Editor’s Note: This is the seventh in a series on the The Ministry of a Shepherd from Ezekiel 34.
Matthew records an account during the ministry of Jesus that took place after the execution of John the Baptist. The Gospel accounts that after Jesus learned of those events, He withdrew to a deserted place alone. The people soon discovered where Jesus was, and a large crowd gathered on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee to spend time with Him. Here, we see the compassion of Jesus who, despite His own personal sorrow, saw that the multitudes were like sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34). He was moved with compassion for them and healed the sick among them. Read More »
It became clear that things were not right. I could not walk straight, there was a tingling sensation in my hands and feet, and I had limited use of the muscles in my face. Multiple doctors but no answers. I remember sleeping on the couch, trying to get comfortable and telling God that I was ready for whatever He had to tell me. During all of this I shared my symptoms with my brother, who casually mentioned them to a member in our church. She was a doctor who formerly worked at a neurological hospital. She called him late on a Saturday night and woke him up to tell him she knew what I had and exactly what hospital to go to. Read More »
“God never uses a man greatly until he hurts him deeply.” So said A. W. Tozer. Few men can attest to this truth like John Donne, the 17th century English preacher, poet, and Dean of St. Paul’s Church in London from 1621 until his death in 1631. Today Donne is more known for his poetry than for his preaching, but he was a master at both. Oddly, Donne lay in virtual obscurity for the average person until the first quarter of the 20th century when T.S. Eliot’s recommendation that Donne be published anew catapulted him into the status of a major English poet. Read More »
‘Tis the season when throngs of shoppers search for that perfect gift. Resources of time, energy and money are expended and extended in acquiring gifts that hopefully will convey the love of the giver behind the gift. Honestly, the whole process is alarmingly subjective. Read More »
The irony of the Christmas season is that Christ gets pushed out. That’s clear enough. It’s an observation that’s good to make to our people when we preach as we refocus their attention on the manger not the mall. But a little honesty forces me to admit that I often leave out the “real meaning of Christmas” in my preaching. Read More »
Church leaders can become discouraged when their churches are not moving forward. Some churches are militant against change, but most churches today are composed of people who live in a world that is changing all the time. In the 21st century, we have learned to roll with change and even to see change as a good thing. Though this is not true of every church, a majority of people in most churches are at least somewhat open to new ways of doing things. Change is inevitable, so in the longer run, even in resistant churches, the inertia is on the side of the leaders seeking the church to move forward toward Christ. Read More »
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series on the The Ministry of a Shepherd from Ezekiel 34.
I don’t always eat right. There, I said it. I should eat more vegetables and less Hot Tamales candy. In fact, I’m sure if I put my mind to it, I could come up with a much longer list of things that I should do … and maybe I should do that. Read More »
Note: This post is part six in a six-part series on how the book of Jude demonstrates qualities of a good sermon. Read More »
Note: This post is part five in a six-part series on how the book of Jude demonstrates qualities of a good sermon. Read More »
Note: This post is part four in a six-part series on how the book of Jude demonstrates qualities of a good sermon. Read More »
