Psalm 19 gives these specific three which will help us immensely in staying alive and sensitive in our relationship with God, protecting us from spiritual ruts.

Psalm 19 is broken into three sections. Psalm 19:1-6 explain how nature is God’s mouth piece. Psalm 19:7-11 describes how the word of God also speaks but actually instructs the human heart. Lastly, Psalm 19:12-14 is a personal prayer from the heart to God for holiness.

Bible Verses on Church Discipline

December 15, 2015September 28, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Below are Bible verses on church discipline. While “church discipline” usually only refers to “casting the immoral brother out,” this article takes a wider lens. Church discipline in its most broad sense includes all the acts in which church leaders employ to “discipline” their church.

By “discipline,” this does not only mean correct; in its most general meaning, “discipline” translates to “disciple.” This type of discipline includes instruction, encouragement, correction, and many other actions done for the benefit of those being led.

While these Bible verses primarily relate to church discipline, these leadership qualities can be used by any leader in any sphere of influence.

Not all leadership comes in the same package. Not all situations require the same actions. Therefore, leaders should show their love through different levels of discipline. So here are 9 levels of discipline supported in the Bible through which Christian leaders can love those they lead.