The Plodding Preacher

I love these ladies.  Their blog, Sunday Women , is so down to earth and practical.  They have done a whole series of articles on the "4 questions to ask" theme.  As a pastor I often hear people say that they didn't talk to a visitor because they didn't know what to say.  Here is a good response. Churches need new people. Most new people come to us as visitors who are strangers. The Bible wants us to welcome strangers and meet their needs (Matthew 25:35), but some people don't talk to strangers. I hear many reasons for their hesitancy, such as fear that the "visitor" has been attending for a year already or inability to deal with awkward silences. I agree that some visitors are private, reserved types who don't want to answer lots of probing questions. And, most people are not comfortable with a church on the first visit. In fact, my husband and I repeatedly tried, and then disregarded, a common hospi...

From Tim Challies' blog:

Julian Freeman   ‏ @ julianlfreeman     Dec 18 What's the confusion here? I worship Jesus. Am I hearing that Muslims worship him now too? # sameGod ? Answering the question, "Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God?"

AS we approach Christmas and New Year's Day, let me propose a resolution for all Christians.  Pray for your pastor. 4 Reasons You Should Pray For Your Pastor Daily by   Jason K. Allen As a pastor, few things warmed my heart more than church members telling me they prayed for me daily. Their simple act of prayer both encouraged and reassured me. It encouraged me to know they were standing in the gap for me spiritually, and it reassured me to know they loved my family, the church, and me enough to do so. Now that I a member of a local church, God has been impressing upon my heart the importance of praying regularly for my pastors. They are men called by God to serve his flock, and they regularly bless my family and me. The least I can do is pray for them faithfully. There are many Biblical reasons why we should pray for our pastors, but let us consider just these four. First, pastors face a higher judgment.   The ministry of the Word is a rewarding but dangerous ...

BY   BARNABAS PIPER   WHEN CHRISTMAS CAROLS LEAD US ASTRAY Mary did know. The angel told her. Read your bible. The night was not silent. A baby was being born in a barn for goodness sake. The little Lord Jesus did make crying. He was a healthy human baby after all. If someone wishes you a merry Christmas but won’t leave until they get figgy pudding then A) they have terrible taste and B) they don’t care about your merry Christmas. No matter how many times you sing “oh Christmas tree” it still can’t hear you. Rockin around the Christmas tree will only make a mess and might be a safety hazard. Just because it’s cold outside does not give a man the right to ply a woman with drinks and force her to stay longer. If your kid thinks he witnessed you kissing Santa Claus it will cause him far less angst to know the truth about Santa than to think you’re philandering. Droning endlessly about “simply having a wonderful Christmas time” does nothing to make it a wond...

This is an excellent article on the distinctiveness of Christian parenting. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIAN PARENTING by   Jason Helopoulos There is something wonderfully unique about Christian parents. Christian parents seek to maintain a counter-cultural flavor even as we seek to prepare our children for entrance into that culture as fully-functioning adults. They seek to prepare their children for life on earth at the same time as they are seeking to prepare them for life in heaven. Christian parents see their children as a gift given to them and also as a stewardship to be respected. They are "our children" and yet we also recognize that they belong to another--namely to their Heavenly Father. Christian parenting is an odd endeavor and Christian parents are a rare breed. Here are some of the things that make Christian parenting a unique thing in this fallen world: 1. Christian parents seek to love their children but not worship them. ·     ...

Man’s maker was made man, that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breast; that the Bread might hunger, the Fountain thirst, the Light sleep, the Way be tired on its journey; that the Truth might be accused of false witness, the Teacher be beaten with whips, the Foundation be suspended on wood; that Strength might grow weak; that the Healer might be wounded; that Life might die. – Augustine of Hippo (Sermons 191.1)

Kimm Crandall > Jesus Pushed the Elf Off the Shelf Posted On Dec 07 2015 “Mommy, if there really was a naughty and nice list we would all be on the naughty list.” This statement from my seven year old had much greater theological depth than she knew. Her observation didn’t come from a manipulative self-pity over being naughty. It came from a clear view of what she knows about the gospel: “None is righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10). As the traditions of the holidays swirl around my children, my hope is that they will learn to distinguish the law from the gospel. I want my kids to know that God is not another Santa Claus. I long for them to embrace the fact that they are not capable of being good enough to receive anything but coal in their stockings and that our hope for goodness can only be found in the only One capable of perfection. With the advent celebration and family traditions intersecting this season there is a very clear battle between law and gospel ...

When I opened my browser page today the first story that leaped to my attention began with the headline; "Burt Reynolds 'Shocks' With Charlie Sheen HIV Comments." It seems that in an interview on British Television, Burt Reynolds made the claim that Sheen had gotten what he deserved when he contracted HIV. According to The Sun, Burt said: “For Charlie, no, he deserves it. He misbehaved badly. Very badly.” The audience immediately responded negatively to this statement. One audience member told the newspaper Burt’s comments “shocked” everyone, adding: “Of course, HIV is something that no one deserves. The insensitivity of the man was unbelievable.” Wow.  Apparently we have gotten to the stage that no one deserves any negative consequences from his actions.  No wonder we are having a hard time with the Gospel.  The bad news before the good news of the Gospel is that every one of us deserves the eternal wrath of Almighty God.  The Good News is that inste...

Everyone wants to save the world but no one wants to do the dishes . —Michael Horton

When Richard Dawkins promotes his atheism he often speaks of the misdeeds of the religious versus the wonderful integrity of the scientific mind.  The religious community believe in superstition, but scientists deal in fact.  Scientists are altruistic, benevolent human beings who work purely for the greater good, while all religionists are ignorant morons who are out to pull the wool over other people's eyes. Secret dossier on research fraud suggests government concern over science Senior figures in UK science fear that culture leading to research misconduct has not been changed December 3, 2015 Facebook Share   Twitter   LinkedIn By   David Matthews A secret dossier that warns that fraud in biomedical research is even more prolific than feared is being considered by Jo Johnson, the universities and sciences minister, documents passed to Times Higher Education   appear to show. Senior figures in UK s...

You don’t have to bring the fire, bring the thunder, bring the whatever. Just bring the gospel. It will do the thundering . —Jared Wilson

Want to Help Your Pastor Preach? 1 DECEMBER, 2015   /   JULIAN FREEMAN   /   0 Many of you earnestly desire to hear your pastors preach better sermons. While you can tell that he labours away, you long for more passion, more earnestness, more deliberateness, or more clarity. That’s understandable. Most preachers would like to grow in these ways as well. (And the ones who don’t  really   need prayer.) One of the best ways you can help your pastor’s preaching is by   praying for him . But did you know you can do even more than that? And it’s not that difficult, either. Sometimes you can help your preacher preach better, with more zeal, simply by considering where you sit, whether you get there late or on time, what kind of non-verbal feedback you give as you listen, whether or not to keep your baby in the service, and what you do with your coats and umbrellas on a Sunday morning. Don’t take it from me, though. This is what CH Spurgeon, ‘The P...

I was intrigued by an article by Justin Taylor about Rosa Parks.  Sixty years ago today she was arrested in Alabama for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger.  Her refusal sparked a bus boycott that ended in one of the greatest steps forward for the American Civil Rights Movement.  Learn more about this courageous lady by reading the article HERE .