- Why Churches Die - Just as there are many ways in which churches come into being, they can also die for different reasons. Here are the tales of two churches which died. Case Study One An older gentleman whom my father led to the Lord many years ago greeted me at a missions conference. “Have you heard about Rehmat?” … Continue reading
- Show Me Your Credentials! - Over the years there have been plenty of times when people challenged the things I’ve taught. Sometimes it’s due to a genuine difference in understanding of the Scriptures. Those discussions can be both fun and rewarding. I often learn from others who have a slightly different take on things than I do. Less fun to … Continue reading
- Conjecture and Dogmatism - All of us who follow Christ realize that there are certain foundational, irreducible facts one must accept in order to be counted “in the faith” or not (see 2 Corinthians 13:5). To cite an obvious instance the writer of Hebrews makes it clear that, “…without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes … Continue reading
- “Pick Someone Else!” - The Case of the Reluctant Leader A friend once told me why he declined when asked to become an Elder in the church. He said it was because he lacked the first requirement. He didn’t desire to become one. He was referring, of course, to Paul’s statement in 1st Timothy 3:1, “…If anyone sets his heart … Continue reading
- Expository Speaking – What Is it? - In another of these ramblings I opined that telling a compelling story will often more than compensate for any “sins” of presentation. That is, if our story is good enough, people are willing to overlook “poor” writing, suspect grammar and stilted wording. I went on to suggest that we could improve our expository speaking and … Continue reading
- Would That Elders Would ‘Eld’! - I’ve recently come across three different congregations which are facing the same problem. All of them are located in small-town, rural America. All of them are relatively small. All of them have members who are quite affluent. All three have recently lost their preachers. The question is what to do about it. In the case … Continue reading
- Let Go! - I stared in amazed consternation at the contents of the Communion tray. It contained those commercial Communion wafers – the kind that look like, have the consistency of and taste like recycled Styrofoam. After the service I asked the missionaries who were hosting me about it. The wife explained: “The preacher asks us to bring … Continue reading
- It’s A Village? - We often don’t realized just how blessed we are until we remember the “Good Old Days!” I wrote the following tale back in 1992. As you shall see, communication was not as simple back then as it is now. THE MYTH OF THE GLOBAL VILLAGEORI’LL SELL YOU A HOMOGENIZED MODEM(If I like your face!) I … Continue reading
- The Etiquette Of Heaven - As I left the podium someone in the audience called out, “You did not disappoint.” Though the remark gratified, it sort of rolled off me. However, his remark became more meaningful a few minutes later when I asked my wife how the previous speaker had done. I didn’t have the opportunity to hear him as … Continue reading
- Story and Content - I’m a fan of expository speaking. Lest someone misunderstand, I fully agree that there is a time and place for topical sermons. Generally, however, I think the church is far better served by a steady diet of consistent, systematic explanation of the biblical text. There are lots of advantages to the expository approach. For one … Continue reading
