 |
|
|
March Madness is upon us -- and it's going to cost big. I just heard on the radio that people who analyze such things estimate American business will lose as much as $3 billion over this three-week period, both from lost productivity (people standing around water coolers checking brackets, watching games on their computers instead of working, etc.) and drains on computer resources (those same games being watched at work, pulling server power that would otherwise go to work-related purposes). It's amazing how costly it can be when people take their eyes off the ball at work. It's even more costly when people take their eyes off the ball in life. When we allow ourselves to be distracted from life's ultimate goals, we lose valuable time and we lose potential victories we might have otherwise experienced. This week -- in the midst of the "Sweet Sixteen" and related happenings -- take a moment to think about what God really wants you to accomplish during the next seven days. And don't take your eyes off the ball! Michael
Duduit, Editor Click here to visit "I Was Just Thinking" (Michael’s blog) for insights and observations about faith and culture issues. Recent topics: Stem Cells that work. Avoiding Bush?
Using other pastors' sermons In an article for pastors.com, Tony Liston says, "That a pastor would gladly admit to using other pastors' sermons is a shock to a lot of long-time Christians, but I openly admit it up front. On the back of our listening guide (sermon outline) each Sunday are these words: 'Any/all outlines represented in the Listening Guide(s) whether adapted or in their original form are used 'by permission' of the original author.' "An older believer who was visiting us one Sunday came up to me after the service, pointing at the note, and said, 'You don't write all your own sermons?' I smiled and replied, 'Are you kidding me? Fifty-two times a year plus small groups and countless other specialized classes? I'm not that good! But I have enough good sense to find the people who can help make me good.' With that, I could see the lights come on, and with a big smile he said, 'That makes great sense.' "There are some things I love about using other pastors' sermons as a part of my research and prep, but let me say up front that I'm not talking about preaching them word for word whether they are downloaded or from a book. There are many stories of pastors who plagiarize, and I make no defense of their deception. It's simply wrong. On the other hand, pastors using other pastors' sermons is as old as the Church and is not a secret practice. It's part of our Christian heritage, and it's part of our handing off the baton. At times they've been used as commentaries and study helps, and at other times as skeletons for other sermons. Those other pastors' sermons have been a great blessing to me." (Click here to read the full article.) http://www.pastors.com/article.asp?ArtID=9229
Missing the mark in ministry to gays Tim Wilkins was once involved in a homosexual lifestyle. Today he is a Christian and has a ministry (www.CrossMinistry.org) to persons struggling with homosexuality. In his most recent newsletter, he writes: "Society in general and churches in particular mistakenly believe freedom from homosexuality is marrying, having 2.3 children and a dog in the back yard. A 2001 secular study on the possibility of change shows the depth of this ingrained 'doctrine'. Dr. Robert Spitzer, a Columbia University professor, interviewed men and women who said they used to be homosexual; I was one of many he questioned. As beneficial as his study was and as much as I appreciate the visibility it gave to change, his study measured heterosexual function of the former homosexual -- again missing the real issue. "But" you ask, "don't homosexuals need to become heterosexuals?" No! Scripture never states nor implies all people must be heterosexual; it does say explicitly, however, that we are to avoid all forms of sexual immorality, which includes homosexuality. With that in mind have we not at times given the impression that homosexuals must "convert" to heterosexuality? Jesus did not say "Go and make heterosexuals"; He said, "Go and make disciples." "But" you ask, "isn't heterosexuality the opposite of homosexuality?" No! The opposite of homosexuality is holiness! The term "former homosexual" is inadequate if not inappropriate. We mistakenly think a person who has found freedom from same-sex attractions is now heterosexual. The former homosexual man or woman may now experience heterosexual feelings, but heterosexuality should never be his or the churches' goal. Heterosexuality is in many cases, but not all, a byproduct of the homosexual's dealing with the primary issues -- a distorted self-image and faulty thinking -- both of which Satan uses to "gain control." The church will do well to remember that singleness is not a sin, immorality is. What all this means is that most of churches' advice to the homosexual misses the mark entirely! (Tim will be leading his "More Than Words" conference at First Baptist, Dallas, on May 6 and at First Assembly of God, Raleigh, on August 12. Visit his website, www.CrossMinistry.org for information)
What Would Jesus Preach? Jim Martin of Crestview Church of Christ in Waco, Texas, recently wrote about what Jesus might say if He was to appear in your church this Sunday. Martin suggests: "What would he say? I wonder if he would evaluate things differently than we do? He might say something like the following: You do not evaluate your lives the way I do. I am more concerned about whether or not these people love God and people than anything else. You do not evaluate your church the way I do. I am more concerned about you being my presence in this community rather than whether or not you may be happy with the way things are going. . . . You do not evaluate truth the way I do. Sermon messages are not good if they seem to pass the popularity contest. There were times when I spoke and people walked away, wanting nothing more to do with me. You do not ask the right questions. You need to be asking in your families, in your church meetings, and among your leadership these questions: "What does Jesus want us to do? What would he do? What do we know about him that might help us know what to do?" (Click here to read the full article.) http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2006/02/what_would_jesu.html
