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Because this page serves as the entry point for many (almost all) of the items posted to this website, many different kinds of articles are linked from this page. "Recent Posts" are generally maintained on this page for up to three months, then moved to appropriate locations on the site. While many are moved to the one or more of the sub-categories on this extended page, some are moved to index pages related to ministry or Bible topics and texts.
Many articles on this page are suitable for use in church bulletins and may be reproduced with appropriate credit. Others may be used as "sermon starters" or as illustrations. Most links are dated to help identify more recent materials. An exception is the textually based articles.
Some articles from this page (or edited versions) are available on my "blog". The blog also contains some articles that are not available here. You can use the topical index at the blog site to find additional articles and reflections.
The "bits from bob" articles from 1987 to 1995 are indexed separately. These appeared in the Fort Gibson "Family of God" church bulletin.
Articles are organized as follows:
| Recent Articles |
| Seasonal and Holidays |
| Reprints (Author Unknown) |
| Not Classified |
| Church: |
| Church Mission |
| Missional Church |
| Healthy Church |
| Church Planting |
| Church Growth |
| Contemporary Church & Culture: News/Reports/Surveys |
| Leadership: |
| Church/Minister Finances |
| Ministry: |
| Evangelism |
| Preaching |
| Sermons |
| Worship |
| Communion Meditations |
| Generational-Family-Youth Ministry |
| Missions: |
| Short-Term Missions |
| Mission Philosophy |
| General Missions |
| Christian Living |
| Marriage/Family |
| Devotional Life: |
| Bible Reading |
| Prayer |
| Spirituality |
| Bible Texts |
| Old Testament |
| New Testament |
| Bible Topics |
| Foundations Series |
Recent Posts and Articles
1.31.12 | Leadership in Action [Acts 6:1-7]
1.30.12 | Visionary Leadership
1.25.12 | Seminario: Como Edificar un Equipo para la Iglesia Local
1.25.12 | Seminar Outline: How to Build a Team in Your Church
1.16.12 | 5-4-3-2-1 Evangelism
12.26.11 | Themes for Preaching Genesis through Judges
12.24.11 | People Who Get a Lot Done
12.7.11 | Sermon: Responses to Grace [3] [Romans]
12.7.11 | Sermon: Old Testament Foundations of Grace [2]
12.7.11 | Sermon: What Grace Does for Me [1]
12.1.11 | Relationship between Evangelism and Benevolence in Mission Work
12.1.11 | Journey to Understanding: Christ-Centered
11.30.11 | Sermon: Those With Whom We Disagree
11.30.11 | Sermon: To Live is Christ!
11.29.11 | Motivational Preaching and Teaching that Inspires Christian Living: More on Moralizing
Autobiographical Articles
11.2.11 | Personal Mission Statement: A Good Use of Life
11.2.11 | The Essence of Local Church Ministry: Autobiographical Reflections
11.15.10 | Doing What We Hoped to Do
2.17.10 | The Unthinkable
Seasonal and Holidays
New Year: Becoming More Like Christ in the New Year: Disciplines of Discipleship
New Year: BOLD in the New Year
New Year: "Shine in 2009"
New Year: A Building for God in the New Year
New Year: The New Year: A Time for Doing, Loving, Hoping
New Year: New Beginnings
New Year: Better Than Resolutions--Set Goals
New Year: For the New Year
New Year: Welcome to a New Year
New Year: Run with Perseverance [Hebrews 12:1]
Easter: Easter: A Good Time to Rethink the Gospel
Easter: Mourning the Passing of EASTER!
Easter: A Changing World: Are We in Danger of Suffocating Easter?
Easter: Why Does the Date of Easter Change?
Mother's Day: My 62nd Mother's Day
Mother's Day: Mothers: Quotations
Mother's Day: Seven Characteristics of Effective Mothers
Mother's Day: Before I Was A Mom
Father's Day: Father's Day: A Poem
Father's Day: Father's Day: Everyone Has a Heavenly Father
Father's Day: Father's Day 2010: Four Principles
Fall: Thinking About Fall's Flight Patterns
Halloween: Halloween and Missions
Halloween: Halloween--Bless the Unitarians!
Elections: A Bright Spot Before the Election
Elections: God and My Telephone: Reflecting on Political Calls
Veteran's Day: On Honoring Our Veterans
Thanksgiving: George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation
Thanksgiving: Humbly Grateful or Grumbly Hateful?
Thanksgiving: Gratitude: An Indication that the Kingdom is Present
Thanksgiving: Reflecting on Michigan Thanksgivings
Christmas: Reflecting on Michigan Christmases
Christmas: A Christmas Invitation
Christmas: Christmas Reflections
Reprints [Author Unknown]
8.6.08 | Seven Things I Have Tried
3.15.08 | Ten Principles for Life
3.15.08 | Prayer of Abandonment
11.15.06 | Hymns for the "Over 50" Crowd
11.15.06 | Parable of the Pencil
11.15.06 | God Knows
11.15.06 | It Depends On Whose Hands It's In!
11.15.06 | Two Horses
11.10.06 | Ten Commandments for Getting Along with People
11.9.06 | An Indian Version of the Twenty-Third Psalm
11.9.06 | The Fellowship of the Unashamed
11.9.06 | Lord, Make a Regular Man Out of Me
11.9.06 | Ten Most Wanted Individuals
11.9.05 | Reasons to Smile
8.27.05 | Three Things
Not Classified
9.20.11 | Using the Internet for the Lord
11.10.06 | A Contemporary Study of Aging
3.1.04 | Passionate Because of "The Passion"
2.18.04 | Reflections on the 2004 Oklahoma Christian Lectureship
1.7.04 | The Challenge of Civic Religion
12.1.03 | Written Up or Written Down?
11.4.03 | On Whom Should the Dogs Be Set? [sexuality in our culture]
11.1.03 | Can Christian Education Teach Moral Autonomy?
4.14.02 | Anticipation
Articles About Church
Church: General
5.4.11 | Church: Mission, Method, Maturity
3.25.11 | Ephesians: The DNA of the Church where the Spirit Dwells
3.7.11 | Why Do Churches Grow?
