Transforming Sermons

Note on email

2011-11-24T08:52:00.003-06:00

If you want to send me email to my transformingsermons account, please indicate in the subject line that you're sending a personal message to me and that your note is not spam. Otherwise, because of the volume of mail I'm getting, I may delete your message by mistake.

I don't know if I'll shutter this blog or not, but as I work through a one-year residency in clinical pastoral education, along with my regular preaching duties, I'm not finding much time either for this website or the email account associated with it.

Thanks again for visiting.

Value of the Greek NT

2011-08-25T17:09:00.001-05:00

BibleX has posted a good little quote on the value of the Greek NT in preaching.

Blind spot

2011-08-25T16:57:00.004-05:00

I haven't missed the irony, after resolving to focus on the cross, of posting a video from Everclear. I'm in the process of figuring out what to do with this weblog. If I'm never going to get back to regular blogging, then I want to shut it down--not be like the aging athlete who stays in the game a couple of seasons too long. What's holding me back are the words of an old friend who, in effect, recommended that I give myself a year and a half to mourn my dad's death before making any big decisions. That gives me a few more months before I decide either to pick up the pace or to close shop.

In the mean time I've been spending less time online flitting through hundreds of blog posts and more time relaxing and processing my thoughts. That's been a very helpful and therapeutic process, and I wonder if I shouldn't have been doing more of it all along. We'll see. In the mean time, thanks for visiting.

Sublimely Wonderful

2011-08-19T21:03:00.006-05:00

This is, I think, the first video I've embedded in nearly 4000 posts. I'm not all that crazy about the video itself, but the music and lyrics are, well, wonderful.

Telling the truth about deceit

2011-08-18T15:35:00.003-05:00

I've been wanting to post something here, but nothing has jumped out at me--till today. Jeff Weddle is blogging about deceit, and as he's wont to do, he's been hitting the ball hard lately. Consider, for example, this lead-off shot in Jeff's post on Deceit and Pride:

The main reason we are susceptible to deceit is because we are proud. Pride resists reality because reality is not very flattering.

God gives grace to the humble. This is true even though we believe the deceptive doctrine that there is nothing we do to get God’s grace. Humility is required to be saved because God’s message is humbling to humanity.

The conclusion of his post on The Main Point of Satan's Deceit is another frozen rope:

Many charge me with legalism and works righteousness when I point out these verses, “We’re saved by faith, not works!” Agreed, and faith hears and does what God says. Faith is first, action follows. If the action never follows there is no basis to claim faith.

This is simple, straightforward Bible teaching. Yet we live in an age where the traditions of men and deceptive visions rule our teaching rather than the eternally solid rock of God’s Word. No one knows the Bible. No one reads it.

If we did, we’d see how clear it was. Be not deceived, those who don’t hear God’s Word do not have faith. Oh, read the word, read the word, read the word.

Amen! Preach it, brother.

Back to the cross

2011-08-15T11:03:00.002-05:00

Well, I don't have much to say today other than to note that I don't want to leave a politically oriented post at the top of the page any longer. Through the years I've avoided blogging about politics. Except for taking part in the Terry Schiavo blogburst and linking to the occasional theological take on current events, I've tried to avoid issues that unnecessarily divide the church. I make a point of not posting anything just to be posting. But when I do, it expect it to be about the gospel. Thanks as always for visiting.

Unto Caesar and unto God

2011-08-02T15:28:00.004-05:00

Trite phrasing notwithstanding, Timothy Dalrymple frames the situation of U.S. government spending in a deeply Christian way: Whom would Jesus indebt?

It is immoral to ignore the needs of the least of these. But it’s also immoral to ’serve’ the poor in ways that only make more people poor, and trap them in poverty longer. And it’s immoral to amass a mountain of debt that we will pass on to later generations. I even believe it’s immoral to feed the government’s spending addiction. Since our political elites have demonstrated such remarkably poor stewardship over our common resources, it would be foolish and wrong to give them more resources to waste. What we need [are] political leaders committed to prudence and thrift, to wise and far-sighted stewardship, and to spurring a free and thriving economy that will encourage the poor and all Americans to seize their human dignity as creatures made in the image of God, to be fruitful and take initiative and express their talents and creativity.

Thanks to Instapundit for the link.

Nadab & Abihu

2011-07-30T15:24:00.002-05:00

You’ve probably heard the story from Leviticus 10 of Nadab and Abihu. They were two sons of Aaron killed by God for offering “strange fire” before the Lord. As the story is traditionally taught in Churches of Christ, Aaron’s sons fail to follow the pattern of worship given by the Lord, so Bam! God sends down his own fire and fries them in their place. And so it goes, we’re taught, for anyone who goes beyond what’s written.

Only problem is, we see in the very same chapter of Leviticus that God doesn’t always zap those who fail to follow the pattern. Aaron’s two remaining sons, along with their father, refuse to eat the offerings commanded by God. Aaron explains their reasons, and Moses, at least, is satisfied.

God must want us to consider, meditate on, and even speculate on the Scriptures. Otherwise he wouldn’t give us the kind of ambiguity we find in Leviticus 10. But problems flare up, of course, when we go beyond what’s written and teach our speculations as facts.

