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Now available: revised gospel hymns for today's generation of modern churchgoers. The old favorites can now be sung without guilt, conviction, or discomfort. Hundreds of your old favorites made comfortable. Some of the titles include: ~
"Amazing Grace, How Interesting the Sound" (from
John Mark Ministries, http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/6609.htm) Michael
Duduit, Editor There will not be an issue of PreachingNow next week; the next issue will be dated 10/04/05.
Studying context is essential John MacArthur and the faculty of The Master's Seminary have produced a new volume (adapted from their earlier Rediscovering Expository Preaching), titled Preaching: How to Preach Biblically (Thomas Nelson). In a chapter on "Central Ideas, Outline and Titles," Donald McDougall writes, "The meaning and significance of a given word is only comprehended through a clear understanding of its context. This should be evident to anyone who reflects on common usage of the English language. Extreme care is required to ensure that the meaning of a word in one book or by one author is not arbitrarily transferred to another book or author. The structure or flow of each passage is, therefore, of utmost importance in preparing a true expository or exegetical message. Understanding the argument of a passage and of an entire book is essential if one is to comprehend what the author is communicating." (Click here to learn more about the book Preaching.)
Should we recognize boys and girls learn differently? The Sept 19, 2005 issue of Newsweek contains a story highlighting the differences in the way boys and girls learn. Reporter Peg Tyre writes: "Three years ago, Jeff Gray, the principal at Foust Elementary School in Owensboro, Ky., realized that his school needed help -- and fast. Test scores at Foust were the worst in the county and the students, particularly the boys, were falling far behind. So Gray took a controversial course for educators on brain development, then revamped the first- and second-grade curriculum. "The biggest change: he divided the classes by gender. Because males have less serotonin in their brains, which Gray was taught may cause them to fidget more, desks were removed from the boys' classrooms and they got short exercise periods throughout the day. Because females have more oxytocin, a hormone linked to bonding, girls were given a carpeted area where they sit and discuss their feelings. Because boys have higher levels of testosterone and are theoretically more competitive, they were given timed, multiple-choice tests. The girls were given multiple-choice tests, too, but got more time to complete them. Gray says the gender-based curriculum gave the school "the edge we needed." Tests scores are up. Discipline problems are down. This year the fifth and sixth grades at Foust are adopting the new curriculum, too. . . . "To close the educational gender gap, (author Michael) Gurian says, teachers need to change their techniques. They should light classrooms more brightly for boys and speak to them loudly, since research shows males don't see or hear as well as females. Because boys are more-visual learners, teachers should illustrate a story before writing it and use an overhead projector to practice reading and writing." (Click here to read the full Newsweek article.) If public schools are looking at this issue, should the church also consider the value of separate classes for boys and girls? Could that be one way to help boys stay engaged and growing as Christian disciples? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9285515/site/newsweek/
Preaching Truth Conferences Planned Across U.S. Plan now to be part of one of our "Preaching Truth in a Whatever World" one-day conferences. We're in Little Rock today, but there are several more events to choose from. Our Nov. 29 conference originally planned for New Orleans has now been rescheduled for Birmingham. Location information is available on our website at www.preaching.com/truth. Using the theme "Preaching Truth in a Whatever World," each event will feature presentations by Dr. Michael Duduit, editor of Preaching magazine and PreachingNow, and an array of outstanding guest speakers. Here are dates and areas for fall conferences (exact church location/address is at our website, www.preaching.com/truth):
These conferences will offer insights into the unique preaching challenges of today, and will offer a toolbox of strategies and ideas for effective biblical preaching in today's "whatever" culture. Visit our information page (www.preaching.com/truth) for more information or to register.