11.15.10 | My Dream for the Church
10.23.10 | Reflections: Making a Difference
10.23.10 | Encouraging Observations: Keeping On Keeping On
10.19.10 | Churches Filled with Non-Serious People
9.7.10 | God Makes the Church a Community [1 Cor. 12-14]
3.24.10 | Tardiness: Kick the Habit
3.24.10 | Absenteeism: Kick the Habit
3.24.10 | Churches Feel the Competition
3.1.10 | Church Identity: Seeking Understanding
3.1.10 | Is Your Church Dying? Factors that Threaten the Church
2.27.10 | Undenominational Claim--Denominational Worldview
9.4.09 | Seven Characteristics of Effective, Biblical Churches
2.23.09 | Church: Where the Gifts of God Come into View
8.6.08 | Stress Fractures
8.6.08 | What Is Fellowship?
11.10.06 | Why Does the Church Exist (1)
11.10.06 | Why Does the Church Exist (2)
11.10.06 | Why Does the Church Exist (3): Implications for Ministry Training
2.18.04 | Who Are the Churches of Christ?
10.9.03 | Product and Package!
3.7.03 | Thinking About Differences
1.31.03 | The Church is the Hope of the World
6.9.02 | Is the Church "Playing Small"?
1.8.02 | What Are the Marks of a Good Church?
1.8.02 | The Church Is Like A Jigsaw Puzzle
1.2.02 | The Church is Not....
1.2.02 | How's The Church Doing?
1.2.02 | Neglecting the Church to Death
1.2.02 | You Should Be In Bible School Because...
1.21.01 | The Church Is a Place of Belonging
Church: Missional Models
MISSIONAL-EMERGENT INDEX PAGE
3.7.11 | Why Do Churches Grow?
4.27.10 | When the Church Budget Hinders a Missional Focus
3.27.10 | How Should We Do Church-1: Renewing Focus
3.27.10 | How Should We Do Church-2: Renewing Focus
3.27.10 | How Should We Do Church-3: Renewing Ministry
3.24.10 | Missional Change in Older, Established Churches
3.24.10 | On the Front Lines: How the Church Must Change
10.13.09 | Missional: Rethinking Christian Groups and Evangelism
2.23.09 | Reinventing the Closed System Model
1.24.09 | Denominational Loyalty
8.6.08 | Afraid of the Future
8.6.08 | Evangelism and the Missional Church
12.27.07 | Forward to the Past
11.6.06 | Missions/Missional: What Are We Talking About?
11.6.06 | We Are Planting Traditional Churches: Is There a Better Path to the Future?
11.1.06 | Missional Church: Sent Next Door
2.18.04 | Are We Preaching the Gospel?
12.1.03 | Worshiping the Mysterious God
12.1.03 | Understanding the Nature of Religion
8.15.03 | Missional or Maintenance?
Church: Mission or Purpose
5.6.11 | Church Mission: Why? What? How?
5.6.11 | ASCEND: The Christian Mission
5.6.11 | Church: Purpose, Identity, Agenda, Renewal
5.6.11 | The Purpose of the Church: What Business Are We In?
3.7.11 | Serious About God's Purpose
7.10.10 | What if we get our purpose wrong?
5.22.06 | What Business Are We In?
Church Health
8.16.11 | Church Vital Signs
7.1.10 | Church Health
2.2.10 | Mapping the Journey: Developing a Healthy Church
6.21.08 | Church Wellness
1.26.08 | Healthy Churches? [short version]
1.26.08 | Healthy Churches--Faithful Churches [longer version]
Church Planting
2.2.10 | Elements of Church Planting or Revitalization
11.15.09 | Reflections on the Church Planting Movement
11.6.06 | We Are Planting Traditional Churches: Is There a Better Path to the Future?
Church Growth: Vision, Planning, Renewal, Spiritual Gifts
3.9.11 | Small Groups: Church Change or Church Growth?
3.7.11 | Why Do Churches Grow?
7.27.10 | When the Church Needs Renewal
3.1.10 | Three Imperatives for Church Renewal
2.2.10 | Elements of Church Revitalization
9.4.09 | Seven Characteristics of Effective, Biblical Churches
2.23.09 | Reinventing the Closed System Model
11.8.06 | Purpose, Mission, and Vision
11.8.06 | Rethinking Vision: Basic ABC's
11.20.05 | How Do People Choose Churches Today?
11.20.03 | What If We Miss Our Destiny?
11.5.03 | Selective Vision
11.5.03 | Four Dimensions of Church Growth
10.9.03 | On Purpose
10.7.03 | A Vision Worthy of Our God
9.15.03 | Do We Really Care?
8.15.03 | Sharing the Vision
7.1.03 | What Is Our Mission?
3.7.03 | Nothing Less Than Excellence
7.17.02 | Automatic Church Growth
7.17.02 | A Mission Consistent with God's Mission
7.17.02 | Empowering Leadership--Structures for Encouraging and Enhancing Ministry
7.17.02 | Gift-Oriented, Empowered, Participative Individual Ministry
7.17.02 | Healthy Relationships, Holistic Spirituality
7.17.02 | Celebrative, God-Centered Worship in the Context of Community
7.17.02 | Spiritual Nurturing on the Faith Journey
7.17.02 | Involvement in the Global Search
1.8.02 | Catching the Vision: Developing the Church
1.8.02 | The Church Is Like A Jigsaw Puzzle
1.7.02 | Looking at Church Growth Again!
1.7.02 | Revitalizing the Church
1.2.02 | Another Look at Church Growth--1
1.2.02 | Another Look at Church Growth--2
1.2.02 | Another Look at Church Growth--3
1.2.02 | Growing Churches Pay Attention to the Needs of Adults
1.2.02 | What Do Growing Churches Have in Common?
