I’ve been aware of my greatest “technical” weakness in preaching since the first time I stepped into the pulpit: Illustrations. I’m not a flowery writer. I’m analytical and detailed…not a storyteller. My wife comes from a family of storytellers. I don’t.
POST CATEGORY : Notes in the Margins
The Risks and Rewards of Dual Citizenship
Independence Day is coming at the end of this week. It’s a fun holiday, isn’t it? Barbecues, family, friends, and fireworks. It’s a day that we celebrate all the good things about life in these United States. Sure, there’s some not so great things, too. As a follower of Christ, I don’t approve of every policy, law, or position that our government has perpetuated. I grieve over what much of our culture calls “good” and “evil”. But, I still celebrate on the Fourth of July…for all the good things God has brought about in our nation. He is always at work!
This year I’ve taken to reflecting on both my citizenship here in the U.S. as well as my citizenship in heaven. Continue reading
Missions and Worship
Our church is preparing to put on a training event on missions, evangelism, and outreach. M.E.O.W. (Missions, Evangelism, and Outreach Week) is coming up June 2-6, 2014 and I’m praying for people to make it a priority to come and catch the passion. I’m also praying that we’ll see lasting evangelistic fruit through this effort by God’s grace. As I’ve been doing my part in getting ready for this conference, I remembered John Piper’s reflections in Let the Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions. Continue reading
The Whole Story: Avoiding a Reductionistic Gospel (Part 2)
In Part 1 on this subject, I wrote about how I was struck by something Fred Sanders wrote about how over-emphasis on a single facet of the gospel can make us reductionistic. So, now I’m doing a little reflection concerning how can I teach, preach, and share the whole gospel without being reductionistic myself. Continue reading