Advancing the Cause

Send us Fan Mail In this insightful episode tailored for pastors and church leaders, we delve into the essential task of realigning your ministry with its foundational mission and purpose. Discover practical strategies to revitalize your church's vision, set clear goals, and chart a purposeful direction that resonates with your congregation. Richard Bargas, Executive Director of IFCA Internat...

Send us Fan Mail Richard Bargas concludes this four-part series on assisting struggling churches in regaining their footing. This episode offers guidance on capitalizing on chances to invite people to your church services and programs, as well as strategies for reaching your community for Christ. However, what about after your visitors arrive? Richard shares valuable insights on developing an effe...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Advancing the Cause, we dive into the vital practice of evaluating your church's facilities and programs from the perspective of a first-time visitor. Often, church leaders and members are so familiar with their surroundings that they overlook small details that can significantly impact newcomers' experiences. Join us as we explore the benefits of taki...

Send us Fan Mail  In Part 2 of Church SOS, we explore how churches can use the concept of a funnel to assess and refine their programs for greater impact. Just like a doctor’s diagnosis of a sick patient, statistical analysis can reveal strengths and highlight areas that need attention. By examining simple attendance numbers over time, church leaders can gain valuable insights into where their min...

Send us Fan Mail In “Church SOS,” Richard Bargas delves into the narratives of churches that have drifted from their foundational purposes, exploring how this shift has led to dwindling congregations and diminished impact. This episode uncovers the subtle signs of mission drift, the internal pressures that lead to misalignment, and the profound consequences of losing sight of the purposes that Chr...

Send us Fan Mail Dive into a compelling and eye-opening conversation as Dr. Richard Bargas and Paul Scharf, Church Ministries Representative for Friends of Israel, confront the alarming surge of antisemitism that is casting a shadow across the globe. In this thought-provoking episode, they unravel the roots of this age-old hatred, even seeping into unexpected places like American universities and...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season 3 of Advancing the Cause! In this episode, Richard Bargas shares several reasons why you might think that you don’t need to use illustrations to make your sermons and Bible studies more interesting—and how properly used illustrations not only help your listeners remember what you have taught but aid in understanding the concepts and doctrine you are trying to tea...

Send us Fan Mail In this final installment of the series, Richard Bargas wraps up his mini-series on Preaching the Old Testament like a Dispensationalist, with the last points on improving your preparation of Old Testament sermons and Bible lessons. Dealing practically with the text, Dr. Bargas helps guide you through any possible pitfalls as you develop a biblical sermon from the Old Testament. P...

Send us Fan Mail  In this second installment of this series, Richard Bargas moves from reasons to preach the Old Testament to sharing helpful hints to help you feel more comfortable and improve your preparation of Old Testament sermons and Bible lessons. Dealing practically with the text, Dr. Bargas helps guide you through any possible pitfalls as you develop a biblical sermon from the Old Testame...

Send us Fan Mail  Richard Bargas discusses 8 reasons why many pastors don’t preach from the Old Testament and 7 reasons why all pastors need to make the Old Testament a regular part of the diet of teaching for the church. Some of these reasons are particular to dispensationalists who are careful to distinguish between Israel and the Church. While carefully following a consistent Literal Grammatica...

Send us Fan Mail IFCA Executive Director Richard Bargas talks with his wife Wendy about the IFCA Women’s Fellowship and how IFCA exists not just for men, but to help our sisters in Christ as well. How does IFCA bless the women of the church? Through our annual convention on an international scale, but also within our local regional meetings, and within the local church. Touching on topics like how...

Send us Fan Mail Executive Director Richard Bargas explores the topic of Dr. Joel Tetreau’s latest book, Three Lines in the Evangelical Sand , which seeks to not only define the differences between fundamentalists and conservative evangelicals but to understand where there is unity and a basis for cooperation and appreciation. Coming from a fundamentalist upbringing and education, Dr. Tetreau spea...

Send us Fan Mail Drawing from the New Testament, IFCA Executive Director Richard Bargas explores the lives and example of married couple Aquila and Priscilla as a template for how a husband and wife can serve the Lord together in their local church and community. You don’t need to be a pastor, and you don’t even need to be in ministry to serve God right where you are. This short study will encoura...