1.21.01 | Finding Your Gifts, Finding Your Ministry
News Items and Surveys of Contemporary Church Culture [Barna, Gallup, Pew, and others]
12.17.10 | Economy Has Impact on Giving
10.19.10 | Barna: Little Religious Change
10.19.10 | Pew: Survey Confirms Bible Illiteracy
10.6.10 | Barna: Financial Concerns Are Top Worry
7.12.10 | Barna: Changes in Teen Faith
6.8.10 | Lifeway: Fewer Young Adults Attend Church
6.8.10 | Barna: Americans Open to New Expressions of Faith
[This link is to the complete essay. The next three articles divide the essay into articles suitable for church bulletins.]
6.8.10 | Barna: Americans Open to New Expressions of Faith-1 6.8.10 | Barna: Americans Open to New Expressions of Faith-2 6.8.10 | Barna: Americans Open to New Expressions of Faith-3
6.8.10 | Barna: Majority of Christians Believe Jesus Speaks Back
5.7.10 | Barna Report: The Faith of African Americans
5.7.10 | Barna Report: The Changing Faith of Hispanics
5.7.10 | Barna Report: How Church Size Affects Faith
5.7.10 | Barna Report: Beliefs Vary Widely Among Christians
5.4.10 | LifeWay Research: More Churches Opening than Closing?
4.15.10 | Barna: Most of the Unchurched Are Christians
3.24.10 | Pew Survey: Profiling Religion among the Millennials
3.24.10 | News Report: Wyoming First State to Adopt Code of Behavior
3.1.10 | Barna: Reshaping Faith in the U.S.
3.1.10 | Barna: Four Megathemes in U.S. Culture
2.27.10 | Barna Report: Decreased Giving
2.1.10 | News: Christian Worldview--Top Ten Stories of 2009
2.1.10 | Barna: Developing Effective Competent Leaders
2.1.10 | Pew Survey: How Religious Is Your State?
2.1.10 | Barna Report: Denominational Decline
1.31.10 | Number of Americans with No Religion is Growing
1.31.10 | Christmas 2009 Gallup Poll: Fewer Americans Define Themselves as Christian
12.29.09 | Pew Report: Americans Mix Faiths
12.22.09 | 2009 In Review: Reflecting on a Barna Report
12.10.09 | Barna: House Churches--An Update and Reflections
12.8.09 | Barna: Changing Attitudes Toward the Bible
12.3.09 | Spiritual Activities for Youth: Barna Summary
10.12.09 | Another Look at U.S. Church Attendance
6.30.09 | Pew Survey Shows Religious Shift
6.13.09 | Barna: New Ways of Experiencing and Expressing Faith in U.S.
3.10.09 | Two Religious Surveys
2.15.09 | Barna: Spiritual Gifts Survey
1.15.09 | Barna: Christianity No Longer Default Religion in the US
12.13.08 | Wuthnow: Church Attendance and Marriage
10.27.08 | Barna: Changing Views of Spirituality
3.17.08 | Changing Religious Affiliations: Results from a Pew Forum Survey
11.20.05 | Barna: How People Choose Churches Today
10.9.03 | Gallup: Are We Spiritual?
Articles About Leadership
CHURCH LEADERSHIP INDEX PAGE
11.28.11 | Seven "M's" for Analyzing Church Leadership: Using Limited Leadership Time Well
11.2.11 | Spiritual Leaders Have One Primary Job
11.2.11 | Spiritual Leadership: Key to Survival
8.25.11 | Biblical Leadership: Five Levels of Leadership [.htm file]
8.16.11 | Biblical Leadership: Five Levels of Leadership
8.16.11 | The Roles and Responsibilities of Elders
8.15.11 | Is the modern church of Christ "pastor-driven"?
7.24.11 | The Role of the Church in Developing Ministers [Leaders]
7.24.11 | Leadership 2.0
7.7.11 | Moralizing vs. Moral Reasoning
6.14.11 | A Question and a Checklist for Elders: What Do You Believe?
3.7.11 | Why Do Churches Grow?
3.7.11 | Ministers That Accept Ownership
2.22.11 | Stay in Your Lane
2.21.11 | Leadership: Ideas for Getting Through Troublesome Times
1.26.11 | Legalism and Mediocrity
12.28.10 | A 2011 "Must Do" List for Church Leaders
9.7.10 | Egonomics
9.7.10 | Leadership: Five Reminders [file contains two bulletin articles]
9.7.10 | Leadership and Responsibility-1
9.7.10 | Leadership and Responsibility-2
7.25.10 | Equipping: Developing Spiritual Leadership for the Church
5.31.10 | Church Leadership: Integrating Biblical Instruction and Contemporary Leadership Concepts
3.24.10 | Where Will the Church Find Her Future Leaders?
3.1.10 | Spiritual Leadership: Challenges Leaders Face
2.2.10 | Leading Cross-Culturally: Kingdom Vision and Values
2.2.10 | Book Review: Mentoring Leaders
2.1.10 | Barna: Developing Effective, Competent Leaders
12.1.09 | Leadership Transitions
10.26.09 | Leadership: Avoiding Relationship Problems
10.26.09 | Leadership: Five Reminders
9.3.09 | Leadership: Doing God's Will God's Way
8.31.09 | Lead or Get Out of the Way!
3.7.09 | Episkopos: The Importance of Leadership in Healthy Functional Churches
8.6.08 | Stress Fractures
8.6.08 | Changing Leadership Paradigms
8.6.08 | Leadership Principles [Joshua 6]
6.2.08 | A Leadership Revolution?
11.5.03 | Strange Shepherding Styles
1.8.02 | Quote Without Comment: Church Leadership
7.17.02 | Empowering Leadership--Structures for Encouraging and Enhancing Ministry
1.7.02 | Did Anything Happen?
1.7.02 | How Else Would We Decide?--1
1.7.02 | How Else Would We Decide?--2
1.2.02 | The Members Have a Responsibility
1.2.02 | The Elders Have a Responsibility
1.23.01 | Elders--1
1.23.01 | Elders--2
1.23.01 | Deacons
Church/Missions/Minister Finances
5.4.11 | Thinking about Money and the Church
12.17.10 | Economy Has Impact on Giving
11.15.10 | Missions and Finances
10.20.10 | Crystal Cathedral Bankruptcy: Will Anyone Learn Anything?