Copyright 2007, 2011, A. Milton Stanley

Commentary resource: TfD

2011-07-30T15:10:00.004-05:00

The name was enough to catch my attention: Torah from Dixie, a website offering commentary on weekly Torah readings from the Jewish community of Atlanta. As a goy, I've learned something from reading devout, non-Christian interpretations of the books of Moses. If you're interested in reading "scholarly comments with a properly deep-fried flavor," you can easily access articles through the site's archives.

581 million miles without him

2011-07-23T12:15:00.004-05:00

One year ago today my wife and I got up in the morning to find my father dead in his bed. He had lived a good, long life--almost 89 trips around the sun, most of them with his wife and boys nearby. For the past few years he had lived with my wife and boys as Alzheimer's tore through his mind and body. We were blessed that he never forgot who we were--even after he, quite literally, forgot how to swallow. One of the few blessings of that awful disease is that in his final months he forgot some of the pain of losing my mother, who died in 1999 after 57 trips around the sun as his wife.

In the past year the earth has traveled 581 million miles around the sun. That's 939 million kilometers. It's a distance I've traveled many times before, but never without my daddy.

Assurances that'll I'll see him in heaven one day, or reminders that our Heavenly Father is still going strong, simply don't do much for the pain. But praise God, indeed, that this world of rising and falling, of finding and losing, of learning and forgetting, and spinning around and around and around and around, is very surely not the whole story.

More goodies for preaching, teaching, and study

2011-07-21T15:07:00.003-05:00

Here's another site that's new to me: Working Preacher, featuring commentary on lectionary texts, primarily by OT and NT scholars. The site is maintained by Luther Seminary, and commentary tends to be from a mainline Protestant perspective.

If you do lectionary preaching, you'll want to check out their home page or lectionary calendar page. If you're looking for brief, often insightful commentary on particular biblical passages, you'll want to use the site's Bible Reference Index.

Enjoy.

Online treasure chest

2011-07-20T11:24:00.004-05:00

Since beginning in 2005, this weblog has been devoted to sharing links to the best online sources for preaching and Bible study. Yesterday I came across one that's jaw-droppingly rich: Ministry Matters, an online resource of United Methodist Publishing House in Nashville.

The site's library section contains a treasure chest of online commentaries including The Interpreter's Bible, New Interpreter's Bible, Abingdon OT & NT commentaries, Believer's Church Bible Commentary (one of my favorites), and Storyteller's Companion to the Bible.

If there's a catch, I haven't found it yet. I highly recommend the site.

You've heard it before . . .

2011-07-20T11:17:00.002-05:00

. . . but it's worth repeating: What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?

John 3:5 - Born of water & wind

2011-07-08T17:27:00.002-05:00

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." - John 3:5 (KJV)

If you've been studying the Bible for a while, you're probably familiar with the ambiguity of "water" in this verse (Does it mean amniotic fluid, baptism, spiritual cleansing, the Word of God, or some combination?). That's confusing enough, but there's at least as much ambiguity regarding what, in translation, seems very straightforward: "the Spirit."

First of all, in the original, Greek language of the New Testament, the word for spirit is pneuma. In addition to what we think of as "spirit," pneuma can also mean breath or a movement of air. The best example of this biblically less common use of pneuma occurs a mere three verses later, when Jesus says, "the wind [pneuma] bloweth where it listeth." The KJV is usually helpful in italicizing words added to the English translation but not present in the original manuscripts. That's what they did, for example, with of in John 3:5. Yet in this same verse, the KJV and most other English translations insert another word: the, right before "Spirit."

And why does any of this matter? It matters because most English translations (the NET Bible & LEB among the few exceptions) obscure the intense ambiguity in Jesus' use of pneuma in John 3:5. If pneuma can mean wind, and there was no "the" in front of it, then Jesus, in effect, told Nicodemus, "unless someone is born of water and wind, he can't enter the Kingdom of God." Now, that's confusing.

Thoughts?

Let everything praise the Lord

2011-07-06T07:17:00.004-05:00

Psalm 148 calls on everything to praise the Lord. And it’s not just calling human beings to sing praise, but also angels, wild animals and cattle, birds and reptiles, sea monsters and trees. Even what people nowadays don’t consider alive—the psalmist calls them to sing hallelujah, too: sun, moon and stars; lighting, clouds, wind, and hail; mountains and hills. God created all of it, and it’s right that everything in heaven and earth praise him.

Of course, modern thinking explains why all these things aren’t really praising God: the psalmist was merely imitating songs of pagan nations; the hymn simply reminded ancient Israel to worship the creator rather than his creation; the psalm uses personification for poetic effect.

I’m not buying it. We may not understand the language of deer and hawk and carp, of dirt and wind and stars. But that doesn’t matter. When we lift up our voices to praise Jehovah, we’re never singing solo.

© Copyright 2007, A. Milton Stanley

Digging through the closet

2011-07-06T07:14:00.003-05:00

In addition to new writings and links to helpful web sites, from time to time I'll be posting short essays from one or more of my other blogs. Next up is one of my own favorites from the now-defunct Milton's Daily Dose.

Loved ones and 2 Cor. 2:12-13

2011-07-01T15:45:00.005-05:00

In The Four Loves C.S. Lewis tells of Augustine's warning about loving anyone or anything but God--anything, in short, guaranteed sooner or later to pass away.

