Live long and prosper
The Church World
Why Do We Fear The Gifts Of The Spirit?
Oct 27th
I think the short answer to that question is that we fear the supernatural. We fear having to confront the possibility that God actually does something. I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a church prayer meeting where people pray for someone who is sick or in the hospital, etc. We all pray…
Why Fear Speaking In Tongues?
Oct 20th
When you start talking about the gifts of the Spirit, many people start to freak out. And if they’re honest, it’s mostly because they are afraid of the gift of tongues. But why fear the gift of tongues? I know the standard reasons given, but for fun, I want to offer five reasons why you…
In Defense of Youth Ministry
Aug 9th
Many “Christian” parents do very little to disciple their children in the faith. It is a tragedy. One group thinks that the church has done a disservice to parents by developing youth ministries. In their opinion, youth ministry (as well as any age-related ministry) allows parents to shirk their responsibility as the primary spiritual leader…
When Idealism Gets In The Way Of Faith
Jul 23rd
Since I wrote my last blog post, the conclusion I came to in that post has stuck with me. I think I had a little epiphany when I wrote the last two paragraphs: I must strive to have enough faith in God to believe that He can work through all sorts of situations and people…
The Gospel (according to ______?)
Jun 7th
Over the past year, many of my posts in this blog have been devoted to the Gospel. The Gospel (as given to us by Scripture) is the foundation of our faith, according to Ephesians 2:20. The problem is, it is easy to trade the Gospel that is given to us by the apostles and prophets…
The Plight of Wanderers
Jun 2nd
“You’re either a leader or you’re a follower.” I don’t think that’s a true statement. I think it’s possible to be neither: that makes you a wanderer. Part of the frustration of leading others is trying to lead them, but they refuse to follow along. As a leader, you are always aware that you could…
It’s Not Hard To Be A Disciple, Part 3
May 14th
(If you haven’t already, read Part 1 and Part 2 first.) Jesus promises us abundant life and promises to be with us always, even unto the end of the age. It should not be hard at all to be a disciple of Jesus. Yet there is one group that Jesus says will find it very…
It’s Not Hard To Be A Disciple, Part 2
May 13th
(Read part 1 first, if you haven’t.) So I’m supposed to lose everything in this life in exchange for Jesus…are we saying that I must quit my job, sell my home, give away all my possessions in order to be a disciple of Jesus? Why wouldn’t you be willing to do so? Wouldn’t you rather…
It’s Not Hard To Be A Disciple
May 12th
I’ve been reflecting over the current sermon series I am preaching in our churches right now on discipleship. I think it is the most challenging series for our congregations that I’ve preached. I can “feel” it. What do I mean by this? Well, everyone knows that people go to church to be inspired–they have usually…
What Should A Pastor Consider “Work”?
May 6th
No, this isn’t a post debating Calvinism and Arminianism. It’s more practical than that. When Billy Graham was interviewed about what he’d do differently if he had to do it all over again, he said he would spend a whole lot more time praying and studying. And he’d spend a lot less time speaking, etc.…