10.20.10 | Charitable Giving Declines: Insights for 2011 Budgets?
7.1.10 | Financial Principles for Life [17 page booklet]
4.27.10 | When the Church Budget Hinders a Missional Focus
4.19.10 | Ministers and Taxes
2.27.10 | Barna Report: Decreased Giving
Articles About Ministry
Ministry: General
MINISTRY INDEX PAGE
11.2.11 | Is professionalism a desirable quality in ministry?
8.16.11 | Is the modern church of Christ "pastor-driven"?
7.24.11 | The Role of the Church in Developing Ministers
5.6.11 | Ministry: Reasons for Persevering
5.5.11 | Ministry: Things I Did Not Learn in the University
5.4.11 | Learning Curves: Problems or Opportunities?
5.4.11 | Where will the Church Find the Next Generation of Ministers?
3.12.11 | Improving Worship: Serving as a Director
3.11.11 | How Can Ministers Meet the Community?
3.9.11 | Effective Ministry Is Three-Dimensional
3.7.11 | Ministers That Accept Ownership
2.21.11 | Ministry: Ideas for Getting Through Troublesome Times
1.26.11 | Faithful Ministry
1.26.11 | Beginning Again
10.19.10 | Taking Care of My Soul--and the Souls of Others
10.6.10 | Ministry and Learning Curves
9.7.10 | Effective Ministry to Those with Ill Health
9.7.10 | Understanding Ministry Stress and Burnout
7.1.10 | Healthy Dynamics for Ministry Families
7.1.10 | Guiding Principles for Effective Ministry
6.8.10 | Christianity: The Intentional Life
5.6.10 | Rethinking Ministry and Technology
4.16.10 | Survey of Ministers Shows Importance of Ministry Training
4.16.10 | A "Blessing Strategy"
4.13.10 | Education and Foolishness
3.24.10 | The Greatest Challenges in Ministry
3.1.10 | When Is It Time to Leave?
3.1.10 | Finding and Developing Ministers
2.28.10 | Seeking and Helping
2.27.10 | Pray For Us
2.2.10 | What Do Ministers Do?
2.2.10 | Five Things Ministers Need to Know
10.13.09 | Ministry in Times of Personal Crisis
9.4.09 | How Did You Do It?
6.24.09 | My List
4.26.09 | 40 Years of Ministry: Things I Learned the Hard Way
3.7.09 | Your Cloud of Witnesses
3.5.09 | Not By My Power
2.23.09 | Reinventing the Closed System Model
12.13.08 | Stewardship Again
8.6.08 | Ministry: Self-Image and Job
12.25.07 | Communication
12.25.07 | When Elephants Fight
11.1.06 | Dangers in Ministry
11.1.06 | Ministry in Today's World Requires Adaptability
10.30.06 | What Is A Minister?
12.1.03 | Beyond Baby Boomers: Two New Generations
12.1.03 | Principles for Ministry: Creating Lasting Value
11.05.03 | Ministry Reflections
10.9.03 | Motivations in Ministry
10.9.03 | The Reality of Our Clergy System
10.9.03 | Shaping Ministry
1.8.02 | Beyond Keeping House: Principles for Effective Ministry
1.21.01 | Effective Counseling Enables Effective Ministry
1.21.01 | Four Questions for Ministers
1.21.01 | Ministerial Ethics
1.21.01 | The Minister's Spiritual Life-Separating God and Job
1.21.01 | What Will 21st Century Ministers Do?
Articles About Evangelism
EVANGELISM INDEX PAGE
1.16.12 | 5-4-3-2-1 Evangelism
11.11.11 | Evangelism: Reflections
8.15.11 | Spiritual Conversation Starters
7.24.11 | Growing Smaller: Key to Effective Evangelism
5.4.11 | Effective Evangelism
10.19.10 | Churches Filled with Non-Serious People
10.19.10 | Evangelism and Prayer
10.6.10 | Awake to the Harvest!
7.1.10 | Getting Evangelism Right-1
7.1.10 | Getting Evangelism Right-2
7.1.10 | Getting Evangelism Right-3
5.6.10 | Reaching the Unchurched
5.6.10 | Understanding the Unchurched
4.16.10 | A "Blessing Strategy"
4.16.10 | Evangelism: Use God's Plan
4.16.10 | Evangelism Simplified
3.1.10 | Is Getting People to Come to Church an Effective Evangelistic Method?
3.1.10 | Faith and Vision: Key Ingredients to Evangelism
2.28.10 | Seeking and Helping
2.27.10 | Evangelism and Small Groups in 21st Century
2.2.10 | Old Testament Principles for Discipling
2.2.10 | Book Review: Evangelism Without Additives
10.13.09 | Missional: Rethinking Christian Groups and Evangelism
9.4.09 | Recommitting to Evangelism
3.5.09 | Not By My Power
11.18.08 | Not Rocket Science-2
11.15.08 | Not Rocket Science-1
11.14.08 | Come and See: Knowing What We Are Doing and Why
10.27.08 | A Gospel Tipping Point?
8.6.08 | Evangelism and the Missional Church
8.6.08 | Reaching the Non-Seeker
2.15.08 | Just Thinking About...Sharing the Gospel
11.10.06 | The Importance of Doctrine in Effective Outreach
11.1.06 | The Christian Mission: Responding to the Commission
11.1.06 | Principles for Evangelism
11.1.06 | Problems in Evangelism
11.1.06 | Missional Church: Sent Next Door
11.1.06 | The "Great" Commission
11.20.05 | Just Thinking...About Light!
12.1.03 | Let Us Return to "Personal" Evangelism
11.5.03 | Exclusivism
11.5.03 | Are You a Customer or a Worker?
10.9.03 | Product and Package!
10.9.03 | The Reality of Our Clergy System
10.9.03 | Evangelism "Musts"
10.9.03 | Evangelism: Why Can't We See?
10.9.03 | We Can Evangelize!
9.15.03 | Do We Really Care?
