Sharing my story as a life-long learner of Christ
“He’s fun to listen to, but very hard to follow.” A friend and I were speaking about a preacher we had both listened to. It was a legitimate critique, I agreed. At the same time, I’m afraid it could be describing me too. For many preachers, public speaking comes naturally. They are gifted rhetoricians with …
Continue reading “4 Tips to Keep Great Illustrations From Ruining Your Sermon”
I am a supporter of church planting. I believe the Great Commission requires it. However, I’m of the opinion that church planters with the wrong motives should stop and re-evaluate. Don’t misunderstand, no church planter is perfect, and certainly all planters have some degree of selfsih motives they struggle with. But if the main impetus …
The local church is God’s chosen vessel for working in this world. Christ founded His church, died for His church, and now empowers His church. Other organizations and entities may come and go, but Christ has promised that His church will stand (Matthew 16:18). The church is a called-out community of baptized believers. There is …
I was reminded recently about the importance of leadership transitions in ministry. Many times a transition in leadership is performed based upon a prospective leader’s credentials, experience, and track record. While all three of these are helpful criteria to consider, there is something missing. The missing ingredient is consideration of the prospect’s philosophy and vision …
Read the following list of Scriptural commands and ask yourself, “How well can I obey this commandment in a crowded Sunday morning worship service?” Gal. 5:13 “serve one another” Gal. 6:2 “carry each others’ burdens” Col. 3:16 “teach and admonish one another” Jam. 5:16 “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other” …
This morning I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in Nicaragua with my friends, Tami and Oscar. Oscar directs the mission work of the Baptist Missionary Association for this beautiful Central American country. After our meal, we reminisced about experiences we have shared in the past through mission trips and other events. Our conversation went back to …
I’ve never stood in the midst of a large pasture-tending sheep (the kind that say “baa-baa”). However, I have served as a shepherd of a local church (the kind that say “amen,” “God bless,” and “what time is the pot-luck”). The Bible’s word-picture of the pastor or church leader as a shepherd is powerful. A …
A friend of mine tried desperately to make his son left-handed. His reasoning was simple: Left-handed pitchers are a treasured commodity in the baseball world. By training his son to be left-handed, he automatically would increase his odds of one day becoming a major league pitcher. As you can imagine, his efforts failed. No matter …
In the plant world, a “sucker” is vegetative growth that springs quickly from the root system. Bypassing the main trunk, suckers rob the entire plant of valuable minerals and nutrients. The worst part is that although suckers may bear leaves, they do not bear fruit. I wonder if Jesus had these suckers in mind when …
The office of pastor is to be respected and honored by the church. Yet, these recognized leaders of the church are still humans battling the flesh like everyone else. They are no -and cannot be expected- to be perfect. But what happens when a pastor abuses his power or treats the church in a harmful …
Continue reading “Should I Bring a Charge Against My Pastor?”