Top
Ten Reasons to attend the 10. You'd love to gain new tools to help you become a more creative communicator 9. Dallas is a city of great preachers -- and you want to be a great preacher! 8. You'll really enjoy hearing effective preachers like Ed Young, Jr., Haddon Robinson, Calvin Miller, Dieter Zander, Jack Graham and many more. 7. Two words: barbecued brisket. 6. Those practical preaching workshops will send you home with great new ideas for more effective preaching. 5. You can leave your tie at home. 4. Great preaching and worship with hundreds of other preachers will be a thrilling time of inspiration and renewal. 3. April is one of the most comfortable months of the year to visit Dallas, with average temperatures reaching into the mid-70s. 2. Dallas is a city of big hair, big churches, and big barbecue. (Did we mention the brisket?) 1. You'll come home with new ideas, new friends, and a new vision for preaching the Word. If some of those reasons sound like they may fit you, then visit the NCP website at
ILLUSTRATION: Despair, Hope When Dan Richardson, an enthusiastic believer in Christ, lost his battle with cancer, the following piece was distributed at his memorial service.
You cannot deny that you have the disease, but you can deny despair from taking control. Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances, call for God's daily delivery of wisdom, strength, and grace. Each morning, slam the door on despair. If you don't, it will slip in and rob you. And you'll soon find a peace missing. (Dallas Seminary Daily Devotional, 3-8-06)
ILLUSTRATION: Family In her book The Surprising Power of Family Meals (Steer Forth Press, 2005), Miriam Weinstein makes the case that the institution of the shared family meal represents something of vital importance for human life. In one of his recent commentaries, R. Albert Mohler talks about Weinstein's assertions: "As she explains, the research indicates that a shared family meal leads to the strengthening of family bonds, the deepening of relationships, and higher levels of satisfaction and effectiveness among family members. According to Weinstein, the research shows how eating ordinary, average, everyday supper with your family is strongly linked to lower incidents of bad outcomes such as teenage drug and alcohol use, and to good qualities like emotional stability. It correlates with kindergartners being better prepared to learn to read. (It even trumps getting read to.) Regular family supper helps keep kids out of hospitals. It discourages both obesity and eating disorders. It supports your staying more connected to your extended family, your ethnic heritage, your community of faith. "That's not all. Weinstein also argues that the regular rhythm of family meals will 'help children and families to be more resilient, reacting positively to those curves and arrows that life throws our way. It will certainly keep you better nourished. The things we are likely to discuss at the supper table will anchor our children more firmly in the world. Of course eating together teaches manners both trivial and momentous, putting you in touch with the deeper springs of human relations.' . . . "Weinstein marshals a considerable body of empirical data. In 1996, the national Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University [CASA] ran a study intending to see what differentiated kids involved in substance abuse from those who were not. CASA has repeated the surveys every year since. 'And every year, eating supper together regularly as a family tops the list of variables that are within our control,' Weinstein reports. 'Kids who eat more family dinners do better than those who eat a few. Kids who share a few dinners weekly do better than the ones who have none at all.' "The 2003 survey indicated that children and teens who share dinner with their families five or more nights a week were 32% likelier never to have tried cigarettes, 45% likelier to have never tried alcohol, and 24% likelier never to have smoked marijuana. 'Those who eat lots of family dinners are almost twice as likely to get A's in school as their classmates who rarely eat as a family,' Weinstein adds." (Click here to read the full commentary.) http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2006-03-06
Register
soon for the "Preaching Creatively" is the theme of the 2006 National Conference on Preaching, scheduled for April 24-26 at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX (suburban Dallas). (Visit the new and expanded conference website at www.preaching.com/ncp.) Learn about creative preaching in a postmodern age, how to do creative exposition, ways to use story, and much more. A remarkable team of speakers will be on hand for NCP 2006, including: Ed Young, Jr., Haddon Robinson, Calvin Miller, Dieter Zander, Jack Graham, Doug Pagitt, Steve Wende, Bryan L. Carter, Mike Glenn, Leroy Armstrong, Jr., Rick White, Timothy Warren, David Allen and many more. You'll draw insights and encouragement from the theme-related addresses on preaching creatively, plus great sermons and many practical workshops. Mark your calendar now to be part of the conference. Click here for additional information or to register (or call 800-288-9673). If you are planning to attend, don't delay making your hotel reservations since hotel rooms are filling up fast! The block at the Fairfield is now full, but rooms remain at the Hyatt Regency DFW and the Super 8 Grapevine. (Click here to visit the conference webpage with hotel information.)