3.7.03 | Visitors
1.23.02 | Evangelism: Boomers, Busters and ???
1.8.02 | Can I Be A Christian? [evangelism]
1.7.02 | Can Our Nation Hear the Gospel?
1.7.02 | Do You Know the Three P's of Evangelism?
1.2.02 | I Am Afraid!
12.2.01 | Rethinking Evangelism--#1
12.2.01 | Rethinking Evangelism--#2
12.2.01 | Rethinking Evangelism--#3
12.2.01 | Rethinking Evangelism--#4
12.2.01 | Tell the Story
12.2.01 | What is Personal Work?
11.21.01 | Caught!
2.21.01 | The Crisis in Evangelism
2.21.01 | Evangelism--Is There A Better Way?
2.21.01 | Evangelism--Do We Have a Plan?
2.21.01 | Evangelism--The Acts Approach
2.21.01 | Evangelism--Preparing the Soil
Preachers, Preaching and Sermons
PREACHING INDEX PAGE
7.7.11 | Moralizing vs. Moral Reasoning
4.23.11 | Suggestions for a "Macro" Approach to Preaching Exodus: A Story of Deliverance
4.22.11 | Preaching that Addresses Spiritual Emptiness: Are We Sharing Wisdom or Foolishness?
3.12.11 | Improving Worship: Serving as a Director
2.23.11 | Preaching "Strategic Sermons"
1.1.11 | Paul's Ministry and Preaching: Reevaluating our Preaching [Romans 15:14]
12.17.10 | Six Preaching Themes for 2011
9.7.10 | Why I Chose to Preach
8.31.10 | Where Have All the Preachers Gone?
4.19.10 | Preaching: Balancing the Why and the What?
2.2.10 | What Impact Do Sermons Have?
2.2.10 | Developing a Theology of Preaching-1
2.2.10 | Developing a Theology of Preaching-2
8.6.08 | Doing Church: Preaching and Worship
11.12.06 | A Contrast in Preaching: Depending on Human Ability vs. Depending on God
10.30.06 | Creating High Impact Sermons
11.20.05 | Yellow Sermons
11.20.05 | I'm Going to Be Preacher Someday
11.5.03 | On Selecting and Keeping Preachers
11.5.03 | So You're Looking for a Preacher
11.5.03 | He's Not Church of Christ--About Preachers and Preaching
11.5.03 | So You're Looking for a Preacher
4.2.02 | How to Kill/Lose/Help Your Preacher
1.7.02 | Did He Preach the Gospel?
1.2.02 | "Preaching To" and "Preaching With"
1.21.01 | Where Have All the Preachers Gone?
1.21.01 | Is There a Crisis in Preaching?
Worship
[Additional English resource links are available on the front page of my Spanish syllabus:
Class Syllabus--Worship.]
3.12.11 | Improving Worship: Serving as a Director
10.19.10 | What Should We Emphasize in Worship?
5.2.09 | Worship as Spiritual Discipline
8.25.08 | Encountering God
8.6.08 | Valuing Sundays
8.6.08 | Doing Church: Preaching and Worship
12.27.07 | Forward to the Past
11.11.06 | The Value of Singing in Worship
2.3.04 | Another Perspective on the Value of Singing in Worship
11.5.03 | Embarrassed by Our Prayers
11.5.03 | Do You Come Empty?
Worship: Communion Meditations
7.24.11 | "This is my body...this is my blood"
5.4.11 | Remember What?
11.26.10 | Eucharist [Thanksgiving]
10.23.10 | Fitted Together
10.23.10 | The Fork: The Best Is Yet to Be
9.8.10 | Body of Christ
9.8.10 | Discerning the Body
9.8.10 | Proclaiming His Death
9.8.10 | Recognizing the Body
9.8.10 | Even the Worst Ones
8.1.10 | The Unity of the Body
7.11.10 | Approved [Romans 5:1-8]
5.31.10 | Remembering [Memorial Day]
3.1.10 | Suggestions and Helps for Directing the Lord's Supper
Ministry to Families, Generations, and Youth
10.19.10 | Multiple Generation Ministry
7.12.10 | Barna: Changes in Teen Faith
4.16.10 | Senior Christians: A Ministry Blindspot
12.3.09 | Spiritual Activities for Youth: Summary of a Barna Report
9.22.09 | Generations, Demographics and Ministry
9.4.09 | Effective Youth Ministry
8.1.09 | Teens Who Abstain
8.6.08 | Understanding Teens
12.1.03 | Beyond Baby Boomers: Two New Generations
11.5.03 | Creative Motivation: How to Motivate Your Children (and Other People Too)
11.1.03 | Principles for Ministry to Youth
10.9.03 | Understanding Our Youth: Esteem Issues
5.23.90 | Youth and the Church
12.13.89 | Expectations and Parenting
Articles About Missions
Short Term Missions
SHORT-TERM MISSIONS INDEX PAGE
Mission Philosophy
9.22.11 | Effective Church Development: A Developmental Model for Healthy Churches [self-governing, self-supporting, self-reproducing]
9.18.11 | Does Your Mission Philosophy Help Spread the Gospel?
11.15.10 | Missions and Finances
7.13.10 | Do We Need a Different Missions Philosophy?
7.13.10 | Guest Article: Philosophy of Missions [Carlos Ulate]
3.14.09 | Rethinking Mission Philosophy
Missions Articles, General
MISSIONS INDEX PAGE
11.2.11 | Missions: God Works in the Lives of His People in Every Place, Time, and Circumstance
11.2.11 | Missions: A New Testament Model?
9.18.11 | Does Your Mission Philosophy Help Spread the Gospel?
7.24.11 | The Role of the Church in Developing Ministers [Missionaries]
7.24.11 | Growing Smaller: Key to Effective Evangelism
3.24.11 | A Missions Deficit
3.8.11 | We Are Blessed--What Will We Do?
3.7.11 | How Do You See the World?
