What does God want from us? What does God want from his creation? What is God’s message that we are called to take into all the world? These questions continue to burn in my heart. We have made our little lists. We have focused on an institutional concept of the kingdom and missed the bigger picture. …
Category Archives: Bible
Preaching: What’s Wrong with This Picture?
When I was a kid, I liked the section of the comics that challenged the reader to identify the things that were wrong in a picture. I admit that sometimes I still glance at the children’s section of the comics to see how quickly I can find the problems in the picture. Keeps my mind …
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A Bible Problem
It really was not funny (at least not to the person involved), but several people in the Bible class were laughing. Jan and I were visiting another church, sitting near the back of the auditorium which was only sparsely populated. In the middle of the Bible class we began hearing someone speaking. At first I …
More People are Reading the Bible
The Bible is no longer only a book. The Bible is an ap. On Sunday, I carry my Bible–a hardback book. A friend frequently reminds me that he has hundreds of Bibles (versions) on his computer. He follows up with the observation that he cannot read many of them because they are in other languages. …
Kierkegaard: If I Do That….
I get a lot of emails—lots of people sending lots of things vying for my attention. Most are automatic deletes. The following brief excerpt from Soren Kierkegaard was sent under the title, “If I Do That….” Its source was listed as “Kill the Commentators,” in Provocations. Read, contemplate the nature of authentic discipleship, and ask …
Have Our Preachers Quit Reading?
In March, at a gathering that draws Christians from across the nation, I visited with the owner of a Christian bookstore. He is a good friend; I always ask how sales are going. His observation, “Our preachers have quit buying books. Look around you. Our preachers are not here. These are motivated members who love …
Losing Our Voice
Especially for a preacher, losing one’s voice is not a pleasant prospect nor a pleasant experience. In over 40 years of preaching, I have never completely lost my voice so that I could not talk/preach at all. I have, however, experienced voice problems. When I was ministering with the church in Plymouth, Michigan, we had …
Developing the Habit of Consistent Bible Study
Every day is a good day to develop good habits. Many Christians I talk to long for a way to develop better spiritual habits, especially related to systematic Bible study and regular prayer. For about eight years during my first years in ministry, I read the New Testament through each month. I developed a reading …
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Early Bird: A New Study Begins Today
I look forward to the fall, winter, and early spring months for several reasons–one of those reasons is that this is when the Early Bird Bible study class meets at the church. At the Main and Oklahoma congregation in McAlester, the Early Bird class meets every Wednesday at 5:00 P.M. from October to March. This allows those …
I’d Give Anything!
You have perhaps heard the story of the church member who in admiration of the visiting preacher’s knowledge of Scripture said, “I’d give anything to know the Bible like you do!” Emphasizing the point, the member gushed, “I’d give my life to know the Bible like you do!” To which the preacher replied, “That’s exactly …