What are the advantages of preaching consecutively, chapter after chapter, all the way through a book of the Bible? There are five reasons…
The essence of Christmas is the mysterious, glorious and profound claim that God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. To this astounding truth one might be compelled to ask: did it have to be this way? Was there any other way for God to redeem us? The second chapter of Hebrews gives us three reasons why God had to become a man:
Next Saturday (April 19, not tomorrow) is Record Store Day. This annual celebration of independent record stores has been taking place since 2007, and gives special attention to the vinyl record, which happens to be the main reason independent records stores are still in business. As music consumption moves away from CDs and increasingly toward MP3 downloads or direct streaming, there has been a movement back toward buying records the old fashioned way. Vinyl sales have been on the increase for the last few years, and show no signs of slowing down.
This Sunday I will be completing a short sermon series called “What is Christianity,” in which I have attempted to explain the four major epochs of redemptive history – creation, fall, redemption, and glory. It’s a new start for our church as we have been adjusting to a new sanctuary, so it seemed appropriate to go back to the basics and review what the Christian faith is all about.
As many of you probably know, Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill in Seattle has agreed to step down from his position for six weeks as charges against him are being evaluated.
Christians have been delighted to discover lately that movie theaters have been featuring an unusually high number of films with overtly spiritual or Biblical themes. Among them have been “Son of God,” “Heaven is for Real,” “Noah,” and “Mom’s Night Out.” In December, we will see the release of a movie on the Exodus, with Christian Bale playing Moses, and there is reportedly another movie in production on the life of Mother Teresa.
This Sunday (Aug. 10) is a very big day in the life of New Life Presbyterian Church. On this morning, we will conduct our very first worship service in a brand new sanctuary that was begun all the way back in November 2012. There are at least three things I love about this new facility, which I share with you now:
While it’s true that the only way to actually improve as a preacher is to preach – over and over again – it is true that reading about preaching can also provide considerable help in sharpening one’s skills. So, with that in mind, I offer, in chronological order, the following recommendations, each with a sample quote from the book:
One thing that can be said about Francis Spufford’s book, “Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense,” is that it is utterly unique. I don’t know of any book quite like this. Lots of books seek to make a case for the Christian faith, but few (if any) do it in such gritty, earthy and edgy prose.
Woody Allen once commented that he was not afraid of death – it’s just that he doesn’t want to be there when it happens. It’s a witty remark that captures the way many of us deal with death: we laugh at it. We make jokes. Because, let’s face it: there is nothing more certain in this life than the fact that it will all end in death. The obituary section of the local newspaper will one day include your name, with your place of birth, calling hours and an address where the grieving can send flowers.