3.7.11 | Missions: Using A Translator to Teach or Speak
3.7.11 | Jesus Crisis: Rethinking Ministry and Missions
12.17.10 | A Missions Story
11.15.10 | Missions and Finances
10.23.10 | Mission: Hope
10.19.10 | Halloween and Missions
10.6.10 | Awake to the Harvest!
7.25.10 | Esperanza Eterna--"Eternal Hope"
7.13.10 | Do We Need a Different Missions Philosophy?
7.13.10 | Guest Article: Philosophy of Missions [Carlos Ulate]
2.27.10 | Barna Report: Decreased Giving
2.2.10 | Leading Cross-Culturally: Kingdom Vision and Values
10.1.09 | Because God Opened a Door
3.14.09 | Rethinking Mission Philosophy
2.23.09 | Missions and Money
6.8.08 | Cultural Missteps
6.2.08 | A Leadership Revolution?
11.6.06 | Missions: A Funny Thing Happened To Me on the Way to Where I Am Going!
11.6.06 | Missions: The Power of Perseverance
11.6.06 | Missions/Missional: What Are We Talking About?
11.5.06 | The Mission Field is Here!
11.5.06 | How to Select a Missionary,a Field, and a Work
11.5.06 | Missions in a Changing World
11.1.06 | The Christian Mission: Responding to the Commission
11.20.05 | Missions: Reflections on a Real Tragedy
11.20.05 | What Do You Think?
12.1.03 | When Did God Give You His Message?
12.1.03 | The New Face of Missions
10.9.03 | The Basis of Missions: Why?
10.9.03 | Missions: How Devoted Are We?
10.9.03 | The Goal of Missions
10.9.03 | Missions: Because of Jesus
10.9.03 | The Missionary's Master
10.9.03 | The Missions Message
10.9.03 | Missions: What Should Be Our Methods?
10.9.03 | What Is A Missionary?
6.6.02 | How Much Is Enough?
2.28.02 | A Heart for Missions
1.8.02 | Are You a World-Aware Christian?
1.8.02 | Missions...Again
1.8.02 | Why I Give to Missions
1.7.02 | Is the Church "Playing Small"?
12.2.01 | What is Your Missions Philosophy?
Articles About Christian Living
8.15.11 | In Search of Christian Identity
8.15.11 | Finding God in the Valleys of Life
6.11.11 | The Wonderful World of Commitment
5.4.11 | Seven Things to Do with the Word of God
5.4.11 | Ten Things Christians Should Know How to Do
3.7.11 | Just Thinking...About Time
2.22.11 | Stay in Your Lane
2.21.11 | Salvation: Spiritual GPS
1.26.11 | Legalism and Mediocrity
1.26.11 | Beginning Again
1.1.11 | Becoming More Like Christ: Disciplines of Discipleship
12.28.10 | Balancing Doctrine and Ethics
12.18.10 | Are You Happy?
11.15.10 | Following in Jesus' Footsteps
9.7.10 | First Things First [Matthew 22]
9.7.10 | I Am, Therefore I Act
7.21.10 | Be a Balcony Person!
7.14.10 | Disciples: An Acronym
7.14.10 | Have You Read the Gospel?
7.1.10 | Ten Activities for the Christian Life
6.8.10 | Christianity: The Intentional Life
6.8.10 | God Disciplines His People [It Is No Secret]
6.8.10 | Ten Spiritual Activities to Pursue God
6.7.10 | Finding Healthy Places and Healthy Friends
5.6.10 | Getting "Into" the Bible
5.6.10 | A Loftier Goal: Covenant People
5.5.10 | I Got Tired of It: Musings on Materialism
3.24.10 | Another Look at Spiritual Maturity
3.1.10 | 28 Days to Change Your Life
3.1.10 | Accountable to God: My Ten Commandments
3.1.10 | The Rich Young Man: Religious or Righteous?
2.27.10 | Eschatology: Learning How to Live
1.31.10 | Writing a Personal Mission Statement
1.31.10 | Daily Living: Three Essentials
10.13.09 | God Defines Us as He Gives Us Gifts
10.8.09 | Your Life Mission
9.4.09 | How Did You Do It?
9.4.09 | Time for a Funeral!
9.4.09 | Phases of Obedience: Power for Christian Living
9.4.09 | Finding Your PLACE in the Church: Where Do You Fit In?
9.3.09 | Calling: Why Did God Make You?
9.1.09 | Are You a Christian?
8.1.09 | Rules for Life
7.15.09 | Just Reading the Book Won't Help!
3.7.09 | Your Cloud of Witnesses
2.23.09 | Church: Where the Gifts of God Come into View
2.21.09 | There IS a God!
12.13.08 | Learning to Walk in the Story of God
8.25.08 | Spiritual Vitality
8.6.08 | Hebraic Thought
8.6.08 | I Want to be Bold!
8.6.08 | Just Thinking...About Ambulances
8.6.08 | What Do You Worry About?
8.6.08 | A Three-World Faith
8.6.08 | What Is Fellowship?
8.6.08 | Pursuing God
7.24.08 | Meeting God
11.10.06 | Regeneration
11.10.06 | Vioxx and Sin
11.10.06 | "De-sin-sitization"
11.9.06 | I Want to Be Bold!
11.9.06 | A Time To Build
5.16.06 | Thinking About...Reliance
5.16.06 | But Grow....
5.16.06 | Thinking About...Love
5.16.06 | Thinking About...Consistency
11.20.05 | Don't Forget Gethsemane
4.27.04 | Under Oath
4.27.04 | Adversarial On Purpose!
4.27.04 | Overcoming Bigotry
11.20.03 | Five Steps of Confession
11.5.03 | "Such-Likers" and the Kingdom of God
11.5.03 | Life Lists
10.9.03 | Friendship With God
10.9.03 | Who Do You Think You Are?
10.9.03 | On Purpose
10.9.03 | Priorities: What Matters to Us?
10.9.03 | The Three R's of Spiritual Recovery
8.15.03 | A Friend--From A to Z
8.15.03 | God's Promises
8.15.03 | How Long Has It Been?
7.1.03 | Evaluating Your Spiritual Portfolio
3.7.03 | Recall Announced
3.7.03 | Psalm 23!