Send us Fan Mail There are a lot of questions when it comes to our adult children and our responsibility toward them. Are we responsible for them at all once they are out of our home? Is the “age of accountability” a biblical idea? How should we handle their rebellion? What about if we find out that they are deep in sin, or worse, claim they have deconstructed? How can we help them in times of nee...

Send us Fan Mail Richard Bargas shares about the dangers of disqualification that can arise from the threats inherent in pastoral ministry. Addressing the need for being a faithful father and how our ministries are connected to our duties as parents of children in our home, Dr. Bargas points to the Scriptures for help. Practical and biblical, this episode will be a blessing and challenge. To liste...

Send us Fan Mail Richard Bargas discusses with Pastor Jesse Randolph the reasons why it is sometimes necessary for the church to become involved in controversy. They draw from two recent controversies, Reformed Dispensationalism and the Active Obedience of Christ, to talk about how ideas can infiltrate a church and influence people, and why some issues need to be addressed. Links: IFCA Internation...

Send us Fan Mail Richard Bargas shares about the dangers of disqualification that can arise from the threats inherent in pastoral ministry. Addressing the need for being a faithful husband and how this can be jeopardized as well as ways we must guard against failure to lead our homes are the major topics covered. Practical and biblical, this episode will be a blessing and challenge to you. Advanci...

Send us Fan Mail Being a biblicist used to mean that you took the Bible seriously, and held it in highest honor. Even with this simple definition, there are several scholars today that attach a negative connotation to biblicism. IFCA Executive Director Richard Bargas takes a critical look at Drs. Craig Carter and Matthew Barrett’s views on biblicism as well as their promotion of the “Great Traditi...

Send us Fan Mail Richard Bargas discusses with Pastor Gary Gilley of Southern View Chapel the idea that as Christians, we shouldn't have to choose between humility and speaking the truth. Instead, we should always speak the truth with love, patience, and humility. Listen in as we explore the relationship between humility and truth-telling from a biblical perspective, emphasizing the importanc...

Send us Fan Mail Richard Bargas and Dr. William Varner delve into the significance of the Apostolic Fathers, exploring their historical context, doctrinal contributions, and relevance for contemporary Christianity. As a biblical conservative, dispensationalist, and a scholar—not to mention a member of IFCA International, Dr. Varner encourages Christians to read the Apostolic Fathers for themselves...

Send us Fan Mail Tim Chally and Richard Bargas discuss the major impact that the doctrine of depravity has on biblical counseling and the Christian life. Speaking from his experience and training as a biblical counselor, Tim points to the power of the indwelling Spirit, the sufficiency of Scripture, and the gospel as the greatest hope that we have. IFCA International: www.ifca.org Advancing the Ca...

Send us Fan Mail Richard Bargas and Tim Dane discuss the history of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements and how they have become so influential in the evangelical church today. Dr. Dane discusses some of the passages that address the cessation of the spectacular gifts of the Spirit, including healing, tongues, and signs and wonders. Dr. Dane's Book and Blog:  https://frbible.org/dr-tim-...

Send us Fan Mail We are living during a time when the evangelical Christian church, in general, has downplayed theology so much that we are not seeing many churches denigrate anything outside of the basic gospel message. It has become fashionable in some circles to shorten church doctrinal statements to the point that they are only a few short sentences. Dispensational Premillennialism is one of t...

Send us Fan Mail Richard Bargas shares 7 important reasons why expository preaching is needed to help every Bible church maintain a healthy teaching ministry. Learn more about IFCA : IFCA.org  Support the show Advancing the Cause is a proud member and partner with Foundations Media: foundationsmedia.org Learn more about IFCA at www. IFCA.org

Send us Fan Mail How can you help guard your church against future doctrinal change? Is there a way that your church’s current doctrine can be guarded after your pastor moves on or is called home? Executive Director Richard Bargas shares how some churches that have had faithful IFCA pastors change their doctrine once their pastor moves on, and adopts Covenant Theology, charismatic theology, and mo...