Turns out that some of the folks coming to the retreat center for the weekend didn’t know exactly where they were going. (I guess they are non-map people. I just looked it up on the map–really Mapquest–and drove right to it.) More accurately, they are techno-people. They used the dashboard GPS system to find their …
Monthly Archives: May 2008
Keeping On Keeping On
Most ministers at some time wonder if what they do matters. Most projects and programs begun fade. Some of those brought to Christ fall away. The success of ministry is hard to measure. A couple of years ago, I was sharing some of these thoughts with an elder in a congregation where I served 20+ years ago. …
The Ministry of Recycling
I admit I wasn’t excited several years when our trash service started a recycling program. After years of throwing all the garbage into the same container, I had to be retrained. Now at our house we recycle newspaper and cardboard, aluminum cans, tin cans, and plastic bottles. I am a little amazed when I travel to places …
Eating for Two
“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.” (Isa. 50:4) My wife and I will be grandparents again in August. We just returned from visiting our son and daughter-in-law. It seems the words and the advice are timeless: “Remember, you’re eating for two.” I admit that I …
NAROMIYOCKNOWUSUNKALANKSHUNK
It may not be the longest word in the world, or even in the United States, but it certainly qualifies for consideration as one of the most difficult to pronounce. NAROMIYOCKNOWUSUNKALANKSHUNK. It’s the name of a small stream near Milford, Connecticut. It is an Indian word which is said to mean, “You fish on your …
Up, Up, Up–Ephesians 6
1. FACE UP to the challenge, be spiritually strong in the Lord, in the Savior. 2. OWN UP to the necessity, stand against Satanic scheme and strategies. 3. SUIT UP, in approved equipment which equips us to stand. Of six pieces of armor, the one offensive weapon is the sword, the others are defensive. 4. STAND …
God’s Calling
Romans 8:28-30 affirms that God calls. The challenge of calling is deciding to follow God’s purpose rather than our own. Today I challenge you to consider God’s calling in your life. His calling is to be conformed to his image, Rom. 8:29 Many are called, Matt. 20:16 We are called in one hope, Eph. 4:4 We are called to …
GOD and SIN
I recently spent some time with a group of guys who were far too advanced in the use of acronyms. It began with a reference to the EHM ministry (extreme home makeover) at their church, and by the end of a couple of days together everything was an acronym. I can’t remember all of them, but one …
Golfing and God
I was privileged last weekend to spend some time with a group of men from a church in Bentonville, Arkansas. We talked about priorities; we discussed discouragement. The group discussion returned several times to an illustration I used to describe our Christian lives. I begin by admitting I am not a golfer. I have played a few rounds, …
Evangelism: Getting People to Do What They Are Not Doing?
I am evaluating and designing an evangelistic outreach program for a local congregation. Who will be the target audience? What will motivate those the church seeks to reach? What should the church do to maximize results? What activities will be most effective? Another set of questions arises when one considers that almost all U.S. churches …
Continue reading “Evangelism: Getting People to Do What They Are Not Doing?”