3.7.03 | My Life
3.7.03 | Zones
3.7.03 | Finding My Treasures: Where I Hide Your Heart
1.31.03 | Stuff: Lessons From Moving!
1.31.03 | Principles for Swimming
12.19.02 | Henry Van Dyke: Four Marks of Maturity
12.15.02 | Thinking about Spiritual Coherence
6.9.02 | Do We Need A Better Mousetrap or a Better Mouse?
6.6.02 | Say "Sandia!"
6.3.02 | You Are Responsible For Your Face!
5.29.02 | Under Construction
5.29.02 | Cleaning Cobwebs or Killing Spiders?
2.5.02 | Do You Hear What I Hear?
1.21.01 | Are We People of Character?
1.21.01 | Upon Whom Do We Depend?
1.21.01 | Just Thinking...About Elbows
1.21.01 | Just Thinking...About Pacifiers
1.21.01 | Just Thinking...About Needs
Articles About Marriage and Families
7.14.10 | Marriage Warning Signs [Ephesians 5:21-32]
5.6.10 | Helping our Children Get "Into" the Bible
8.6.08 | Keep Your Family Strong
8.6.08 | Understanding Teens
11.20.03 | To Resolve Conflict--START
11.5.03 | Creative Motivation: How to Motivate Your Children (and Other People Too)
10.9.03 | Understanding Our Youth: Esteem Issues
9.15.03 | The Man I Want To Be
9.15.03 | Seven Characteristics of Effective Mothers
6.9.02 | Praying for Fathers
6.6.02 | Just Thinking...About Grandmothers and Mothers
Articles About the Devotional Life
1.1.11 | Becoming More Like Christ: Disciplines of Discipleship
10.19.10 | Taking Care of My Soul--and the Souls of Others
3.24.10 | How and Where Does God Speak to You?
8.25.08 | Encountering God
8.6.08 | Hebraic Thought
8.6.08 | A Three-World Faith
8.6.08 | Pursuing God
7.24.08 | Meeting God
2.15.08 | Thank You, Lord
11.11.03 | Hearing God
10.9.03 | A Plan for Your Daily Time With God
3.7.03 | A Contemporary Acrostic Psalm
3.7.03 | Walking Daily with God
6.6.02 | The God Who Hears, Answers [Psalm 4]
6.3.02 | Speaking Friend to Friend
5.29.02 | Rest Your Eyes--You Will Be Able to See Better
5.29.02 | Thinking about Wholly Holy Heart Hugs!
5.29.02 | Good Morning, God!
1.24.02 | That's A Wrap! [a plan for regular quiet time]
2.21.01 | How is Your Daily Walk?
Articles about Devotional Bible Reading
6.14.11 | Hints to Encourage Regular, Effective Bible Reading
5.4.11 | Seven Things to Do with the Word of God
5.6.10 | Getting "Into" the Bible
Articles about Prayer
8.17.11 | Five Prayer Models: ACTS, PARTS, Five-Finger, TRIP, Divine Reading
8.17.11 | Introduction to Conversational Prayer
9.19.09 | Persistent Prayer
12.13.08 | A Prayer Guide from Psalm 27
12.26.07 | When You Pray...
11.11.06 | Prayer and Caregiving
11.11.06 | He Prayed a Good Prayer....
10.9.03 | A Journey To the Inner World of Prayer
10.9.02 | Pray in the Spirit [Eph. 6:18]
1.24.02 | A Fresh Look at the Model Prayer
1.24.02 | Jesus' Prayer Life
5.13.92 | God's Secret Weapon--Prayer
5.13.92 | Thoughts on Prayer
Articles about Spirituality
10.13.09 | Transformed by Spiritual Discipline
10.27.08 | Changing Views of Spirituality: A Barna Report
8.25.08 | Spiritual Vitality
11.10.06 | College Students and Spirituality 2.21.01 | Are You In Shape Spiritually?
Biblical: Textual Articles
Old Testament
The Rock of Our Salvation [Joseph, Genesis 39-50]
We Need More Hurs [Exodus 17]
Life With God's Presence [Exodus 33]
Leadership: Doing God's Will God's Way [Exodus 17; Numbers 20]
Principles for Warfare [Dt. 20]
Leadership Principles [Joshua 6]
Are You the Deliverer God is Sending? [Judges 3]
Come Out of the Stronghold [1 Samuel 22]
Finding God in the Valleys of Life [1 Kings 20:28]
A Mind to Work [Neh. 4]
A MAP for Reading the Psalms
Understanding the Psalms
Like Streams of Water [Psalm 1]
The God Who Hears Answers [Psalm 4]
If the Foundations Be Removed.... [Psalm 11]
Psalm 23!
