The Bible clearly speaks to the pain of this life and encourages us to be honest about it as well. This point is often lost on prosperity preachers and the “happy-clappy†approach to worship. At times, though, I see the error in the opposite direction- the idea that those who are serious about their faith [...]
Archive of entries posted on November 2009
God Deserving of Universal Praise
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!” (Psalm 100:1) “What the singers undertake has to do with the world, and should their horizon be at all foreshortened, the happening would immediately decay into something else. Against all practicality or human expectation of being heard, they summon mankind. … nor do they measure [...]
The Purpose of Preaching
One danger for preachers who understand the value of doctrine, is that we can lose touch with the practical focus of preaching. We do not want to be like many whose preaching is shallow and lacking in any biblical substance. This desire is correct, but it can then be easy to fall off the other [...]
Holy Ground Book Tour
As I mentioned previously, I am participating in a blog tour for the book, Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic, written by Chris Castaldo, one of the pastors at College Church in Wheaton, IL. Chris is well prepared to write such a book since he grew up Catholic but is now an [...]
The Church’s Esteem of the Psalter
I continue to enjoy greatly Rowland Prothero’s book, The Psalms In Human Life, where he the use of the psalms through the history of the church. Here are a couple of quotes: “From the treasure-house of the Psalter, whether in the ancient Latin version, or in vernacular prose, or in rough rhyme wedded to simple [...]
Praise Reorienting Life
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness!Come into his presence with singing!†( Psalm 100:1-2) “This doxology needs to be understood not only as a literary assertion of trustful simplicity (which it is) but also as an action which reorients life. When the community praises, it submits [...]
Hugging as Spiritual Warfare
Last week our denominational state paper ran an artilce of mine by this title. Here is the article: I am a hugger and come from a line of established huggers. My dad was open with his affection to me and the rest of my family. He was practically an official ‘hugger’ at our church, and [...]
Walking With Jesus as a Former Catholic
I am participating in a blog tour by Chris Castaldo author of the new book, Holy Ground: Walking With Jesus as a Former Catholic. At Chris’ site you can see the participants and dates for the tour. Two things drew me to this book right away. First, the fact that Chris serves on staff at [...]
Paul and Pastoral Love
Yesterday Lee Tankersley preached a great message on Galatians 4:12-20 and how the gospel develops a deep love between members of the church. Before the sermon ever began, I was gripped simply by the reading of this text, and the heart for the Galatians which Paul exhibits. It is so important in this, perhaps the [...]
For God’s Sake Deal with Sin
Today in chapel at Union we had a great message from Jonathan Newman, a great friend whom I have been privileged to know since our student days here at Union. Jonathan planted and pastors Koinos Christian Fellowship in Troy, OH. Jonathan challenged us with the necessity of dealing with conflict in the church lest we [...]
