Dr. Ligon Duncan shares how pastors can support and nurture women in the church. By applying Scripture to their lives, encouraging their study of God’s Word, and affirming their vital roles in the church and family, pastors help women grow in grace and strengthen the life of the congregation.
The following is a transcript of the video above.
How can pastors equip and encourage women in the church?
Godly, strong, spiritually mature, Scripture-filled women are a blessing to the congregation. And just as the pastor wants to equip the elders, just as the pastor wants to see men grow in grace in the congregation, every pastor wants to see our women grow in grace in the gospel. We can do that in a variety of ways. One of the things is in our public ministry we ought to regularly remind the women of God that we love them, we care about them, we understand the circumstances and challenges of their lives, and we’re applying the Word to their situation. We might think about that in our illustrations. Remember to illustrate the things that our sisters in Christ face in life. They may be single sisters in a season of life where they’re not a part of a nuclear family. They may be youngGodly, strong, spiritually mature, Scripture-filled women are a blessing to the congregation. And just as the pastor wants to equip the elders, just as the pastor wants to see men grow in grace in the congregation, every pastor wants to see our women grow in grace in the gospel. women, just married, learning what it is to be a wife or anticipating motherhood. They may already be a wife and a mother who have long served the Lord. They may be women in their elder years, and they’re facing the various challenges of growing old in Christ. Whatever their circumstances are, we want to remind them we’re thinking about them. We know they have challenges, just as their brothers in Christ do in the Christian life. And we’re applying the Word to them. Then we want to encourage our women in the study of the Word of God. In many of our churches, women are so faithful to attend weekly Bible studies together. We want to provide an opportunity for them to come together, fellowship in the Word, and grow in grace. We want to remind them of the vital role that they have in the church and in their families. Christian sisters have been a part of the ministry of God’s people since the very beginning. Jesus had godly women in the larger circle of his disciples. The apostles relied on godly women serving in their local congregations to minister to the saints. Many godly women have spoken into my life, encouraged me in my growth in grace, and grown me up in the gospel.
Think of how God gave Mary, a woman who knew Scripture, to be the mother of our Lord and Savior. I always think about when the angel comes to her and she starts singing praises to God. In answer to the angel’s message, she doesn’t just quote Hannah’s song from the Old Testament. She has allusions to all sorts of psalms and passages of Scripture. In her speech, God chose a woman who knew her Bible to be the mother of our Lord and Savior. Thank God for women who know their Bibles. Lois and Eunice, the grandmother and mother of Timothy, helped Timothy grow in Grace. We need godly women who know their Bibles to help the whole church of God.
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