Holiness from the Top Down [Psalm 23]
A Prayer Guide from Psalm 27
Waiting in Stillness [Psalm 46]
Teach Us To Number Our Days [Psalm 90]
Isaiah: Promise Theologian
Finding Stability in an Unstable World [Isaiah 33:5-6]
Staying in Love! [Hosea 2]
New Testament
"Trust" in the Sermon on the Mount: A Model for Applying Wisdom Literature [Matthew 5-7]
Matthew 6: The Topic is Trust Not Treasures
When Will You Live? [Matthew 6:33-34]
Seek Ye First.... [Matthew 6:34]
The Secret of the Easy Yoke [Matthew 11]
Religious or Righteous? [Matthew 19]
Leading Cross-Culturally: Kingdom Vision and Values [Matthew 19-20]
First Things First [Matthew 22]
Identity Is Essential to Being Able to Love [Matthew 22:34-40]
Giving from Abundance [Mark 12:41-44]
Nobodies [Luke]
Are You Salty? [Luke 14]
Using God--Luke 15 Revisited
Gratitude [Luke 17]
Gratitude: An Indication that the Kingdom is Present [Luke 17]
It's All About Jesus [John 1]
The Power of Unity [John 17]
Living in the Post-Resurrection World [John 21]
Waiting on the Spirit [Acts 1-2]
A Weapon of Mass Salvation [Romans 1:16]
Love the Lord With All Your Mind [Romans 1]
United or Untied? [Romans 14]
Paul's Ministry: Reevaluating our Preaching [Romans 15:14]
What Does It Mean to Be Spiritual? [1 Corinthians survey]
Your Sure Calling and Confident Election [1 Corinthians 1]
God Makes the Church a Community [1 Corinthians 12-14]
Made to Be Sin [2 Cor. 5:21]
Getting Ready in the Desert [Galatians 1]
Spiritual Cannibalism [Galatians 5]
Living Above the Law [Galatians 5]
Is Jesus at Home?--The Christian Walk [Ephesians 3-5]
Criticism [Ephesians 4]
A Top Ten List for Healing Hurts [Ephesians 4:25-32]
Marriage Warning Signs [Ephesians 5:21-32]
Fight the Good Fight [Ephesians 6]
Pray in the Spirit [Ephesians 6:18]
Have You Seen Jesus? [Colossians 1]
The Work of God [Colossians 1]
Giving All Diligence [2 Timothy 2:15]
Be Diligent! [2 Timothy 2:15]
Land Your Ship, Do Not Drift By [Hebrews 2:1-4]
Hope, Help, and Home (#1) [Hebrews 9]
Keys to Perseverance [Hebrews 10]
Called to Faithfulness [Hebrews 11-12]
Run with Perseverance [Hebrews 12:1]
Holiness from the Top Down [1 Peter 1]
As Living Stones [1 Peter 1-2]
A Word Against Ungodliness [Jude 15]
Church Vital Signs [Revelation 2-3]
Articles on Biblical Topics
[See also
Bible: Topical Studies]
Baptism: 11.2.11 | What Is Scriptural Baptism?
Baptism: 10.13.09 | Baptism...Again
Baptism: 1.2.02 | New Testament Baptism
Bible: 5.4.11 | Seven Things to Do with the Word of God
Bible: 5.6.10 | Getting "Into" the Bible
Bible: 7.15.09 | Just Reading the Book Won't Help!
Bible: 11.10.06 | "The Sword"
Bible: 11.1.03 | Old or New Hermeneutics--Is There an Alternative?
Bible: 10.9.03 | What Do You Know About the Bible?
Bible: 10.9.03 | Why Read the Bible?
Bible: 10.9.03 | You Can Read the Bible
Bible: 6.9.02 | Praise God for the Bible
Bible: 2.5.02 | The Generalized Bible: General or Specific?
Bible: 2.21.01 | Bible Authority
Deacons: 1.23.01 | Deacons
Doctrine: 10.22.11 | Doctrine: Understanding the Reality behind the Teaching Changes Our Lives
Doctrine: 12.28.10 | Balancing Doctrine and Ethics
Doctrine: 3.27.10 | Thin Doctrine
Doctrine: 3.1.10 | Doctrine Is Important
Elders: 1.23.01 | Elders--1
Elders: 1.23.01 | Elders--2
Eschatology: 2.27.10 | Eschatology: Learning How to Live
Faith: 10.9.03 | Doing Faith
Giving: 7.10.10 | Giving from Abundance [Mark 12:41-44]
God: 9.20.11 | Understanding God's Mission and Plan through God's Realities
God: 5.6.11 | God: Understanding His Holiness, Love, and Justice
God: 6.8.10 | God Disciplines His People [It Is No Secret]
God: 7.1.03 | The God Who Reverses the Irreversible
God: 3.7.03 | The Work of God
God: 2.21.01 | Have You Seen God's Heart? [the cross]
Gospel: 11.25.10 | Two Trees: Two Options for Life
Gospel: 3.7.03 | The Gospel
Grace: 3.1.10 | Thinking about Grace...Again
Grace: 10.22.03 | Grace: Seeking Balance
Holiness: 12.28.10 | Holiness from the Top Down [1 Pet 1; Ps 23]
Holy Spirit: 5.4.11 | Holy Spirit: Getting Used to the Wind
Holy Spirit: 3.25.11 | Ephesians: The DNA of the Church where the Spirit Dwells
Holy Spirit: 3.27.10 | The Work and Role of the Holy Spirit in Acts and the Early Church
Holy Spirit: 3.1.10 | Waiting on the Spirit [Acts 1-2]
Jesus: 11.5.03 | And His Name Shall Be Called....
Jesus: 9.15.03 | It's All About Jesus [John 1]
Jesus: 5.29.03 | Jesus: The Indescribable Gift!
Jesus: 10.11.02 | Made to Be Sin [2 Cor. 5:21]
Jesus: 5.29.02 | Jesus: There's Something About That Name!
Jesus: 2.5.02 | What's In a Word? [Jesus' words from the cross]
Jesus: 1.24.02 | Jesus: The Master Teacher
Jesus: 1.24.02 | Jesus' Prayer Life
Lord's Supper: 3.1.10 | Suggestions and Helps for Directing the Lord's Supper
Salvation: 2.21.11 | Use the Spiritual GPS
Salvation: 5.20.93 | You Have to Apply: How Narrow Minded!
Satan: 11.10.06 | Satan's Fatal Error
Sin: 10.11.02 | The Bias of My (Sinful) Human Nature
Sin: 2.22.02 | The God Who Cannot Forgive Sin
Unity: 3.24.10 | The Power of Unity [John 17]
Women: 10.6.10 | What about Women Praying in Public Settings?
Women: 10.6.10 | The Role of Women in the Church
Worldview: 2.27.10 | Undenominational Claim--Denominational Worldview
Worldview: 2.1.10 | Christian Worldview: Top Ten Stories of 2009
Foundations Series
A series of eleven articles treats topics of primary importance in our faith journey.
Introduction
Is the Bible Truth?
Is the Bible Inspired?
How Should the Bible Be Interpreted?
What is the Nature of the Church?
Can We Achieve Unity?
The Relationship
Between the Church and the World
What is the Christian Experience?
What is the Christian Hope?
What is the Christian Mission?
Human Nature
What Does It Mean to Live as a Christian?