I don't know how well I understand Augustine, but I can relate to the fear of growing too deeply into earthly attachments. I take great comfort in the company of my wife and children, but I worry sometimes about becoming too dependent in them, of relying so much on earthly kin that love drifts imperceptably into idolatry. According to Jesus, these kinships are the very kind that can separate us from God (Luke 14:26).

But 2 Cor. 2:12-13 shows the other side. When Paul came to Troas he was disappointed not to find Titus, who would have provided a rest for Paul's spirit. Eventually, Paul did meet up with Titus and found comfort in his presence (2 Cor. 7:6-7). Though Paul could be content in any circumstance (Phil. 4:11), he took special comfort in a beloved son (Titus 1:4). The point? Faithfulness isn't stoicism.

Paul wasn't alone in such a view. Jesus, after all, sent out his ambassadors in pairs, and in his own night of anguish Jesus himself sought the company of his three closest friends.

The OT makes clear that God created human beings to share life in community with one another, and that as long as the Lord builds the house, loving human relationships are very good. That should already be clear enough to a Christian. But sometimes it's good to be reminded that taking joy in our loved ones is even better than OK.

Another solid Bible commentary site

2011-06-29T15:21:00.005-05:00

I'm always on the lookout for web sites offering good-quality Bible commentary for use in preparing sermons or Bible studies. My best discovery this week is The Voice, web presence of the Christian Resource Institute (not to be confused with the Christian Research Institute). The site includes surprisingly in-depth studies, primarily by Dennis Bratcher (Ph.D. in biblical studies, Union Theological Seminary, Virginia) and Roger Hahn, Ph.D., professor of NT, Nazarene Theological Seminary, Kansas City.

Commentaries on specific texts can be accessed easily from the site's Index of Biblical Passages. As web-page indexes go, this one is exceptionally useful.

I've been trying to find studies and commentaries from a wide range of theological territories, and The Voice is by far one of the best I've found from an Arminian perspective.

Expository note: Rom. 3:23

2011-06-27T12:21:00.006-05:00

". . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. . ." (Rom. 3.23)

For years I've used Rom. 3:23 in preaching as a proof text that everyone (except Jesus, of course) has sinned. I mean, there it is: all--everyone, everywhere, everywhen--have sinned. But if you actually look at, you know, the whole sentence, there's a problem in the very next verse: ". . . being justified gratuitously by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

Do you see it? If you try to use Rom. 3:23 as proof that everyone has sinned, then there's no way around using v. 24 to say that everyone has now been saved. Universalism, anyone?

How do we get out of that little pit? Once again, it helps to look at the whole sentence, so let's take in v. 22: ". . . the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all the ones who believe, for there is no difference. . ." So, the all in v. 23 refers not to every human being, but only to every believer. If we start at v. 19 and read Paul's whole idea here, it becomes pretty clear that the all refers to both Jew and Gentile, but again, only to believers.

Does that mean not everyone has sinned? Of course not. Elsewhere the NT makes clear that, in fact, everyone sins (Rom. 1:18-2:11; Heb. 4:15). The only problem is that Rom. 3:23 is not quite so easy to use as a one-step proof of universal depravity. It's still helpful, though. By the how-much-more logic often found in Scripture, if all Christians have sinned and are worthy of death (Rom. 6:23), then how much more are unbelievers.

So in a sense, we're back almost to where we started. But for me, at least, actually seeing what the Bible says (rather than what I would like it to say) has been both humbling and invigorating. I can't wait to be humbled again if it means coming a little closer to the truth of God's Word.

© Copyright 2011, A. Milton Stanley

Worth reading: anti-itch meditation

2011-06-27T11:59:00.005-05:00

One of the consequences of not chasing after The Latest Great Blog Post on this weblog is that I hope to spend more time recommending the blogs I've found most edifying so that you can read them yourself.

The first is anti-itch meditation, the writings of Jeff Weddle. Jeff has so much going for him as a blogger that it's hard to know where to begin. He has a gift for zeroing-in on important points of faith, doctrine, and discipleship that most of the rest of us seem to overlook. And, he has a delightfully succinct and ironic way of sharing those insights. Jeff also has the courage to look at the Bible and to see what it actually says, rather than what we wish it would say or what his particular interpretive tradition insists it says.

One indication that Jeff may really be on to something is that he can't get a break with the world. For example, he recently got a book contract shortly before his publisher (me) went out of business. But I'm certainly not recommending Jeff's blog out of guilt about publishing his book; I published his book because I really, really like what he writes on his blog. If you're ready for a straight-up shot of truth, I think you will, too.

My tribe

2011-06-24T18:34:00.003-05:00

In case you're interested, here's a picture of the church I work with. There may be as good a bunch of Christians other places, but none better (that I know of).

Totally off-topic

2011-06-24T18:32:00.001-05:00

Has anybody else ever noticed that you never see Geert Wilders and Leonardo Dicaprio in the same room at the same time? Coincidence?

Wow . . .

2011-06-24T18:31:00.005-05:00

. . . I'm actually writing on the blog again. Nobody may be reading, but it sure feels good to get out and walk around. Peace.

Review of Cruciform by Jimmy Davis

2011-06-24T15:59:00.004-05:00

OK, I'm just going to say it. Jimmy Davis used to live down the road from me in Knoxville, he seems like a really nice guy, and he took the time to send me a hardcopy of his new book, Cruciform: Living the Cross Shaped Life. But his book landed on my computer table at just the right time--digestive troubles, end-of-semester stresses, weariness from blogging, and general exhaustion--that I was more or less determined not to like it. It's not that I have anything against Jimmy or his writing (please see sentence #2 above). It's just that Jimmy somehow found the time and energy to write a book, and I didn't even have time and energy to read one.

