The Plodding Preacher

If churches around the world would grasp the revolutionary truth that Christ's transforming power always comes through sacrifice and weakness, it would dramatically alter the landscape of the global church.   Joni Eareckson Tada

Tomorrow evening I get to see these folks in concert.  However, the thing I appreciate most about their concerts is the fact that their form of presentation makes it much more a worship service than a concert.

Love When's By Jared C. Wilson (original article found HERE ) When is God love? When you are in tribulation, Love will bring you back to himself ( Deut. 4:30 ). When you are surrounded by the enemy, Love will keep you from evil ( Deut. 23:9 ). When you are invited to honor, Love will keep you humble ( Matt. 14:8 ). When you are judged, Love will justify you ( Rom. 3:4 ). When you are slandered, Love will vindicate you ( 1 Pet. 3:16 ). When you die, Love will deliver you ( Prov. 11:7-8 ). When you are raised, Love will transform you ( 1 Cor. 15:50-51 ). God is Love at all times.

What a pledge! - Read the Original Article HERE   In her book   Choosing Gratitude , Nancy Leigh DeMoss shares a pledge written by a Bible teacher named Russell Kelfer. He challenged believers to write these words on a sheet of paper, and sign their names, then make a habit of recommitting themselves to it on a regular basis: Having been born into the kingdom of God, I do hereby acknowledge that God’s purchase of my life included all the rights and control of that life for all eternity. I do further acknowledge that He has not guaranteed me to be free from pain or to have success or prosperity. He has not guaranteed me perfect health. He has not guaranteed me perfect parents. He has not guaranteed me perfect children. He has not guaranteed me the absence of pressures, trials, misunderstandings, or persecution.  What He has promised me is eternal life. What He has promised me is abundant life. What He has promised me is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, mee...

What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like. Augustine

By Dan Phillips -- Original article found HERE In the Sunday School class at   CBC   we're doing a series called   Marriage, the Bible and You . In   the second lesson of the series , I brought up the subject of secular talk shows and how they like to try to beat up on Christians of any size, shape, and significance about whatever topic they think is most embarrassing and controversial. Of course, at the moment it's "gay" "marriage," or the topic of homosexuality at all. In the course of the lesson, I remarked that I think — from the comfortable quiet safety of my study — that I'd take a different approach. When Piers or Larry or Tavis or Rosie or Ellen or The View or whoever tried probing me about homosexuality, or wifely submission, or any other area where God has spoken (to the world's consternation), I think I'd decline the worm altogether. I think instead, I'd say something like, "You know, TaPierRosEllRy, when you ask me about X...

By Melissa Edgington   Find the Original Article HERE   This weekend was huge in our church.  We re-dedicated our building to God’s service as our big remodeling project comes to a close.  We called it A Celebration of God’s Faithfulness.  Former pastors returned to be a part of the celebration, former members and friends and family came home to witness a new beginning, a continuing of the work that God started 116 years ago, and a fresh reminder of what our mission really is right here on our corner of our small town.   Pastor Jimmy Draper, President Emeritus of Lifeway, even came to deliver our celebration message.  And, he was wonderful.  It was a great day for our church family.   But, all afternoon I’ve been just sitting here marveling at how beautiful the church really is.  I’m not even talking about the newly beautified building, although it looks amazing.  I’m talking about the Body of Christ.  The individu...

Normally preaching through the Bible a book at a time saves the preacher a lot of grief.  However, on occasion it brings us to passages of Scripture that most people would just rather leave alone.  This Sunday I had one of those passages.  In Preaching through John's Gospel, Sunday brought me to the story of Judas leaving the upper room to betray the Lord.  The following are some thoughts developed from this event. 1.  Christ predicts the betrayer.  Not only does the Old Testament predict Judas' betrayal (Psalm 41:9; Psalm 55:12-14; 20-21; Zechariah 11:12-13), but Jesus also knew in advance the identity of the betrayer.  In John 13:19, Jesus predicts the betrayer in order that the rest of the disciples might know that He is the Messiah.  So the story of Judas further validates John's argument that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. 2.  Judas was morally accountable.  There has been a huge rehabilitation program for Judas over the c...

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. Anne Lamott

A theme seems to be developing in this week's posts, so to continue in the them I give you another excellent article by Steven Hunter.  Original found HERE . Now, don’t read anything into this. We do not have a problem at T’ville with young children. As a matter of fact, we have some tiny children at T’ville who are cute and precious. Most parents think that their children are distracting during worship when they make a sound or are unsettled, but they’re a stark reminder that — as my mentor once told me — “If you don’t hear crying, the church must be dying.” The sound of small children throughout the hallowed halls of worship is music to my ears. It’s a reminder that another generation is being nurtured in the admonition of the Lord. It’s also a celebration because we’re a place where folks with young children don’t mind attending. That said, let’s get to the subject at hand. We don’t have a “children’s church” like some do. It’s not an issue that we  should  have o...