ILLUSTRATION: Standards, Direction, Bible In his book Empowered Church Leadership (InterVarsity Press), Brian J. Dodd writes, "Every square meter of the planet has its own satellite address, called its geocode. These precise addresses materialized because of the American military drive to be able to land laser-guided bombs down chimneys. Now an average citizen, if he or she is willing to spend enough money, can have a personal version of the global positioning system (GPS) in a car's dashboard. The GPS computer will tell a driver how far to the next turn, display the map of where the person is and plot the quickest route to the desired destination. One version even talks to the driver in a computerized voice: 'Turn around immediately. You are going the wrong way.' "The GPS works from the ancient sailing principle of triangulation. On the open sea, without reference points or a compass, a ship hopelessly drifts in unknown directions. When one is traveling great distances, even a degree off course can result in landing hundreds of miles from one's destination. An ancient mariner determined location and course by creating a triangle between the ship and two other fixed points (hence the term triangulation). During the day visible land was essential. On clear nights, the stars provided all sorts of fixed points by which position could be determined. In the technological age, a traveler needs only to be able to read a computer-generated map that decodes position by triangulating from the GPS satellite system. "Anyone who wants to find God's path and direction knows the need for a reference point. Without God's positioning, we are adrift on the open sea. With no fixed reference points around us, with only floating values, opinions and competing goals, we cannot navigate a sure course. We need eternal reference points, God's Word and God's will. This need has never been greater for leaders of the Christian church in the West. We often have neglected God's great Global Positioning System, and we have found ourselves drifting along with the wind." (Click here to learn more about the book Empowered Church Leadership)
ILLUSTRATION: Repentance, Discipline, Change Late in the fourth quarter, Michigan trailed Wisconsin by one point in basketball. Rumeal Robinson went to the foul line for Michigan for two shots and a chance to take the lead. He missed both shots and Michigan lost. For the rest of the season, Robinson shot 100 extra free throws after every practice. At the end of the season, playing for the national championship, Robinson again found himself at the foul line. This time, Robinson made both baskets, winning the championship for Michigan. What if Robinson had only practiced his free throws for a week, then went back to life as usual? He might not have been prepared when he was called to the line in the championship. Difficult situations in life should motivate us to make permanent, not temporary, changes. Repenting for a little while, then reverting to life as usual, leaves us ripe for yet another round of discipline. The psalmist wrote, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes." When God affords you the privilege of a learning experience, make good on it. Repenting for a little while is just a delayed version of not repenting at all. (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 9-13-05)
ILLUSTRATION: Friendship, Brotherhood In the late sixties, a popular singing group, The Hollies, had a smash hit entitled, He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother. The song title and its inspiration came from the motto of Boys Town, an organization founded by Father Edward Flanagan as a place where troubled and homeless boys could turn for help. One day while reading a magazine, Father Flanagan came across a drawing of a boy carrying a younger boy on his back. The caption read, "He ain't heavy Mr., he's my brother." Father Flanagan later gained permission to use the phrase and commissioned a statue of the drawing with this inscription to use as Boys Town's logo. The song's lyrics tell of a brotherly relationship, of making the welfare of another one's concern and demonstrating a willingness to carry him or to bear his burdens for him. (Gayle Haywood, Brentwood [TN] Baptist Church)
ILLUSTRATION: Abortion In his August 18 Breakpoint commentary, Chuck Colson said, "Twelve years ago, 49 percent of all women between age 18 and 29 thought unrestricted abortion should be the law of the land. Today, just 28 percent of young women hold this view. "Those who promote -- and profit from -- abortion are trying to figure out what's going on. Alexander Sanger, chairman of International Planned Parenthood, complains that the numbers are 'unbelievably shocking.' And he warns: 'It's not just the numbers that are down . . . It's the enthusiasm.' When Sanger visits colleges, he finds that many no longer have an abortion rights group. But, as he told GLAMOUR magazine, he 'has yet to visit one that doesn't have a strong, vocal faction of pro-life women.' "Abortion advocates are astonished because, after all, these are the very women who are supposed to want abortion rights the most. A story in GLAMOUR magazine, titled 'The mysterious disappearance of young pro-choice women,' came up with several possible answers. Among them are three reasons. First, young women now take abortion rights for granted. Second, they think good birth control will make abortion obsolete. And third, they've seen ultrasound pictures of unborn babies. "GLAMOUR gets it partly right. But the magazine neglects the most important reasons. First, since pro-choice women aborted their daughters, those daughters didn't grow up to advocate for abortion rights. Meanwhile, pro-life women have taught their daughters why it's wrong to kill unborn children. "Second, today's college kids know that some of their sisters and brothers are missing because their mothers had abortions -- and they know that, under different circumstances, they themselves might have been aborted. "Third, women who abort are breaking through the media blackout to tell their stories -- telling younger women how their bodies were damaged by so-called safe, legal abortions -- describing how their abortions led to infertility, and to emotional pain that won't go away. They're talking about the proven link between abortion and breast cancer, about the higher suicide rate among women who abort, and about women who are killed by chemical abortions. They're revealing the fact that huge numbers of women regret their abortions for the rest of their lives. "In short, young women are finally hearing the truth about abortion: it doesn't get rid of a 'blob of tissue' -- it kills a living baby. And it's not the 'safe surgery' that advocates claim: it carries terrible risks and long-term consequences." (Click here to read the full commentary.)