So, as I took to reading the first chapter of Cruciform, I grabbed a pen and filled the marginal white spaces with notes: "Tone reads much like Christian NA Zeitgeist," "Tired of seeing this guy's [Tullian Tchividjian's] name." So far so good--plenty of little things to pick at in the opening pages.

But, as I was actually reading Jimmy's writing, I began to be stirred by both the depth of his insight and his exceptional ability to craft a literary soundbite. By p. 13 the marginal notes had begun to morph: "good point," "yes," and finally, on p. 21, "Yes!" (to Jimmy's insight that "Elvis is still in the building." Read the book and you'll understand). Chapter Two begins in East Tennessee with an extended picture of Neyland Stadium, complete with the Pride of the Southland Marching Band belting out "Rocky Top" to 100k fans. That did it; I was hooked. Anyone who can use UT football to illustrate the Kingdom of God (and not fall into Vololatry) is a writer I want to read. From that point on the margins are all stars, triple-verticle lines and "Yes!"

Jimmy does so many things well in this book: provides an overview of the Bible story, explains the glory of God, and demonstrates how the cross is stitched into the very fabric of creation. Don't let Cruciform's very readable style obscure its theological depth. Whether you're a seeker, one new to the faith, or a mature Christian, Cruciform shines a lot of light on a lot of life.

And now for an anti-climactic postscript. The cost at Amazon for a paperback copy ($9.99) is very good, but the Kindle price is way too high. Jimmy, if you went down to the magic number of 99 cents for a Kindle edition, you would probably sell ten or twenty times as many copies as you would at $5.99. Think about it, bro.

Digging out

2011-06-24T15:49:00.004-05:00

Howdy!

I checked my email today for the first time in about a month, and I actually logged into the blog here for the first time in about ten weeks. I'm beginning to dig out from under physical and other ailments that have been weighing on me the past few months, and I just wanted to drop back in and say thank you for stopping by. Thanks especially to Bob Spencer, Jimmy Davis, and others of you who have checked on me these past few weeks by email.

In the coming days I plan to be posting odds and ends that come to mind. I'd still like this weblog to be a resource for preachers, teachers, and other Christians wanting to be transformed by the Word of God, but I'm going to make a point of not simply being a clearinghouse for The Newest Big Thing in Blog World. As I'm able I'll continue to read the blogs that have provided so much insight, and I'll cover them from time to time. I suppose I'll also be sharing a few more personal thoughts than in the past, as it seems appropriate. But rather than being caught up in reading hundreds of blog posts each week and feverishly linking to the best, I'll be a little more casual about. If you find something helpful here, well, that'll just be gravy. Again, thanks for reading.

Peace.

Reading Cruciform

2011-04-12T17:02:00.002-05:00

A copy of Jimmy Davis's new book, Cruciform, recently came in the mail. I've been reading Jimmy's online writings for several years and really enjoy his work. I look forward to reading his new book and will post a review here.

Ironic idolatry

2011-03-30T16:04:00.001-05:00

Glen Scrivener shares a personal story on the idolatry of christocentrism.

David as a type of Christ

2011-03-24T17:24:00.004-05:00

Here's a brief but highly informative article on the story of David and Goliath and the parallels to the life and work of Christ:

Far from merely being an exciting children’s story from which we may teach our little ones how to be courageous in the LORD, the record of this battle comes at the half-way mark in redemptive history–reminding us of the battle promise of Gen. 3:15 and urging us to look forward to the fulfillment of it when our Lord Jesus Christ defeated the evil one at the cross. The points of comparison are striking. . .

Nicholas Batzig lists eleven of those points. And thanks to Charles Savelle for the link.

Appeal for perspective

2011-03-16T07:14:00.005-05:00

The leaking Japanese nuclear plants are getting most of the press coverage right now, but the earthquakes and tsunami are far, far, far greater disasters. Let's keep praying.

Thursday perspective

2011-03-16T07:11:00.001-05:00

Expository Preachers Never Have This Problem.

Choosing sides

2011-03-16T07:10:00.002-05:00

Jared Wilson: "Why I'm Thankful for Popular False Teachers"

Praying for Japan

2011-03-14T20:01:00.002-05:00

The list is a couple of days old, but it's very informative and helpful: Japan Tohoku Earthquake Prayer List.

Aglow

2011-03-10T20:12:00.000-06:00

Ray Ortlund: "May God give us pastors today the high privilege of being aglow with the Spirit. As we preach, may we put away all thoughts of church problems, think only of Christ, and be lifted up."

The difference of foundness

2011-03-10T20:09:00.001-06:00

Bob Spencer has noticed something about a lot of contemporary preaching in the U.S.:

I think that much preaching is in this mistaken mode: appeals to the broken and hurting in which (or, because) everyone is defined primarily as broken and hurting. Thus, Bible texts are chosen for their ability to comfort the broken and hurting. These turn out to be the most successful sermons (that is, they elicit the most emotional response) and so the preacher learns to return to the theme frequently.

In all this it is not disciples who are not being addressed, but simply folks with problems.

