This story goes back about 20 years. “Who is ‘untouchable’ in your ministry—who wouldn’t you give away?” I was speaking at a conference for church planters. Our church had planted 7 churches in its first nine years and the conferees were eager to find out how. The question came … More Who is Untouchable in Your Ministry?
Politics and Culture The Real Roots of American Rage Long but worthy article from THE ATLANTIC on both the power and the destructive nature of anger. “The untold story of how anger became the dominant emotion in our politics and personal lives—and what we can do about it.” How the Old Testament Kings Bear … More Inspiration and Information for the End of one Year and the Beginning of the Next
You probably have never heard of it before but this story about a Ukrainian baptist family in World War II should thrill your soul if you love Jesus. I suspect it also might start to make the rounds as a children’s sermon at Christmas time in churches that have them as a part of their … More Have You Heard About the Room UNDER the Manger?
Christmas day and the day after Christmas are two of my favorite days of the year. They are filled with memories of lazy days with my wife and children enjoying the celebration of the Savior and the gifts of love we give to one another following his model of giving himself for us. This year, … More Great Quotes From Bonhoeffer’s Advent Messages
It is one of my favorite Christmas hymns. A carol of joy, Hark the Herrald Angels Sing, was not always in the form or sound that we enjoy it today. The youtube version below has a driving bass beat and an additional chorus inserted. It comes from Paul Baloche’s Christmas album and it captures well … More Christmas, Let’s Sing!
I am reading a collection of Christmas Sermons by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and it is encouraging to see Bonhoeffer’s evangelistic heart unmediated by biographers and interpreters. The editor and translater is Edwin Robertson. In this sermon, Bonhoeffer’s text is Deuteronomy 32. He works off the promise to Israel to give them a land. But Moses is … More Bonhoeffer’s Christmas Sermon
Church, Discipleshp and Christian Living Seven Ways to Love Christians Who are Overweight This is such a needed post. We need to love one another better. Here’s help for one particular group. Why We Need to Bring Back Catechism We need to give serious consideration about reshaping a modern catachetical approach to Sunday … More Weekend Links are Back
Rereading Life Together for the 20th time. Always timely. This quotation is from the introduction. 1933, February Germany Bonhoeffer had just turned 27 years of age “In February Bonhoeffer delivered a lecture broadcast over the Berlin radio in which he flayed the German public for its hankering after a ‘leader’ who would inevitably become a … More When the “Leader” Becomes the “Misleader”
Melancholy with the artist Disclaimer: These weekend links, books and blog reviews do not mean that I agree with all of the content or perspective in any particular link. Their presence here means that I found them either thought provoking, interesting, persuasive, funny, useful, sad, informative, inspiring, and sometimes all of those things. I hope … More Learning to Think Outside of Our Tribes
I am currently taking our church leaders (we call them elders) through a study on the biblical concept of an elder’s roles and duties. This morning we met at 6:15 for prayer and study, working through the last pages of lesson 3 in the Biblical Eldership Mentor’s Guide by Alexander Strauch and Richard Swartley. It … More The Spontaneous Prayer: How We Learn to Pray
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