The “Enough” Filled Life
Introduction In the contemporary Christian world, there has been a lot of “hype” recently about goals. Believers are encouraged today to follow their dreams, believe in themselves, and shut out any negative voices in their lives. The common message of the day—“you can if you want to,” resonates with many individuals who are seeking more […]
Lessons from Ruth
Introduction I was thinking of the Old Testament narrative of Ruth this morning. Ruth is such a wonderful account of God’s grace and mercy to people who chose to follow Him! What strikes me about the story of Ruth is how the players in the narrative changed along the way. Ruth does not go how […]
The Story of the Bible
Introduction Do you like stories? I love stories! I prefer mostly adventure novels or mysteries, but who does not like a good story? The Bible is a story. You may not have always thought of it as such, but it is a story. The plotline of the story stretches from the very first pages until the end. […]
Gospel Definitions
Introduction The term “Gospel” is one of those words you hear a lot around churches, especially our church! But what does it mean? Oftentimes we use these words—you could call them “church words”, and people who have spent time in churches know what they mean, but if you have not spent a lot of time […]
Fresh Coat Or Fresh Heart?
Introduction Recently our church parking lot received a new top seal coat. I am always amazed at how nice a new coat appears on the top of the parking lot! As I looked out the church window and saw the work that was done, I began to reflect on our spiritual lives. Sometimes we try […]
On Plagarism In The Pulipit–Part 3
Introduction We have come a long way since the start of this short series addressing plagiarism in preaching. We began in article one by acknowledging the issue and giving some caveats when it comes to plagiarism in the pulpit—namely that preaching is a unique medium of communication which does not fit into the typical model […]
Praying for Saturation
Introduction I am praying for saturation this weekend! Let me explain what I mean. God has been giving us some much needed rain here in southern Minnesota. As I sit in my office today and watch the rain fall I can not help but remember the Scripture passage in which God describes His Word as rain that […]
Real Life Discipleship–Part 10
Introduction We are continuing our talk about discipleship. I hope you have been able to put some of what we have discussed into practice! Today I would like to talk about the importance of focusing on the Spirit over our skill in discipleship. A lot of emphasis is given to a disciple maker’s skills. Certainly, we do need to have some […]
Real Life Discipleship–Part 9
Intoduction One important aspect of discipleship that is not spoken of enough is the role of a “disciple maker.” If you are going to invest in the life of another, how should you view your role? Is it one of teacher? Master? Guru concerning all things spiritual? If we are not careful, we can easily […]