But hey, isn't everyone broken and hurting? Even disciples? Yes, yes, but what I have noticed is that this sort of preaching winds up having the effect not so much of healing them than of encouraging people to continue to self-define as victims. Just what the wider culture does! It's as if this self-definition (hurting and broken victims) were inescapable, and church then becomes primarily a place of momentary solace or an interlude of hope rather than a place of equipping.

Too true, I think.

What we cannot do for ourselves

2011-03-09T20:12:00.001-06:00

God has a way of letting your pride swell up, and then letting the bottom drop out. This is because the Pharisee in you must be dealt the death blow. You must be broken so that Jesus can come out of the plastic, prideful shell you feel so proud about. Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly, doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves (Romans 3:20).

- J.D. Hatfield

'Bless the Lord'

2011-03-08T16:24:00.002-06:00

OT Professor Claude Mariottini shares his insights on Psalm 103 here, here, and here.

On the God who chooses

2011-03-08T16:22:00.000-06:00

Royce Ogle writes about human freewill vs. God's sovereign choice and comes down on the side of . . . both:

What am I then. I am a 65-year-old who has studied the Bible for about 50 of those years. I have concluded that I do not have the luxury of cherry picking what parts of the Bible I will believe and accept as God’s truth to me. My place is to believe all of it the best I can with my limited understanding. So I choose to not pick a side, other than God’s.

Amen, brother.

Insight on economics

2011-03-07T19:57:00.000-06:00

"Economics is the World's Theology."

Insight from Exodus

2011-03-07T19:56:00.000-06:00

"My life is not the center of the universe; tabernacle dimensions make that point clear."

Asia Journal of Theology now available

2011-03-04T13:44:00.001-06:00

Rob Bradshaw has added the first eighteen volumes of the Asia Journal of Theology to the extensive online collection he offers free at BiblicalStudies.org.uk. Rob's site is a wonderful online resource. You can access the entire biblical studies collection here.

More on preaching Christ from the OT

2011-03-02T16:12:00.001-06:00

Here's another link (via) on preaching from the Old Testament.

On teaching children

2011-03-02T16:11:00.000-06:00

Why do churches so often assign their most important job (teaching children) to their most inexperienced and unprepared teachers?

We think that kids don’t listen, when in reality, kids do listen. In my experience, it’s the adults that don’t pay attention. Kids hold onto things. Oh, be careful what you say to a child from the Bible. Your stupid remarks may turn a kid from the Lord for eternity.

Too true.

No other gods

2011-03-01T17:33:00.000-06:00

Jeff Weddle reminds Christians that the Lord's people aren't supposed to even mention the names of other gods.

Heresy and political engagement

2011-03-01T17:32:00.001-06:00

At Commentary Peter Wehner offers insights on the dangers of oversimplifying the relationship of biblical theology to public policy:

Scripture provides a moral framework through which people can debate particular public policies. On some matters, like the slave trade and genocide, the “right” Christian position may be obvious (though what policies one should support to oppose them isn’t always). But in the vast majority of cases, and certainly when it comes to the federal budget, what we are talking about are prudential judgments about competing priority. And to pretend that the budget Jesus would bless just happens to be at the current discretionary spending levels rather than, say, what they were in 2008, is close to offensive.

The Christian ethicist Paul Ramsey wrote, “Identification of Christian social ethics with specific partisan proposals that clearly are not the only ones that may be characterized as Christian and as morally acceptable comes close to the original New Testament meaning of heresy.”

It's an excellent article, and thanks to Glenn Reynolds for the link.

Random thought

2011-02-28T16:20:00.000-06:00

Matt Redmond: "I thought about buying one of those cheesy bumper stickers at the local Christian bookstore but then I thought, "Why would I do that when I can say it on Twitter and facebook?!""

Slow change and preaching

2011-02-28T16:19:00.000-06:00

This weblog is committed to the transformation of Christians into the image of Christ. And, as Trevin Wax points out, a major vehicle for that transformation is biblical preaching:

Pastors, don’t underestimate the cumulative effect of your preaching. You are not dumping information into brains. You are forming the habits of your people, teaching them how to read and understand and apply the Bible for themselves. How you preach week after week matters just as much as what you preach.

Weekly confrontation with the Word of God slowly changes how we look at the world. We see God more clearly, our human state, and the future of the world within the Bible’s framework, even if we don’t remember all the information in an individual message. Sermons gradually change the way we think and feel and believe and hope.

Amen. And thanks to Darryl Dash for the link.

Entitled to nothing

2011-02-25T14:18:00.000-06:00

Ben Witherington: "One of the things that constantly strikes me about the U.S. when I come back from overseas doing preaching or teaching or writing, or mission work of some kind, is just how spoiled so many Americans are, perhaps even the majority of Americans."

Of hospitals and healing

2011-02-25T14:17:00.000-06:00

"The modern cliché is that a church is not a showcase for saints, but a hospital for sinners. That is good as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. The truth is that yes, the church is a hospital for sinners, but it is for those who know they are sinners. Those who come to a hospital are not there to stay sick, but to get well. Those that seem to want to stay sick are perhaps those who think that they are already well, just by virtue of being at the hospital. The church is a hospital, but it is also to be a holy habitation, a place for those who have gotten well, and these also know they need to provide hospice care for one another while we are on the way to heaven."

