Dan

I have been guilty of telling many other people why they need Jesus, instead of sharing why I need Jesus.  I know sometimes it makes me come across as a "holier than, better than and more righteous than" sort of individual.  I don't want that.  I want to share with you, my friends, brothers and sister why I need Jesus. I am a sinner.  You all knew that.  I have some sins that I struggle with more than others.  I have the sin of pride, I try to study and learn and go, and as a result I often have a pride issue.  I am not quick to admit when I am wrong, I don't react well to criticism, even … [Read more...] about Why I Need Jesus

In today's busy world, the best way to get something done is hire someone else to do it.  Years ago, everyone worked on their own cars.  Now, we hire someone else.  We use to mow our own yards, but now we have landscape services.  At one time, people cooked for themselves, made their own clothes, raised their kids. . .well you get the idea.  It seems today it's easier to find money than it is to find time.  I'm not against some of these things.  If I could afford it, I'd hire someone to mow the grass and I'd get someone to cook and clean so my wife and I could just hang out with the kids. … [Read more...] about Outsourcing Ministry

I have recently engaged in a conversation online with a friend who believes that paedobaptism removes the guilt of original sin, so the discuss was launched into what if the child dies before Baptism?  He argued that God is not held to the rules of the church, and can take that child to Heaven. So, I submit for you approval my opinion on the state of infants.  Feel free to disagree, argue, say what you like, I have probably heard it before anyway. First, I think we must look at what constitutes "sin".  Are we really guilty for the sin of Adam?  In the Old Testament, sin was all based on … [Read more...] about Are Kids Promised Heaven?

I have been sharing with you my thoughts on Theology in a system I call "Woven Theology".  The thoughts aren't new, I am sure that they have been thought and spoken before, my goal is to place them all into order and structure.  I have found that the existing theological systems have become so clouded they have stopped conveying a clear idea.  There are varying degrees of Calvinism and Armenianism where those systems have stopped having meaning.  You can't tell someone's theology by the word "Protestant" or "Calvinist" or even "Baptist".  My aim is to communicate my theology clearly, … [Read more...] about God’s Temporal Nature takes flesh- Woven Incarnation

I have shared with you some thoughts on Woven Theology, today I want to share what I find the most freeing part of this theological system.  I get to be involved with God, I am responsible to do my job, but the results are not mine.  Let me explain a little further. The work of Salvation involves us, God and a lost person.  I will look at each one of these individuals, and what their responsibility and function is in this process.  By the end, I hope you will feel as free and liberated in sharing your faith as I do.  It's not a burden, it's a joy. Our first responsibility is to prayer. … [Read more...] about The Woven Evangelist

I have been known to claim the title of Calvinist, but I have discovered the fatal flaw in that word.  It means too many things, and everyone hears what they want to hear when the C-bomb gets dropped.  Immediately people make assumptions about my theology and where I stand on certain issues.  Many people have no idea what is really means, but have either positive or negative views of it.  To add insult to injury, apparently there are some at the SBC who believe that all Calvinist should pack up and leave.  I think we have been blamed for a decrease in Baptisms recently as well.  Today I am … [Read more...] about No More C Word

For most of the last century, we have had an open door policy to the church.  Specifically, we open the doors and people come in.  We call it the "y'all come" method.  For centuries, we have told people what time our services start, as assume at some point they will realize they need to be in church.  We put things in the yellow pages, in the newspaper and on the internet and hope that some lost person will one day wake up and think "I should go to church". The problem is, this isn't working as well as it use too.  We see that in Europe, people don't even think about church on Sunday.  In … [Read more...] about The Lights Are On, Is Anyone Home?

There are times in my life that I am reminded that all the stuff I say, all the stuff I know, unless there are hands and feet behind it doesn't mean anything. Here in the part of Iowa I live in, there is a surge of water being released from an overfilled and overstressed dam. This surge in an already bloated river will flood many basements and destroy some homes. Our church has organized to send people to help our family who is in the path of the water. We have been packing and moving quickly before the date of the release. As I was packing, I was joking with some guys. We were talking … [Read more...] about Shut Up and Work

As I look out over a congregation, any group that claims to be mostly made of up Believers, I am haunted by two things that always leave me wondering.  You see, Jesus said in Matthew chapter seven there will be people who think they are saved, but are not.  They have fruit, but it's bad fruit.  When judgement comes, they think they are in, but will hear "depart from me, I never knew you".   The second thing is a story I know from a very wise and Godly man.  When he was younger, he entered the ministry and began to pastor.  One evening he attended a revival meeting to support some of the work … [Read more...] about Are you sure you are saved?

I have been in vocational ministry for about a decade. I know many of you have done this for several decades and as I listen to advice and read and learn, I find out thing. There is a lot of people who basically say "your job will make you miserable." I have been taught that you spend 60-80% of your time doing the things you don't want to do and aren't not gifted at so you can spend the other 20-40% of the time doing the ministry you feel called to do. People will have unfair expectations, you work hard, you work long and they will still not be happy. People will assume you work an hour a … [Read more...] about Is Misery the Expectation?