When God connects saints and sinners, it is often the saint he is moving. Philip. Ananias. Peter. Sometimes he connects the seeker. The Ethiopian. Saul. Cornelius. Sometimes the person who at least on the surface has no God-interest.
All tagged preaching
The Apostolic Preaching (Acts 1-7)
What can we learn in these chapters? On the one hand, that people today need to hear the simple truth of the gospel. On the other hand, the church of the 21st century must overcome the temptation to preach a message tailored to what the majority wants to hear or to what is “politically correct”—in spite of the consequences.
Addressing Charlie Kirk’s Death from the Pulpit
You may have a different opinion, but I believe that a lead minister would be wise to touch on tough topics, not as a preacher with a prophetic voice but as a pastor with a compassionate heart. Don’t ignore the obvious.
We Need Priests, Not Prophets
What if the work in front of us is not to inspire more individuals to be prophets? What if the task ahead of us is actually priestly work – to attend to the rituals, texts, and structures that gather and define the people of God?
Can Old News Be Good News?
Add this to the list of reasons preaching is such an impossible task. Can you tell the old, old story in a new way? Can you be both faithful and fresh? I think we must try.
Summit: Living Word
ACU is in its 116th year of Summit, and this spring’s edition focuses on the living word of God and the impact it has on our churches, our ministries, and our lives.
Rise to the Occasion or Fall Back on our Habits?
The truth remains: if you want to be successful at anything, including communication, you must develop successful habits.
Why Have You Stayed?
Ministry transition, even ministers leaving ministry, begs we ask honoring questions. A recent gathering of ministers revealed three questions worth exploring around the fellowship table.
How to Speak Christian Correctly
Only God can bring light out of darkness, and the church cannot limit God’s work to its own projects and priorities.
More of Paul on Light and Darkness
Paul is encouraging his hearers to enter into the realm of God even while they remain in this life.
Darkness in the Pauline Letters
Paul offers a binary view of life: light and darkness, day and night. But the young Christians must live as befits the light.
Grasping the Newness
We can retain the spirit of newness as we face off against burdens and pains, choosing a fresh perspective of hope and promise.
Preaching in the Dark Without Forgetting the Light
To take the language of light and darkness, we should remember that it is biblical. In the hands of the prophets and apostles, it is full of rich significance.
Too Many Prophets, Not Enough Pastors
The message of Jesus is prophetic enough as it is. Ministers must obviously retell that message in a faithful manner. That act of proclamation is prophetic enough on its own. Given the difficulty with hearing who Jesus was and was really about, the story doesn’t need much additional help beyond that.
Reflection Roundup: Unfriendly Homeostasis
Beware of the lure of calm waters. Not every minister must be a “whitewater adrenaline junkie,” but paths toward missional goals often contain obstacles ministries must leverage.
Reflection Roundup: Cultural Reflections
In order to imagine ourselves in difference-making positions, we all need models in place, models who look like we do and who don’t all look like each other.
Reflection Roundup: Painfully Simple
God desires to be found, to be known. Though God is not far from us, God doesn’t make God’s will difficult to discern; we do.
Reflection Roundup: All Is Prayer
Unity with God means moving through the world in constant communion: every bit of news, each conversation, every gaze met, offered up in prayer.
Honor to Whom Honor Is Due
Richard Blaisdell just retired after over 40 years of ministry. And we need more preachers like Richard. Here are four things preachers need to learn from his life and ministry.
Reflection Roundup: Trust Is the Antidote to Panic
God’s image is presented to the world through the people of God, who use all available resources to meet the needs of the world because that’s what God does for us.