- J.D. Hatfield

Churches that make a difference

2011-02-25T14:16:00.001-06:00

Dan Edelen considers why churches in the U.S. don't seem to be conducive for Christians to openly and honestly share their true needs. Consider this example:

I once told an Internet friend who had been out of work for a long time and suffering greatly that he should stand up in the middle of his church service one day and just say, “I need a job. Can any of you help?” I suggested to another that he call a well-known parachurch ministry in his area that is always talking about how men must be the breadwinner in order to be good Christians and ask them, “What jobs do you have available for me to do so I can be the man you insist I must be? I can report to work tomorrow.”

Good point. I wonder how that went?

Update: Dan answers that question here in the comments section.

A little extra today

2011-02-24T10:03:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I was afraid that if I waited till after evening Bible study to update the weblog, I wouldn't get around to it doing it all day. And guess what? That's exactly what happened. So here's a little more than usual today; I hope you find it edifying.

Keeping the right standard

2011-02-24T10:02:00.000-06:00

Royce Ogle offers a solid little reminder on the importance of resisting the temptation of examining ourselves by looking around and seeing how we compare:

When God gives finals he will not grade on the curve. We must sincerely look into the mirror of his Word and see ourselves as he sees us. The Bible must be the final authority for both faith and practice."

Amen.

Healing, obedience, and proclamation

2011-02-24T10:01:00.002-06:00

Have you ever wondered why Jesus, especially in Mark's gospel, did works of healing and told the healed person not to tell? Most of us who have thought about it have probably settled on an answer or two. J.D. Hatfield suggests one lesson I'd never really considered:

Sometimes, when Jesus helps and heals us, it is not yet time to tell the whole world about it. Rather, it is time to be obedient, and get back into those things that are expected of whole people. Just because Jesus breaks the patterns of sin doesn’t mean we are free to break the patterns of life. You need to let your life show that you have been healed, and its purpose, being obedient, rather than just trying to go and tell everyone about it, without the obedience. If we want to be mature, we won’t let our zeal make our announcements premature. When we are healed the first place to go is not the public square, but into the secret place, for the sacred giving of thanks.

Good points.

Don't try

2011-02-24T10:00:00.001-06:00

Real church growth, as Keith Brenton reminds us, comes not from planning or technique, but from preaching Jesus Christ:

Don’t worry about uplifting worship times, awesome praise teams or incredibly gifted worship bands or dynamic speakers or cool videos or special programs or targeted ministries or awesome marketing or a big, sprawling building or sufficient parking or offering seeker services or traditional services or progressive services. Some of that may come, but fend it off as long as you can.

Tell them about Jesus. Show them Jesus. Win them to Jesus. Demonstrate to them how they are visiting Him in jail; how they are clothing His nakedness and feeding His hunger. When they have worked side by side with each other and with the Spirit, they will want to gather in praise, as often and as devotedly as possible.

I strongly recommend Keith's whole article.

Praying for the persecuted

2011-02-22T09:59:00.000-06:00

Christian Persecution Blog offers three vital prayer requests for persecuted Christians around the world.

Notes on preaching the OT

2011-02-22T09:58:00.000-06:00

Paul Lamey offers some very sound advice on preaching the OT. I found this one especially helpful:

Thirdly, I am somewhat questioning of the constant pleas for Christ-centered preaching if that means excluding Jesus’ own emphasis on glorifying the Father (see John 17) or downplaying the activity of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. I think it is important that our preaching not be Christless but for that matter it should not be deficient in any aspect or person of the holy Trinity.

I recommend Paul's whole article.

Explanation

2011-02-21T15:48:00.000-06:00

"Praying without ceasing means, get this, we should pray without ceasing."

Ouch

2011-02-18T17:23:00.000-06:00

Jeff Weddle: "If we flippantly deal with God because 'He’s gracious,' rather than out of humility and utter dependence, it shows we have no concept of what God’s grace is and, more than likely, have never been recipients of it."

Dealing with regret

2011-02-18T17:22:00.000-06:00

Preachers, here's some very good advice from Charles Spurgeon (via. Darryl Dash) on dealing with regrets.

We're not the heroes

2011-02-15T18:40:00.000-06:00

J.D. Hatfield: "Jesus doesn’t want a statement of loyal willpower; He wants to change our hearts so that we trust Him when we don’t feel so heroic. "

Listing toward lists

2011-02-15T18:39:00.000-06:00

If you're well trained in preaching, some this material may be familiar to you, but in any case here is a good, brief explanation of the value of preaching biblical lists.

Awaiting Cruciform

2011-02-14T18:49:00.002-06:00

Jimmy Davis has a new book coming out April 1.

The test is in the dying

2011-02-14T18:48:00.001-06:00

"Dirty little secret that Satan doesn’t want you to know: you’re dying right now. Take care of your faith."

'Missional sheen' and true discipleship

2011-02-14T18:46:00.002-06:00

Bob Spencer, with a little help from Dirty Shame, points out how the "can-do spirit" is not necessarily compatible with true gospel discipleship:

I know plenty of people who try to hitch these two--ambition and mission--and hope that the kingdom is served as well as the ego. In other words, hope that we can serve God and be "successful" (in the commonplace sense of that word) at the same time. But it seems to me the early disciples gave up ambition for mission. They didn't try to serve both at once.

Amen.

Along similar lines, Darryl Dash really prompted a light bulb to come on in my head with his short, illuminating blog post on the desire to be forgotten.

