Even the ancient pagan stories bear witness to the universal human longing to overcome death. In the Aeneid Aeneas begs for permission to visit the realm of the dead to consult his father. In response he is told by the prophetess: The gates of hell are open night and day; Smooth the descent, and easy …
I have often commented here on the importance of pastors being involved in the lives of their people. Here is a comment from a student paper in my pastoral ministry class affirming this truth. “My best memory of my pastor is not a great sermon that he preached, but the fact that he invited me …
In our age which idolizes youth we often miss the biblical teaching which esteems age and, as a result, miss the treasure that our older saints are. They are a great blessing to the church too often overlooked. Recently I had the opportunity to converse with an elderly lady from out of town. She has …
Ray Ortlund, always worth hearing, has a good word on “How to become a Sage.” Here is an excerpt: Principle: The further we advance in Christ, the more we marvel at his untapped riches. Corollary: The more we feel people need our opinions, the more obvious it is they don’t. Another corollary: The more we feel …
In my Pastoral Ministry class today B. J. Maxwell, pastor of Unity Baptist in Millington, TN, gave a lecture titled, “Strive to Be Ordinary.” It was an excellent exhortation to pursue faithful ministry to people rather than the trappings of success. I attempted to record it but was unsuccessful. The manuscript should be available soon, …
Justin Wainscott has a fascinating, provocative interview at his site with Dr. T. David Gordon, author of Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media Have Shaped the Messengers. The interview is about Gordon’s sequel, Why Johnny Can’t Sing Hymns: How Pop Culture Re-Wrote the Hymnal (to be published by P&R early this summer). Wainscott’s questions and …
I have had several requests for the PowerPoint slides with historical quotes on the place of oversight in pastoral ministry which I have used in an address here at Union and last month at the Midwest Regional Founders Conference. Almost all of those quotes have previously appeared on this site. However, the slides (in PowerPoint …
This past Sunday Lee Tankersely preached a good message on 1 Kings 3-11, Solomon’s rise & fall. Chapter 3 caught me afresh with implications for pastoral ministry. As Solomon came to the throne the Lord essentially granted him a wish. We know he asked for wisdom and this pleased the Lord so that the Lord …
I have previously commented here on the fact that we should come joyfully to the Lord’s table contrary to some practice and teaching we have received. Ray Ortlund recently posted this quote which nicely affirms this point as well. “We come as children to our Father’s table and to sit there with Jesus Christ, our …
Amazing Tales for Making Men Out of Boys, Neil Oliver (William Morrow, 2009), hb., 364 pp. Ages 7+ Last year I wrote a post on this book just after purchasing the volume. I quoted the back of the book (which is what induced me to buy the book) and wrote, “How can a book that …