Pastor, Keep A Close Watch On Your Life and Illustrations
The hearts of people are not won to Christ by our well-spun stories or images but the Spirit working through the very word of God.
Yep, I said it. I think too much emphasis is put on illustrations in how we train preachers and in too many actual sermons. You shouldn't trust your illustration to do what only God's word can. And that's where many of us often go wrong with illustrations. Here is more on that thought, and some other wrong ways preachers often use illustrations in their sermons:
What Remembering the Poor Really Means
In the Bible, to remember means something much more than bringing to mind a matter.
The sense given here is that remembering the poor is not an occasional activity but wrapped up in what it means to be a Christian. Clearly the Apostle Paul saw it this way, as the record of his ministry indicates an ongoing commitment to caring for the needy (see 1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8-9; 1 Tim. 5; Phil, for examples.). As I reflect on this commandment, it makes me thankful that I am involved in a church where I regularly observe this duty fulfilled in practical ways. Let me share a few of those with you by way of both encouragement and example.
How Do You Obey God When He Asks You To Do the Impossible?
In short, the “impossible” can only be accomplished by faith.
In all such instances, God calls his people to radical obedience. He calls us to trust Him. But do we? The issue isn’t just whether we obey. The issue is how we obey. Do we do the impossible thing God is calling us to do with hope and confidence that all things works for good? Or do we obey God with a sense of resignation and despair? Put differently, do we obey according to faith, or do we obey out of sheer duty?
If You’re Looking for Romance, It’s Probably Right in Front of You
Someday when I’m sitting in a rocking chair looking back over our life together, it won’t be the big trips or the diamond rings that I remember most
“Oh, dear married friends, what if we quit letting movies and the internet convince us that we need a rose petal-filled bubble bath or a weekend in Europe or a candle-lit dinner in some fancy restaurant? We don’t need those things to be happy in marriage.” A few days ago, we discussed romance on... Continue Reading
The Divided Church
There are undoubtedly many factors that cause quarrels and fights in the church, but each instance is likely to fall into one of four major categories
“While congregations are given the opportunity to vote on certain items within a local church, biblical ecclesiology is not democratic. Elders are called and appointed to make decisions for the spiritual good of the local church. But, in churches that are often riddled with discontentment and division, the prevailing notion is that everyone is called... Continue Reading
How Faith-Based Ministry to the Homeless May Shape Carson’s HUD
Influential new data looks at the role of religion in rehabilitation
With Dr. Ben Carson’s confirmation nearly at hand, a more “holistic” approach to investing in human capital, as Dr. Carson put it, should be on the horizon—and it should lead to greater cooperative efforts between HUD and these faith-based programs. A homeless man, woman, or child needs a bed, a roof, a meal—and typically... Continue Reading
Caring for Widows
Widows and their care figure prominently in the agenda that God has set for His church
While Christ was on the cross, He looked in the direction of His mother, who was an eyewitness to His passion, and He said to her, “Woman, behold your son!” He was not asking His mother to look at Him. Obviously, she already was looking at Him. Then, Jesus said to John, “Behold your mother!”... Continue Reading
Christianity Without An Adjective
We shape society when we remember who we are first and foremost
“A Christianity qualified by any adjective now feels restrictive. Many are turning anew to the Christ of Scripture, under whom our secondary identities are subsumed. He is not the god of ethnic nationalism or the god of the oppressed but the sovereign God of all nations, King over all.” We shape society when we... Continue Reading
The Shack — The Missing Art of Evangelical Discernment
In the shack, “Mack” meets the divine Trinity as “Papa,” an African-American woman; Jesus, a Jewish carpenter; and “Sarayu,” an Asian woman who is revealed to be the Holy Spirit
The most controversial aspects of The Shack‘s message have revolved around questions of universalism, universal redemption, and ultimate reconciliation. Jesus tells Mack: “Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don’t vote or are not part of any Sunday morning... Continue Reading
Does It Matter What Women Are Taught?
A review of Aimee Byrd’s latest book, No Little Women: Equipping All Women in the Household of God and a discernment exercise with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth's new book Adorned
In No Little Women, Aimee addresses the need for women to be taught both solid doctrine and how to be discerning. The book is geared towards two audiences: pastors/elders and Christian women, although anyone would benefit from reading it. Aimee wants pastors/elders to take an active role in teaching, equipping, and protecting women in the church. She asks, “[W]hat is your expectation for the women in your church? (271)” She also wants women to be competent allies and not “little women.”