ILLUSTRATION: Forgiveness On Tuesday, November 15, 2005, Jeffrey Schrock was driving his five children to pick up their mother, Carolyn, when their pickup truck was hit by another driver going the opposite way. Jeffrey was badly injured, but all five of the children -- ages twelve, ten, nine, five, and two -- were killed. Carolyn Schrock, pregnant with the couple's sixth child, visited the other driver in the hospital to express the family's forgiveness. A newspaper account summarized her sentiments: "Love builds bridges; hate digs chasms." Some reading the account of the Schrock family's loss might wonder, "Aren't there human limits to forgiveness? Losing five children is pushing that limit." Yes, there probably are human limits to grace and forgiveness. But the Schrock family was not drawing on human resources. Their actions and words reflected those of Scripture: "Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Only those who have received the limitless grace of God can extend limitless grace to others. If you have been wronged, build a bridge of grace. Let the grace you have received from God be the measure of grace you give. (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 3-1-06)
ILLUSTRATION: Confusion, Misunderstandings Hospital regulations required a wheelchair for patients being discharged, but a particular student nurse found one elderly gentleman -- already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet -- who insisted he didn't need her help to leave the hospital. After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let the nurse wheel him to the elevator. On the way down she asked him if his wife was meeting him. "I don't know," he said. "She's still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown."
'Preaching Truth' conferences resume in May A new series of Preaching Truth in a Whatever World events are planned for May 2006. These one-day preaching conferences explore strategies for effective biblical preaching in a postmodern world. Led by Preaching editor Michael Duduit and a variety of guest speakers, these conferences offer a valuable time of insight and refreshment for those who proclaim the Word. Preaching Truth conferences will be held in the following cities: Upland
(Ontario), CA -- May 2 For more information or to register, call (800) 288-9673, or visit the website at www.preaching.com/truth
"Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him." (Booker T. Washington)
"If a window of opportunity appears, don't pull down the shade." (Tom Peters)
From the Sponsor of This Week's Newsletter: MyGlobalLink Would you like to build your ministry's financial resources? MyGlobalLink can help. MyGlobalLink is a nationwide dialup and DSL internet service provider committed to honoring Christian values. If you become a MyGlobalLink sponsor through your church, school or organization, MyGlobalLink will return monthly income to you for every subscription, every month, for the life of each subscription. For information visit www.mygloballink.com/preaching
A man goes to a fancy restaurant wearing an open-collared shirt. The maitre d' stops him and says, "Sorry sir, but if you want to dine here, you must wear a tie. Those are the rules." Thinking, the man goes back to his car, pulls some jumper cables out of the trunk, and wraps them around his neck. He goes back to the maitre d' and says, "How's this?" "Fine," the maitre d' replies, "but don't try and start anything."
"The Cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, and we have to get near enough for its sparks to fall on us." (John R.W. Stott)
Top
10 Signs the Ushers at Your Church 10. Now giving out pagers to alert you when a pew becomes available 9. No more "spiritual profiling" of visitors 8. Offering wider variety of communion wafer toppings 7. Turns the Tazer voltage WAY down now when zapping someone sleeping during sermon 6. Will wipe down pew seat for you and not expect a tip 5. Goo-Goo Gaa-Gaa Squad created for crying-baby crisis 4. Quick-response Communion Cup Disinfection Team for slobberers 3. During lulls in worship service, pushes service cart down aisle, offering beverages and peanuts 2. No longer singing parody lyrics under their breath to modern praise and worship songs 1. Two words: Pew massages Copyright 2005 Dave Tippett (djtippHA@yahoo.com). Permission is granted to send this to others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.
And finally . . . Throw the book at me, your honor! Curtis Gokey, a Lodi, CA man, sued the city for damages when a dump truck driven by a city employee backed into his car. One small complication: Curtis was the city employee driving the truck as he ran into his own car. That little detail didn't stop Curtis from making a claim against the city for $3,600 in damages. When the city denied the claim -- saying that he was, in essence, suing himself -- he and his wife refiled the claim under her name. Now, according to a May 16 AP story, City Attorney Steve Schwabauer said this claim also lacks merit because Rhonda Gokey can't sue her own husband. "You can sue your spouse for divorce, but you can't sue your spouse for negligence," Schwabauer said. "They're a married couple under California law. They're one entity. It's damage to community property." But the wife insists she has "the right to sue the city because a city's vehicle damaged my private vehicle." And her claim is for an even larger amount: $4,800. "I'm not as nice as my husband is," she said.
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. |