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Category Archives: The Church
Preachers should be like naughty children
I think good preachers should be like bad kids. They ought to be naughty enough to tiptoe up on dozing congregations, steal their bottles of religion pills…and flush them all down the drain. The church, by and large, has drugged … Continue reading
Posted in Preaching, The Church
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Free Book on Discipleship for Kindle
Right at this moment a new book on discipleship is free for Kindles on Amazon. I don’t know how long it will last, but get it while you can!
Posted in The Church
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The Revenge of Measuring Success by Results
I was sure that the long-standing practice by evangelicals and fundamentalists alike of judging success by numerical results had died a long overdue death in the 1990′s. My seminary education had instilled in me the commitment to judging my ministry … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Leadership, The Church
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10 Mistakes Churches Make in Choosing a Pastor
1. Not choosing the right people for the pastoral search committee 2. Prayerlessness 3. Being people-centered rather than Word-centered 4. Lack of follow-through and due-diligence by the pastoral search committee 5. Impatience that leads to the wrong decision 6. Failure … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, Pastoral Ministry, The Church
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Pastors on Pedestals
The first danger I want to highlight is that of the celebrity pastor who is ultimately so big as to be practically beyond criticism. Some pastors are just so successful as communicators that, frankly, they are placed on a pedestal … Continue reading
Posted in Pastoral Ministry, The Church
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Why Lausanne III, and All Ecumenical Assemblies for That Matter, Are a Waste of Time
As always, Carl Trueman is spot-on in this critique of ecumenical declarations. Here are excerpts of his essay: Thomas Jefferson was no orthodox Christian but I have a deep suspicion that he should take significant responsibility for one of the … Continue reading
Posted in The Church
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Maybe Evangelicalism (and Fundamentalism) Doesn’t Really Exist Anymore
Based on the reactions to the Al Mohler story in Christianity Today, Carl Trueman makes a strong argument against the existence of evangelicalism as a movement in any meaningful sense. This is a much abbreviated version of the same assertion … Continue reading
Posted in The Church, Theology
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Unlike Parenting Children, We Never Outgrow Our Need to be Shepherded
There is one important distinction between the metaphor of father and that of shepherd. Children grow up and become less dependent on their earthly father, though the relationship continues. Sheep, on the other hand, are always completely dependent on their … Continue reading
Posted in Pastoral Ministry, The Church
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Like Barry Manilow Tickets in a Biker Gang Fundraiser Raffle
It is a fact that falsehood is never so false as when it is very nearly true. It is when the stab comes near the nerve of truth, that the Christian conscience cries out in pain. G. K. Chesterton Chesterton lived a … Continue reading
Posted in The Church, Theology
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Is Revivalism Good for the Church? In a Word, No.
What role do revivalism, evangelists, emotional altar calls, crisis decisions, etc. have in a church dedicated to faithful preaching? According to Kevin Bauder, none. And I agree. Bauder is the president of Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Plymouth, MN, near … Continue reading
Posted in Christian Life, Church History, Preaching, The Church
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