Today’s title does not suggest that it is a novelty that I am thinking. I am thinking about novelty in religion. I have been rereading Jeremiah. How has novelty become desirable, even an asset, in religion? Judging from news reports from around the globe, it seems that the more unique and strange the “religious” event, …
Monthly Archives: December 2011
No bad sermons allowed!
I was tempted during my years of full-time preaching to post a small sign on the pulpit–visible to me but not to the congregation. The sign would have read: NO BAD SERMONS ALLOWED! Let me begin with a disclaimer. I have preached my share of bad sermons. In my early preaching efforts, there were possibly …
2012 Bible Reading Plan Available Online
I have posted (but not linked) the 2012 Daily Devotional and Bible Reading plan. This plan allows a person to work in each chapter of the New Testament during a year–either reading an excerpt which is included with the devotional thought, or the entire chapter. (Details of the plan appear at the top of the …
Do you know what you’re talking about?
The conversation was interesting–a retired entrepreneur turned preacher and missionary, a company executive, a couple of business professionals who serve as mission committee members, and yours truly. The discussion topics ranged broadly, but generally came back to our shared faith concerns as Christians–ministry and missions. The statement caught me off guard, “You can tell when …
2012–God is good!
The weekend filled with the expected and with the unexpected. The expected was working on 2012 mission scheduling–our ministry and mission calendar now has slightly over 120 days of training seminars and workshops. Add some travel days, and it is clear that God is providing opportunities to participate in the advance of his kingdom and …
2012 Missions and Ministry
This weekend will be devoted to working on additional scheduling for my missions itinerary for the upcoming year. I currently have nine Latin American mission visits confirmed for 2012. My goal is to spend about half of the year in Latin American mission activities devoted to leadership development, teacher development, and strengthening Christian families. The …
Are We Serious?–Members
[The first paragraph below is an introduction to this brief blog series–reprinted from the first entry in the series.] In a recent conversation with a brother in Christ, our discussion turned to the challenges facing the contemporary church. As in other conversations over the last few years, the topic soon turned to a single question: …
Are We Serious?–Ministers
[The first paragraph below is an introduction to this brief blog series–reprinted from the first entry in the series.] In a recent conversation with a brother in Christ, our discussion turned to the challenges facing the contemporary church. As in other conversations over the last few years, the topic soon turned to a single question: …
Are We Serious?–Church Leaders
In a recent conversation with a brother in Christ, our discussion turned to the challenges facing the contemporary church. As in other conversations over the last few years, the topic soon turned to a single question: Are our churches more and more filled with people who are “not very serious” about Christianity? This raises several …
2012 Bible Reading Plan
It is not to early to begin planning for your 2012 Bible reading plan. Will you read the entire Bible? Old Testament only? New Testament only? Is your goal to read the Bible through one time, or perhaps a smaller section like the New Testament multiple times? (During many years of ministry, I read the …