Author: Administrador

As you wind down from a long day complete with an evening meeting, you wonder as you sip on a beverage with your feet propped up, “Why did I ever think that going into the ministry was a good idea?” Then you are gently reminded by the Spirit of God that you went into the … Continue reading “The Muscular Christian: Working Out Regularly With The Word”

James 1:2-4   James addresses himself to half a dozen basic issues of the Christian life. He discusses the Christian and his battles (1:2-16), the Christian and his Bible (1:17-27), the Christian and his brethren (2:1-13), the Christian and his beliefs (2:14-26), the Christian and his behavior (3:1-4:12), the Christian and his boasting (4:13-5:6), and … Continue reading “The Testings Of The Christian Life”

Preaching’s Annual Survey Of The Year’s Best In Bibles And Bible Reference Works In a 2002 interview with Christianity Today, influential Bible translator Eugene Nida talked about a conversation he once had with a Japanese translation committee. Challenging the group to seek the greatest clarity in translating the biblical text, he was asked, “If we … Continue reading “Studying The Word…”

The September 2004 issue of Wired magazine points out that two recently-awarded patents were given to religious organizations. The Mormons have received patent no. 4,959,828 for a Cableless communication system, a wireless device that can translate multiple translations of a meeting to the headphones of audience members (similar to those worn by United Nations delegates). … Continue reading “Creative Worship Takes On A New Meaning”

Dan Kimball is a 43-year-old pastor who has helped launch a national conversation about the “emerging church.” For a number of years he led an alternative worship service (“Graceland”) for Santa Cruz Bible Church, and since February has been pastor of a newly-created church that is seeking to offer new models for ministry to younger … Continue reading “Preaching In The Emerging Church: An Interview With Dan Kimball”

One evening after pulling into the parking lot of a local restaurant I saw a new set of reserved spaces. Close to the main entrance, next to the handicapped spaces were two additional specialized spaces. They were marked with a sign which read, “Parking For Takeout Orders Only!” Those spots set me to thinking. Shouldn’t … Continue reading “Preaching The Take-Out Sermon”

Maybe it shouldn’t have bothered me, but it did. It was only one passing comment in a book filled with challenging ideas, but it was the one statement that haunted the unswept corners of my mind. Alarmed at the modern megachurch’s flirtation with the process of secularization, Os Guinness referred to the comment of a … Continue reading “The Preacher As Holy Fool: Humor As Homiletical Heuristic”

“I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike.” Acts 26:22 All preachers struggle with it from time to time. While crafting a sermon, you recall a personal story that could be an effective illustration for some point. However, you wonder if using the … Continue reading “I Stand Here Testifying: Applying Paul’s Use Of Autobiography To Our Preaching”

What do soldiers talk about before battle? A moviemaker answers with the portrayal of a private who on the eve of D-day reminisces about his time at home: “Sometimes when my mother would come in to wake me up in the morning and tell me that she loved me, I would pretend that I was … Continue reading “The Future Of Expository Preaching – Parts 1 & 2”

Every year, we offer our list of the year’s 12 most impressive worship albums, calling attention to music we believe will most bless the church and draw hearts closer to God. Our annual list remains unranked (listed alphabetically by artist’s last name) to avoid implying that one form of worship is better than another. The … Continue reading “Favorite Worship Albums of 2005”