Sunday Afternoon Musings Imagine a pastor whose congregation of wealthy members . . . refuse to come to church refuse to let anyone else sit in their pews remove chairs that are placed in the aisle so that standing visitors have to remain standing burn the chairs that someone else paid for for the visitors … More Endurance: What Does it Take to Make You Quit?
Friday is for Thinking This week I was away speaking on The Art of Biblical Meditation at a retreat for the college ministry of a multi-congregation church from Chicago. Thursday was the last day of my three day seminar. It was a fun, challenging, and convicting time—not just for the students and leaders but for me. I was reminded of … More Scary Thoughts about Every Idle Word
Sitting here watching the second half of the Army-Navy game and saw someone comment on this post from 2013. In honor of the game and my Navy veteran Dad, here’s a lesson on church growth from a naval episode in World War II. Misinformation is Deadly to Your Church.
Friday is for Heart Songs I still remember my Latin professor at the University of Maryland saying, “No man can consider himself educated who has not read The Confessions of Augustine.” Great men like Augustine deserve to be read in every generation. But not everyone has the time or opportunity. That is one of the … More A Prayer before a Preacher
Tuesday is for Preaching Relevant Magazine, “State of the Union,” July/August 2014, p. 67. (An article on marriage in America) “Marriage and Millennials: 26% are currently married. 69% of those who aren’t married want to get married. 62% were raised by both parents.” Why this is alarming: The 69% figure is strikingly low. In the … More Latest Signs of a Dying Culture
Great Quotes Stolen from Other Sources I picked up the following quote from Chris Brauns and his website, A Brick in the Valley. In 480 B.C. the battle of Thermopylae was fought on the plains of Greece between the Greek forces and the invading Persians. It was a decisive battle, a battle that had to … More Is Preaching as Important as We Think?
I am a big G.K. Chesterton fan so when I ran across this provocative quote from G. K. Chesterton (Thanks to new blog follower Chantelle), I knew I had to pass it on: “What is the good of words if they aren’t important enough to quarrel over? Why do we choose one word more than … More “What is the Good of Words?”
Tuesday is for Preaching If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, … More Contending for Truth in a Truth Denying Culture
Tuesday is for Preaching I have never met a preacher who was satisfied with his work. Never. I have never preached a text that I felt adequate to the task. Every week there is a level of discontent with my efforts at explaining and living out the word that I preach. Every single message, every … More The Sweet Torture of Sunday Morning
Wednesday is for Prayer All around the country, pastors and church leaders are thinking through and preparing their Christmas season of messages as others are preparing for Thanksgiving. My message this week is on the birth announcement of the angel Gabriel to Zachariah that he and Elizabeth’s late-born, miracle child was going to figure prominently … More When Doubt is Sin: A Thanksgiving Eve Meditation
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