Reading the crowd

2011-02-11T21:32:00.004-06:00

Peter Mead offers some very sound advice for preachers on the pros and cons of trying to read one's listeners while preaching.

Reminder on serving the master

2011-02-11T21:31:00.000-06:00

"God does not need us."

Change and church

2011-02-11T21:30:00.001-06:00

Dan Edelen believes that most Americans are burned out on change:

When it comes down to it, most of our daily existence as Americans consists of dancing to the pied piper of change. We live in a perpetual conga line of following some leader as he/she/it takes us to the promised land guaranteed by change.

Is it any wonder that some people are desperate to stop the unending jig their life has become?

Into this comes the Church.

Dan's whole article is worth reading.

Work and help

2011-02-10T18:00:00.001-06:00

Phillip Fletcher has a helpful blog post on work and financial assistance from the local church.

Expository preaching caution

2011-02-10T17:58:00.000-06:00

As one committed to the value of expository preaching, I really appreciate Iain Murray's Caution for Expository Preaching. And thanks to BibleX for the link.

The real deal

2011-02-10T17:56:00.000-06:00

Being Frank reminds readers that hell is real:

We, the western church again, do not help God by acting as if Heaven is the destiny for the saved and that the rest just rot in the ground for not following God. There is a eternal destiny for all of us. Those that reject God, those that mock God, those that have no interest in their eternal life reap a destiny in Hell. It may not be popular, but it is what the Bible tells us to be true.

You can read Frank's whole article here.

Trends in Bible software

2011-02-08T17:07:00.003-06:00

Thanks to BibleX for pointing to an article by Kevin Prucell on Exciting and Troubling Trends in Bible Software Development (1.24 MB .pdf file). In my mind, the best free Bible software is The Sword Project. Also, you can access great free, online and downloadable commentaries on NT books from one of my other sites, Expository Links.

Building on grass

2011-02-08T17:06:00.002-06:00

Posts like this remind me why Jeff Weddle is one of my most favorite bloggers:

Theology is not always based on Scripture. Much theology is based on what some guy said about Scripture. We then take a stand on our theology, build a reputation for standing for that theology, and we get stuck.

Even if we see cracks in our theology, maybe even the walls start to crumble around us, but we’ve got our group and our guys and we’ve bought all their books and it would hurt our reputation to admit we were wrong and to change.

Amen. And if you haven't already gotten a copy, you might enjoy Jeff's book on money.

Eyes on whom?

2011-02-07T22:00:00.002-06:00

At Wilderness Fandango Bob Spencer, with a little help from Mark Galli, looks at the pitfalls of personal testimonies.

A little translation perspective

2011-02-07T21:56:00.003-06:00

I rarely paste whole blog posts onto this site, but this little post by Eddie Arthur is so pithy, I want to share it all:

We are rightly celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Authorised Version. It is a remarkable piece of work, which continues to have an impact on English speaking people across the globe. Even those who are not convinced by its claims of divine authority appreciate it for the clarity and beauty of its English.

However, as someone who does accept the divine authority of the Bible and who seeks, however imperfectly, to live his life according to its precepts, the fact that 340, 000,000 people speaking over 2,000 different languages do not have a single word of Scripture in any translation is of far greater importance to me than our domestic celebrations.

Eddie works for Wycliffe Bible Translators and writes about translational issues with both passion and experience on his blog, Kouya Chronicle. I recommend clicking over and giving it a look.

Yes

2011-02-04T15:36:00.000-06:00

". . . no one is called to preach. One is called to preach the Word."

What happens after we die?

2011-02-04T15:35:00.000-06:00

At Parchment and Pen, Michael Patton presents a very thoughtful study of what happens to Christians after we die. Although I don't affirm everything he posits in the essay, I strongly recommend his article as a way of looking frankly and biblically at a topic many Christians are at best vague in understanding.

On 'doing well'

2011-02-03T08:33:00.000-06:00

Jeff Weddle: "Societies create standards of success. These standards are frequently in opposition to God’s standards."

Why do you keep preaching?

2011-02-03T08:31:00.001-06:00

"Do you get up and preach again because you love preaching? Or because you need affirmation? Or because of some other self-gripped motive? Or, or do you get up and preach again because God is with you and you cannot keep inside what He has given to you?"

- Peter Mead

Praying for Egypt

2011-02-02T16:18:00.002-06:00

Stacy Harp reminds us that Egyptian Christians need our prayers.

The double-threat of illness

2011-02-02T16:17:00.000-06:00

Glen Scrivener writes on the offense of illness. Here's a sample:

Maybe I’m imagining it, but I often sense a note of anger in the advice of others regarding illness. It doesn’t fit our view of the world for people to just get sick. We need to believe that there are practical reasons for the suffering and dependable remedies to fix it.

As Glen points out, suffering isn't always preventable. I recommend his whole article.

Reading recommendation

2011-02-01T10:15:00.001-06:00

“I read dead people.”

Transforming lives

2011-02-01T10:14:00.000-06:00

At Biblical Preaching Peter Mead offers some sound advice on tightening a message:

When you’re preaching, the clock is ticking. In one setting you may have 20 minutes, in another you may have 45. The reality is, though, that messages expand to fill the time available fairly easily. So it is important to think carefully about what to include. Perhaps more importantly, what to exclude. Where can time be trimmed?