ILLUSTRATION: Ability, Intelligence Perhaps you have heard the story of the football coach who had two quarterbacks. The first team quarterback was gifted, aggressive, and a born leader. The second string quarterback was, let us say, limited. Oh, he was athletic enough but unfortunately, he lacked a mind for strategy. The championship game was in progress, the score was tied, the home team had the ball, and the clock was ticking down. An opposing player broke through the line of scrimmage and slammed the star quarterback to the ground with such force that the signal-caller had to leave the game. Time was running out. The coach had no choice but to put in the back-up. The substitute trotted onto the field, huddled the team, and strode up to the line of scrimmage. Surveying the opposing team, and much to everyone's surprise, he changed the play at the line. The ball was snapped, the quarterback handed it off to the half-back who busted up the middle and sped all the way into the end zone with the winning touchdown! An amazing play. Moments later, in the ecstatic dressing room, the coach grabbed his second-team quarterback by the shoulder pads and said, "Son, that was great! How did you know to call that play?" The boy said, "Uh, well coach, it weren't easy. I got up to the line and looked across at two of the biggest players I've ever seen and I seen their numbers. One of 'em was wearing a six and the other one was wearing a seven, so I just added them numbers together and got fourteen and called number fourteen." The coach hesitated a moment and said, "But son, six and seven make 13." The boy, quite unmoved by the correction, said, "You know what coach? If I was as smart as you, we would have lost the game." Things do not always add up the way they are supposed to, do they? (www.Sermons.com, 2005)
ILLUSTRATION: Jericho, Bible Knowledge The Sunday School teacher addressed the class: "Children, who knocked down the wall of Jericho?" No one answered, so she called on Billy. "Billy, tell me who knocked down the wall of Jericho?" Billy replied, "Don't ask me. I didn't do it and I don't know who did; and besides, if I did know I don't rat on people." The teacher became very angry and marched Billy right out the classroom door to the Sunday School superintendent. "Mrs. Archer, Billy refuses to tell me who broke down the wall of Jericho. I think he should be disciplined." The Sunday School superintendent replied, "Don't worry. I am sure the thing was about ready to fall apart anyway. Besides, we can take money out of the endowment fund to replace the thing."
"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless." (Thomas Edison)
LeaderLinks is a web-based publication for Christian leaders. The September issue is now available at www.leaderlinks.com. 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. LeaderLinks is a publication of American Ministry Resources, which is the publisher of PreachingNow, Preaching magazine and preaching.com.
King Ozymndias of Assyria was running low on cash after years of war with the Hittites. His last great possession was the Star of the Euphrates, the most valuable diamond in the ancient world. Desperate, he went to Crosus, the pawnbroker, to get a loan. Crosus said, "I'll give you 100,000 dinars for it." "But I paid a million dinars for it," the King protested. Don't you know who I am? I am the king!" Crosus replied, "When you wish to pawn a Star, makes no difference who you are." (Cybersalt Digest)
Things You'll Never Hear in a Western Movie Here are some bits of dialogue that you probably won't hear John Wayne or Clint Eastwood speaking in a western movie: "I reckon I'll have me a half-calf double latte with a twist. IN A DIRTY MUG!" "Gentlemen, rather than get caught up in mindless reaction, let's draw upon our feminine selves for a more intuitive solution." "Can we postpone this duel till 12:05? I gotta use the little boy's room." "Let's see . . . hardtack and pemmican . . . that's three grams of fat, seven grams of protein, and two starches." "You 'n' Slim round up them strays, and I'll tell Cookie to get started on the gazpacho and the fondue." "That's him! That's the yellow-bellied varmint who shot my therapist!" "He was a strong man, a good marshal, and I reckon he had a keen eye for interior decoration." "Hey, Buck, do these chaps make my behind look big?" "It's like I keep tellin' ya, Earl: men is from Tombstone, women is from Dodge. (Bob Armstrong, via TIPS for Extraordinary Living, July 31, 2005)
And finally . . . Biscuits -- they're not just for breakfast anymore. A driver was stopped for speeding near Wabash, Ind., and attempted to distract a drug-sniffing dog by throwing dog biscuits from his car, according to a Sept. 16 AP story. Troopers stopped the 23-year-old driver along U.S. 24 on Wednesday. They called for a Sheriff's Department dog after he appeared to be nervous and at one point vomited. According to the AP story, "As the dog walked around the car, (the driver) threw dog biscuits and debris out the window toward the dog in an apparent attempt to distract it, police said. The dog nonetheless indicated the possible presence of illegal drugs in the car." The man refused to leave the car and had to be pulled out by officers, police said. Troopers reported finding about 75 grams of marijuana hidden in the car.
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