There you are sitting in worship or Bible study. Your child, or toddler, is restless. Perhaps they’re even a little boisterous. You try to silence them, and nothing. You try to pacify them with food or toys, and nothing. Eventually, you resort to the last thing you wanted to do: you pick them up, and before a watching audience, you make the march out of the auditorium. All the while, you’re a little embarrassed. Maybe you’re a little frustrated too. You might even think to yourself, “There’s no point in coming to church. I get nothing out of it because I have to constantly care for my kid.”   I want you — you mothers and/or fathers — to know just how encouraging you are to so many. The little elderly woman who often feels alone beams with a smile at the sight of you wrestling with your little one. She’s been there before. She knows how hard it can be, but she smiles because to hear that brings back precious memories. To see young parents and their small children brighten her d...

Kids are primitive creatures. Cute little barbarians, but barbarians just the same. We are the ones who teach them how to function, how to be civilized, how to be respectful, how to be people. If they are girls, we teach them how to be women, and both mom and dad have special rolls in that process. If boys, then they must be taught to be men, and again both mom and dad are indispensable here. Matt Walsh

This article by Kim Shay speaks well to the recent issues going on with harassment at the CBC and in parliament.  Find Kim's blog HERE . I don't normally blog about news stories. I'm not a journalist, and frankly, there are enough "experts" out there, talking about issues of which they know little. But this one has stayed with me. I have never really been a fan of   Jian Ghomeshi  (For those who don't know, Ghomeshi is a former CBC radio personality who has been accused of sexual harassment by nine women). I always found him a little pretentious, and didn't really connect with his take on culture. When I read the story as it broke, I didn't really know what to think, but I was immediately concerned with those women.  Many of Ghomeshi's interactions involved   young   women. I have a daughter who is 25, working in an environment where male professors can exert power (and abuse) upon their female students. My daughter's PhD supervisor is ...

Last night was our missions committee meeting at the church.  We are blessed with some of the best missionaries around.  When I saw this wonderfully practical article this morning I just had to repost for our church family.  This article is by Jason Carter and the whole article can be found HERE . In my own experience, church members often appreciate missionaries, admire their sacrifice for the Gospel and think highly of their ministries. Yet it’s hard to understand that returning for furlough to one’s “home” country can be a highly exhausting and stressful experience for many missionary families. Between the tension-filled task of an international move, setting up a new place to live, a frenzied travel schedule and finding one’s missionary budget stretched to the limit, a missionary faces a multitude of challenges during furlough. Many missionaries that I know get reprimanded by their mission leaders to physically rest, spiritually recharge, invest in their marriage...

I have to confess that I am a pretty black and white sort of fellow.  When it comes to people I try to give them the benefit of the doubt.  However, once a person has deliberately lied to me or deceived me, I have significant trouble extending any more trust.  I'm funny that way - figuring that if someone was willing to deceive me once, they are likely to be willing to do it again. That is why I just don't get something. I don't get the progressive's approach to the Bible.  I was reading an article online today where the writer was waxing eloquent about the great day when no one believes in hell anymore.  We all will be so loving and kind as we await God swooping us up into His loving arms in heaven.  I personally think the article was sheer wishful thinking, but harder yet for me to understand is the writer's approach to the Bible.  He clearly believes that all the talk in the Bible about hell is a pack of lies.  Yet, he seems to accept wh...

This is an excellent article by Randy Alcorn. Brittany Maynard, age 29, has taken her life here in Portland, Oregon By   Randy Alcorn It was announced late Sunday afternoon that on Saturday, 29-year-old terminally ill Brittany Maynard chose to end her life under Oregon’s physician assisted suicide law. It’s heavy on my heart that this happened only minutes from where Nanci and I live. I am very sad for Brittany and her family. I’m also sad for the way her case has been used to promote the legitimacy of doctors facilitating people’s suicides, and how this changes the nature of the medical profession. Many of you know that Brittany had made videos talking about why she moved to Oregon to have the legal right to die on her own terms. Several days ago she made another   new video   with an update. As I watched her video, my heart truly went out to her. I have no desire to judge or criticize. Many people are angry at those who don’t believe in physician assi...

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."