That's a good question, and one that Peter answers quite well.

On lectors and readers

2011-01-31T20:57:00.000-06:00

Ben Witherington has written a highly informative and accessible article on the role of lectors in NT times.

Irresponsibility and the church

2011-01-31T20:55:00.001-06:00

This one's a keeper: Jeff Weddle writes on personal responsibility. Here's the opening:

We live in an age of irresponsibility.

Students don’t study for their tests and yet demand good grades. Employees play solitaire all day, drink coffee, and steal pens and yet demand more pay. Singers who can’t sing get mad when Simon Cowell tells them they stink.

The whole world is screaming, “Don’t judge me on what I do; judge me on who I think I am.”

What a dumb world, eh? Wonder where they got that philosophy from?

The Church.

As always, I recommend Jeff's whole article.

Pro-love, pro-life

2011-01-28T21:30:00.000-06:00

Jared Wilson offers some good advice on A Missional Way for the Pro-life Passion.

What we see as blessings

2011-01-28T21:29:00.000-06:00

Jeff Weddle: "Listen to most Christian prayer requests and they are all about physical things–health and money primarily. The Prosperity Gospel has picked up on this theme and invented a theology to go along with it."

Hey, Christian...

2011-01-27T21:14:00.000-06:00

"Who are you? You’re God’s messenger, that’s who."

Speed and the Bible

2011-01-27T21:13:00.000-06:00

Eddie Arthur writes about the value of Bible translation, even when progress seems slow ("One lesson that is very clear from the Scriptures is that God is not in a hurry!").

On 'applicational faux pas'

2011-01-26T20:33:00.001-06:00

Peter Mead: "People have an amazing ability to miss the point and make a point out of a minor point. This seems to be especially prevalent in church world. Here are some approaches people use, maybe people in your church."

Reminder

2011-01-25T20:02:00.001-06:00

"Seek first his kingdom."

Seizing suffering

2011-01-25T20:00:00.001-06:00

I kind of like these thoughts on suffering from Phillip Fletcher:

Imagine if we seized suffering. Imagine right now, what if you sat for a moment and reflected on whatever hardship had jumped on your Christian journey and you declared, “I will be using you to serve the cause of my joy. No longer will grief simply accompany you suffering, but now my companion, joy, will now walk with us.”

Phillip's article is a reminder that as Christians we are called to share in Christ's sufferings (Rom. 8:17; 2 Cor. 1:5; Philip. 1:29; 3:10; 2 Tim. 1:8; 2 Tim. 2:3; 1 Pe. 2:20-22; 4:13-19).

Boasting in Christ alone

2011-01-24T20:05:00.001-06:00

Royce Ogle: "Is Jesus Christ sufficient? Is He enough?"

Calling heresy by name

2011-01-24T20:03:00.001-06:00

"Jesus is not a self-help guru. He is not interested in you becoming a better person. He could not care less with you improving in any area of your life. Because in the end that is your life. Yours. And he demands you give it to him. All of it. An unconditional surrender. He did not come to improve you, or encourage you, or spur you on to bigger and better things. He came to raise the dead. And if you insist on living, then you’re on your own. Good luck. Sign up for all the seminars, workshops and marriage improvement weekends that you can, because you’re going to need them.

"The Gospel is this: We are dead in our sins. Jesus, too, is dead in our sins. But because he is very God of very God, death could not hold him. He conquered sin and death and rose again. And the only life we are now offered is the life he lives in us. Period. He wants us dead. He’ll do the rest."

- Jeff Dunn (via)

A face of 'True Beauty'

2011-01-21T17:19:00.001-06:00

Christian, are you really prepared to look at a face of true beauty? Really?

On cross-carrying and burden-bearing

2011-01-21T17:17:00.000-06:00

"I was reflecting on Luke 14 and intense way Jesus makes demands in this chapter, if one wants to be a disciple. All too often, Christians confuse ordinary suffering with cross-bearing. Your physical pain or suffering may well be your thorn in the flesh, but it’s not ‘your cross to bear’. Cross-bearing as a metaphor for discipleship to Jesus has to do with a deliberately chosen course of life, not something that simply happens to you. The second thing to be said about cross-bearing is that Jesus does not call us to bear his cross, rather he talks about picking up our own crosses, and carrying them."

- Ben Witherington

Weddle on interpreting Scripture

2011-01-21T00:19:00.002-06:00

"Be careful out there."

Preaching that engages listeners

2011-01-21T00:19:00.001-06:00

Peter Mead writes to preachers here and here about "a fear worth facing": "It is the fear that the listeners may have already left the room, even though their bodies are still sat there."

Too busy for you

2011-01-19T14:34:00.000-06:00

John Schroeder offers some frank and valuable thoughts on busy ministers.

'The most freeing message of all'

2011-01-19T14:33:00.000-06:00

Here's some good advice; a blogger urges Christians to be nobody special: "Do your job. Take care of your family. Clean your house. Mow your yard. Read your Bible. Attend worship. Pray. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Love your spouse. Love your kids. Be generous. Laugh with your friends. Drink your wine heartily. Eat your meat lustily. Be honest. Be kind to your waitress. And expect no special treatment. And do it all quietly."

Exactly

2011-01-18T14:47:00.000-06:00

On valuing the work of sermon preparation: "I wouldn’t trade my sermon preparation for anything. For me, it has become part of my own discipling process."