 |
|
|
It's hard to articulate what a blessing it was to be at this year's National Conference on Preaching. Pastors and church leaders from 28 states (and Canada) had an opportunity to experience the powerful proclamation of God's Word that took place as our speakers talked about (and modeled) "Preaching With Passion." Looking over some of the evaluation forms, I came across comments like this: "This conference is one of the best I have ever attended in 35 years of ministry. All of the speakers spoke to what I needed to hear. Thanks for such a refreshing experience." (Frank Holsclaw, Pawleys Island (SC) Presbyterian Church) "I loved it! I feel like I learned a lot. . . . I have found new preaching models, and I have a renewed passion to preach God's Word effectively." (Bryan Roberts, Liberty Christian Church, Havelock, NC) "It exceeded my expectations. Every speaker and workshop leader contributed something valuable." (Bryce Mansink, Christian Reformed Church, Baldwin, WI) "A challenging, convicting, encouraging time." (Stephen Sowder, First Baptist Church, Fulton, MO) If you missed NCP 2005, click here to order audio cassettes or CDs. And pull out your calendar right now and mark the dates April 24-26, 2006, for the 16th annual National Conference on Preaching, which will be at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX (suburban Dallas). Our theme will be "Preaching Creatively." Michael
Duduit, Editor Click here to visit "I Was Just Thinking" for insights and observations about faith and culture issues.
One-third of Americans unchurched A recent update from researcher George Barna shows that, "Despite widespread efforts to increase church attendance across the nation, the annual survey of church attendance conducted by The Barna Group shows that one-third of all adults (34%) remain 'unchurched.' That proportion has changed little during the past five years. However, because of the nation's population continuing growth, the number of unchurched adults continues to grow by nearly a million people annually." Despite their lack of involvement in a church, many of the unchurched are engaged in religious activities; in fact, more than 50% consider themselves Christians. According to Barna's research: "During a typical month, six out of ten unchurched adults worship God (but not via church services); three out of ten study the Bible; and one out of every seven has times of prayer and Bible reading with family members. The religious media play a part in their spiritual life, too, with four out of ten absorbing Christian content through television, radio, magazines or faith-based websites during a typical month. In addition, one-quarter of them have conversations with one or more friends who held them accountable for carrying out their faith principles." (Click here to read the full report.) http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=185
Application takes different forms In a recent article, Haddon Robinson points out that not all sermons require the same kind of approach: "A sermon touches life. It demands practical application. That practical application, though, need not always be spelled out. Imagine, for example, that you borrow my car and it has a flat. You call me up and say, 'I've never changed a tire on a car like this. What do I do?'" "I tell you how to find the spare, how to use the jack, where to find the key that unlocks the wire rim. Once I give you all the instructions, then do I say, 'Now, I exhort you: change the tire'? No, you already want to get the car going. Because you already sense the need, you don't need exhortation. You simply need a clear explanation. "Some sermons are like that. Your people are wrestling with a certain passage of Scripture. They want to know what it means. Unless they understand the text, it's useless to apply it. They don't need exhortation; they need explanation. Their questions about the text must be answered." (Click here to read the full article.) http://store.yahoo.com/pttranscripts/noapne.html
ILLUSTRATION: Prayer In the April 13 edition of his Turning Point Daily Devotional, David Jeremiah tells the story of Burleigh Law, a missionary pilot in Congo, who "was once trapped in a deadly sky by a storm that seemed to come from nowhere. Burleigh lost his bearings as thunderclouds surrounded him on every side. Here and there openings appeared in the clouds, and he kept turning his plane toward those openings, following little patches of blue like a needle through fabric. Finally he saw a little landing strip beneath him, and he landed with a sigh of relief. "Suddenly a vehicle came racing up to his plane. A nurse ran to him, saying, "I don't know where you came from, but I know you are an answer to our prayers." "A missionary couple had been isolated on this remote mission station. The roads were impassible and the bridges were out. The wife had become seriously ill with a high fever. Early that morning the Christians in the village had gathered in earnest prayer for help. God responded by arranging the storm clouds in the sky to direct Burleigh Law's little plane to that very spot of earth. "If you're in trouble, pray. God's delight is to deliver us in His own way and time through the power of our prayers." (Virginia Law, Appointment Congo [Chicago: Rand McNally & Co., 1966], pp. 20-21.)
