There are some jokes that you know a preacher is going to tell. Like whenever he goes through a list like the ten commandments. Almost as if it’s a duty forced upon him he’ll tell the joke, “All of you that didn’t raise your hand and confess to lying—just told a lie.” The congregation dutifully chuckles as if they’ve heard the joke for the first time. But are they lying with their fake laughter? I’m asking this just to point out that we can get distracted about lying and try to justify our lies as if a good portion of them are actually for the sake of others and advancement of the … [Read more...] about 6 Reasons We Lie
Practical Theology: Using Non-Christians for Kingdom Work
A few years ago, I took some classes at Southwestern Seminary's Houston campus. If you get the chance, take a course there. They've got a great bunch of guys. One gentleman, Dr. John Laing, is an absolutely fantastic instructor and a solid all-around human being; not a waste of a carbon footprint at all. In one his courses, Dr. Laing briefly threw out an intriguing concept: there are non-Christian biblical Greek scholars out there! These are folks who choose to major in a specific language (Greek) during a precise point in history (first-century AD) as used in a specific area (greater … [Read more...] about Practical Theology: Using Non-Christians for Kingdom Work
Why You Should Cheer for the Denver Broncos
I am leading my church to pursue discipline against anyone who supports the Seattle SeaTalks and will probably place anyone who cheers for them on moderation here. We need to stand for right, folks. America cannot survive if we do not speak out for what is honorable. I'd like to share my reasons for this principled and convictional stand. 1) Peyton Manning is a great American story. Rising up from poverty (well, his dad's teams seldom won games anyway), he started ingloriously - in an act of shame, he signed with an SEC school where he couldn't beat the Gators or win a Heisman (lost to a … [Read more...] about Why You Should Cheer for the Denver Broncos
Some thoughts on prayer…
This year at the church I pastor, I have decided to emphasize prayer. I didn’t make this decision because of a lack of talking about prayer in the past. Each of my last three years here have seen at least one series where I have taught on prayer on Sunday morning, and a couple of years back I did a several week study on the Lord’s Prayer on Wednesday nights. Also, three times in the past three years we have abandoned our normal Sunday morning routine and had services focused on nothing but prayer and singing praise to God. Also, since I first arrived at this church in mid-2010, I have kept … [Read more...] about Some thoughts on prayer…
God’s Vision for His Kingdom (by Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr)
GOD’S VISION FOR HIS KINGDOM Revisiting the Meaning of The Gospel of The Kingdom BY WILLIAM DWIGHT MCKISSIC, SR. God established the gospel in order to establish families, in order to establish His Kingdom in every nation. The purpose of the family is to pass down a godly heritage. The family is God’s evangelism plan and small group discipleship program. The Church’s job is to disciple families so that they can continue the process at home. God’s business is His Kingdom, and the Kingdom business is the family enterprise. God wants to bless the families of the earth. If families are not … [Read more...] about God’s Vision for His Kingdom (by Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr)
What If Your Opinion Doesn’t Matter?
“Everybody’s opinion is valid,” said the teacher as she parroted the curriculum. It was one of those happy-feely Monday’s where the school was trying to help us love one another, accept differences, and play nice. We likely would have sang Kumbaya if it wasn’t so offensive to the atheists. One of my wise-cracking friends asked what I thought was a pretty solid question. “What if my opinion is that no other opinion is valid?” I don’t remember her answer. And I didn’t really care, nor did the kid asking the question. We just wanted to laugh. But I actually think that he had a good point. … [Read more...] about What If Your Opinion Doesn’t Matter?
Discussion: How does your church raise up leaders?
Leadership. This is a topic that I have much vested interesting for (1) being a pastor of a church, and (2) trying to find ways to raise up new, godly leaders. Ultimately, I am of the persuasion that each church needs a plurality of pastors (preferably homegrown) and a group of deacons that have servant hearts, as well as other mature men and women who lead and disciple without any "official" title. Presently, in my church situation, one of the constant concerns I hear from people is about our lack of leaders, and so I'm just trying to identify and build up others who can serve as good leaders … [Read more...] about Discussion: How does your church raise up leaders?
When One Wife Isn’t Enough: The Problems of Polygamy
Polygamy is the next battleground for marriage in the United States. In fact, just last month a federal judge declared laws on the books in Utah that guard against polygamy to be unconstitutional. The state may still outlaw plural marriages, but it cannot prohibit polygamous cohabitating, thus weakening anti-polygamy law. The plaintiff in the case was none other than the "star" of The Learning Channel's (TLC) polygamy reality show Sister Wives, Kody Brown. Mr. Brown, a fundamentalist Mormon, is an outspoken polygamist with four wives although he is only legally married to one of them. … [Read more...] about When One Wife Isn’t Enough: The Problems of Polygamy
God’s Providence and Influence on the Rise of Christianity
The providence of God gets lost in the singular discussion regarding salvation. When we talk about this topic this is the main idea. However, as I continue to look through a historical lens I see more than that. Maybe we do not think beyond salvific things in reference to God’s providence and allow ourselves to see His hand moving throughout history. It might be that we accept God’s providential work through the Scriptures, but somehow, someway, we lose sight of that same work after revelation stops. Have you ever thought about how God raised and crushed empires before the time of Christ, … [Read more...] about God’s Providence and Influence on the Rise of Christianity
Antinomianism: Too Far or Not Far Enough?
I'm a new-comer to the discussion of antinomianism. I've seen folks confidently toss the word around, the heptasyllabic term rolling off their fingertips and on to the digital page. Finally, disgusted with my own ignorance, I determined to ascend from the pit of theological cognitive stupidity in search of greater intellectual challenges. In short, I looked it up on Wikipedia. I also read an article on narcissism in dogs. As I understand the concept, antinomianism essentially claims freedom from all law, moral or otherwise, as an aspect of Christian living, justification, and … [Read more...] about Antinomianism: Too Far or Not Far Enough?