An excerpt from "The Devil and the Church" by E.M. Bounds... The young preacher has been taught to lay out all his strength on the form, style, and beauty of his sermon as an oratorical performance. We have thereby cultivated a worldly taste in the church and raised the clamor for... talent, instead of grace; … Continue reading The Devil and the Church
A Prayer for My Teammates
This week, news broke of another well-known Christian minister committing suicide. In the wake of this news, there has been a lot of talk about mental illness and of the absurd expectations and burdens that are put on ministers. Both of these topics are very appropriate. As Ed Stetzer wrote, "The reality is that pastors … Continue reading A Prayer for My Teammates
A Prayer for Growth
I have challenged the members at Alameda Church of Christ to spend 5 minutes a day in God's Word and to pray the following prayer every day for the next two months as I preach a sermon series on the fruit of the Spirit: Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in … Continue reading A Prayer for Growth
An Error at Third
Yesterday, I attended the last regular season game of the Oklahoma City Dodgers (the Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers) with some people from my church family. The Dodgers didn't play well and they lost the game. On one play, a ball was hit to the Dodgers' third baseman who booted the … Continue reading An Error at Third
A Tale of Two Spies
OK, this is really a tale of two groups of spies and it goes like this... There was once a small nation of people who set their sights on making their home in a distant land. As they got nearer to this land, the nation's leader sent an elite reconnaissance team into the area to … Continue reading A Tale of Two Spies
Boost Your Energy
Well, another week is upon us and by the end of the week most of us will be exhausted. But it doesn't have to be that way. Here's some practical advice from Michael Hyatt on how to boost your energy level... I am a high-energy person. But I haven’t always been that way. There have … Continue reading Boost Your Energy
Leaving the Faith
In the past few weeks news has broken about some well-known ministers within evangelical Christianity leaving their faith and walking away from the church. The Bible gives several reasons for why people denounce the truth of the Gospel, including these: "Devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). "an unbelieving heart" … Continue reading Leaving the Faith