ILLUSTRATION: Misery, Self "If you want to be miserable think about yourself, about what you want, what you like, what respect people ought to pay you, and what people think of you." (Charles Kingsley)
ILLUSTRATION: Parents, Children, Time A first-grader asked his mother why his dad brought home a briefcase full of material each night. She explained that he had so much work to do that he couldn't get it all done at the office. The youngster pondered this soberly, then asked, "Well, why don't they put him in a slower group?" That's a good question. If a parent steals time from his and her family to complete work-related tasks, that is an unwise trade-off. Once you allow time for their homework and clean up, seldom is there more than one hour per day to interact with the children. When you think of potential return on investment, no other time is so precious. Don't let anything or anyone steal it from you. Don't let a TV pre-empt your dinnertime conversation. So quickly will pass the opportunities to review their homework or share their bedtime prayers. (Bill Bouknight, "Just a Thought")
ILLUSTRATION: Quotes on Giving "Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure is, there is your heart; where your heart is, there is your happiness." (Augustine) "If you give what you do not need, it isn't giving." (Mother Teresa) "I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare." (C. S. Lewis) "Do your giving while you're living so you're knowing where it's going." (Stan Toler) "Give according to your income, lest God make your income according to your giving." (Peter Marshall)
|
|||
| |||
|
ILLUSTRATION: Political Correctness, Satisfying Others There was a farmer who had many pigs. One day someone went to the farm and asked the farmer: "What do you use to feed your pigs?" "Well, I give them acorn, corn, things like that. Why?" "Because I am from the Animal Protection Association and I think you don't feed them like you should, they shouldn't eat wastes." Then he fined the farmer. Some days later, another person arrived and asked the same question. The farmer answered: "Well, I feed them very well. I give them salmon, caviar, shrimp, steak. Why?" "Because I am from the United Nations Organization and I think it's unfair that you feed your pigs like that when there are people dying with nothing to eat." And he fined the farmer. Finally, another man came in and asked just the same question. The hesitant farmer thought for a moment, then answered: "Well, I give five dollars to each pig so they can buy whatever they want." (Pastor Tim's CleanLaugh List)
From Abingdon Press, this week's newsletter sponsor: The Academy of Parish Clergy has chosen A History of Preaching, by O.C. Edwards, and published by Abingdon Press, as The 2005 Book of the Year. "Everyone who preaches will want to buy and read Edwards's wonderful volume." (David Buttrick) " . . . a . . . wonderful book . . . ." (William H. Willimon) "I hope every preacher and student of preaching will read this book" (Richard Lischer). A History of Preaching brings together narrative history and primary sources (in Volume 2 on the enclosed CD) to provide the most comprehensive guide available to the story of the church's ministry of proclamation. (Click here to learn more.) http://www.abingdonpress.com/search.aspx?scope=author&query=Edwards&pid=0687038642
ILLUSTRATION: Aging The Senility Prayer: God grant me the Senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.
"If your dreams turn to dust — vacuum." (Anonymous)
Leader Links is a web-based publication for Christian leaders. The April issue is now available at www.leaderlinks.com, and features an interview with Stan Toler, featured leadership resources, and more. Interested readers can also go to the site (or just click here) and subscribe to LeadingNow, a monthly e-mail newsletter featuring ideas and resources for Christian leaders. Leader Links is a publication of American Ministry Resources, which is the publisher of PreachingNow, Preaching magazine and preaching.com.
ILLUSTRATION: Misunderstanding, Compliments The customer was furious when his steak arrived too rare. "Waiter!" he shouted. "Didn't you hear me say 'well done'?" "Yes, and I can't thank you enough, sir," replied the waiter. "I hardly ever get a compliment."
How to Have a Perfect Pastor A recent survey has compiled all the qualities that people expect from the perfect pastor: Results of a computerized survey indicated that the perfect pastor preaches exactly 12 minutes. He frequently condemns sin but never upsets anyone. He works on his sermons from 8 a.m. until midnight and after working hours volunteers as the church janitor. He makes $100 a week, wears good clothes, buys good books, drives a good car, and gives about $150 a week to the poor. He is 28 years of age and has been preaching for 30 years. He gives himself completely but never gets too close to anyone so as to avoid criticism. He has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends all his time with senior citizens. He makes 15 daily calls to parish families, visits shut-ins and the hospitalized, spends all his time evangelizing the unchurched, and is always in his office when needed.
And finally . . . He may not qualify as the Marlboro Man, but Charlie the chimp has picked up a bad habit, and his keepers are trying to make him go cold turkey. Charlie — a chimpanzee who lives at the Bloemfontein Zoo in South Africa — picked up the smoking habit from visitors who would toss him cigarettes. (Apparently South African tourists don't carry healthier snacks when they visit the zoo.) "It looks funny to see a chimp smoking," a zoo spokesman said, but Charlie's trick could cost him his health. One zoo official says Charlie "acts like a naughty schoolboy" and hides his cigarettes when workers are around. According to an April 22 Associated Press article, the zoo is asking visitors to quit tossing cigarettes and contributing to the chimp's habit. Maybe they can start throwing him Nicorette patches instead.
Not a current subscriber to Preaching magazine? Why not share PreachingNow with a friend? Missing
an issue of PreachingNow? Problems
with links? Received
this by mistake? |
| PreachingNow is a publication of American Ministry
Resources. Editor: Dr. Michael Duduit. |