Author: Administrador

We now have the results of our annual Skillet vs. Apologetix contest—oops, we mean, our annual Readers’ Choice Awards. And the big winners are—surprise! Skillet and Apologetix! Again! With two of the most passionate and faithful fan clubs in Christian music, approximately one-third of our 1,838 reader votes came from Skillet and Apologetix fans. And … Continue reading “2006 Readers’ Choice Christian Music Awards”

“Discover a fresh new preaching series” read the outside of the envelope. It was an advertisement concerning a sermon series that I could purchase. It is not unusual for me to receive several such advertisements a month. Some promise inspiring messages that will save me – “the busy pastor” – large amounts of time that … Continue reading “Preaching Someone Else’s Sermons”

Psalm 117 Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us,And the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD! Psalm 117 is memorable as the shortest psalm in the Hebrew hymnbook, the shortest chapter in the Bible, and (someone has calculated) as the … Continue reading “Psalm 117”

A federal judge recently ruled that the US government is being discriminatory toward blind people by printing all currency with the same feel, size and shape. Although I am sensitive to the situation – my mother’s eyesight has deteriorated to the point where she is considered legally blind – at first blush it still seemed … Continue reading “New and Improved”

Another well-known preacher is overcome by moral failure and, as a result, some media pundits imply that all preachers are somehow muddied up and suspect. It’s a funny thing but when a President fell morally a few years ago, there was no suggestion that all presidents were somehow untrustworthy, but there it is. Like it … Continue reading “Saving Our Own Souls”

Preaching can seem a little one-sided, particularly when the listener disagrees with what the preacher is saying. In the early years of my ministry I decided that I would preach directly to an area of controversy in the life of the church. It wasn’t really a fair fight. I had the pulpit, which meant that … Continue reading “Preaching as Dialogue”

Preparing to preach from the prophets involves many of the same issues dealt with in other types of preaching. These are usually grouped around headings such as hermeneutical, exegetical, theological, and homiletical. Along with those issues, the task of preaching from the prophets has its own unique problems. The underlying question of my discussion is … Continue reading “Preaching from the Prophets”

In 1991, Rick Rusaw became Senior Minister of LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado – a church that was about to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Since then the worship attendance has grown from 700 to more than 3,000 weekly, and the commitment to church ministry teams and community involvement has seen the ranks of volunteers … Continue reading “Preaching and the Externally-Focused Church: An Interview with Rick Rusaw”

Probably every pastor or leader in ministry considers the need for continuing education an essential, not an option. But what is the best way to get it, and where? Above all, why?   Kim May, a pastor in Liberty, Missouri, considers his efforts at growth and learning as a pastor through various courses and helps … Continue reading “The Preacher as Lifelong Learner”

“We have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19)  Bible prophecy is not much in vogue among many preachers today. … Continue reading “Why Preach Biblical Prophecy?”