Today's Word

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:36-38

Today's Preaching Insight...

What Preaching Alone Can Do

In a recent article for www.PreachingToday.com, Craig Brian Larson talks about some things that biblical preaching can do that "individual Bible reading, memorization and meditation does not:

Good preaching rescues us from our self-deceptions and blind spots, for left to ourselves we tend to ignore the very things in God's Word that we most need to see. Preaching is done in community, covering texts and topics outside of our control.

Preaching brings us before God's Word in the special presence of the Holy Spirit, who indwells the gathered church.

Good preaching challenges us to do things we otherwise would not and gives us the will to do them. God has put within human nature a remarkable power to spur others to take action.

Good preaching brings us into the place of corporate obedience rather than merely individual obedience. This is a uniquely corporate discipline the church does together as a community, building up individuals and the community at the same time. We are not just an individual follower of Christ; we are members of His church and are called to obey the call of God together with others hearing the same Word.

Good preaching contributes to spiritual humility by disciplining us to sit under the teaching, correction and exhortation of another human. Relying on ourselves alone for food from the Word can lead to a spirit of arrogance and spiritual independence.

Good preaching gives a place for a spiritually qualified person to protect believers from dangerous error. The apostles repeatedly warned that untrained and unstable Christians -- as well as mature believers -- are frequently led astray by false doctrines. Christians are sheep; false teachers are wolves; preachers are guardian shepherds. A preacher is a person called and gifted by God with spiritual authority for the care of souls in the context of God's church." (Click here to read the full article.)

Today's Extra...

Christmas Gifts

Here are a few suggestions for special gifts:

• a firm handshake to a shaky soul,

• a kind word to a lonely person,

• a warm smile to the disheartened,

• a sincere concern for someone troubled,

a feeling of compassion for the neglected,

• a comforting thought for the bereaved,

• a respect for the dignity of others,

• a defense of the rights of individuals,

• a word of witness to help a seeking soul,

• a Merry Christmas to all.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:34-35

Today's Preaching Insight...

10 Reasons You're Probably Going to Fail

In a recent blog posting, Tony Morgan talks about reasons why leaders fail:

It's not your passion. If it doesn't make your heart beat fast or cause your mind to race when you're trying to sleep, you're probably doing the wrong thing.

You don't have a plan. You need a vision, and you need to identify specific steps to make that vision become reality. That includes a financial plan. (I happen to believe you need direction from God on this.)

You're waiting for it to be perfect. Test-drive it. Beta-test that new idea. You'll fall into the trap of inaction if you think it has to be absolutely right from day one.

You're not willing to work hard. Everything worth pursuing in my life has involved discipline and perseverance.

It'll outgrow you. Keep learning. Keep growing. But more importantly, build a team of people including leaders who can be who you're not.

You've had success in the past. I've watched organizations hang on to a good idea for too long. Time passes. Momentum fades. It's risky to let go of the past and jump on the next wave.

You're unwilling to stop doing something else. Complexity is easy. Simplicity takes discipline. You can't build a healthy marriage if you're unwilling to give up dating other women. Who/what do you need to stop dating?

You won't build a team of friends. Anyone can hire from a resume. You need to find people you want to share life with. In the long run, great relationships will get you out of bed in the morning.

You won't have the tough conversations. When breakdown happens (and it always does), someone needs to put on their big-boy pants and initiate the difficult conversation that leads to relational healing.

You're afraid of failure. When fear consumes you, it will cause you to do stupid things. You'll let negativity distract you. You'll embrace the known and grow comfortable with mediocrity. The more often you fail, though, the more often you'll find success.

Today's Extra...

Emmanuel - God with Us

Max Lucado tells about his neighbor who was trying to teach his 6-year-old son how to shoot a basketball. They were out in the backyard. The father shot a couple of times, saying, "Do it just like that, son; it's real easy." The little boy tried very hard but he couldn't get the ball 10 feet into the air. The little fellow got more and more frustrated. Finally, after hearing his father talk about how easy it was for the 10th time, the boy said, "It's easy for you up there. You don't know how hard it is from down here."

You and I never can say that about God. When Jesus became man and lived among us, He walked where we walk; He suffered what we suffer; He was tempted as we are tempted. He was Emmanuel, which means, "God is with us."
(Bill Bouknight, Collected Sermons)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear.
Luke 1:41-42

Today's Preaching Insight...

The Sermon as Worship

In the book Preaching and Professing (Eerdmans), Baylor literature professor Ralph Wood writes: "The sermon is the center of most Protestant worship, our veritable sacrament, because there we encounter Christ himself in the heard Word. The Swiss Calvinists of the sixteenth century went so far as to declare (in the Second Helvitic Confession of 1566) that 'the preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God.' Thus the gospel is not only something to be preached, the gospel is preaching itself.

"This is a radical claim, but I think it is exactly Paul's point. Fides ex auditu. 'Faith cometh by hearing,' we remember from the King James translation, 'and hearing by the Word of God.' ...

"Christian worship that is centered on the proclamation of the gospel is not the safest but the most perilous activity of the week. The worship hour is the hour of great risk. Something splendid occurs when we come to hear the Word proclaimed, or else something terrible. When the Word is not preached, everything else fails; indeed, an awful sacrilege has occurred. Nothing can salvage a service that is void of true proclamation. Someone has described hell as a perpetual church service minus the presence of God. I would add that hell is an interminable sermon without the proclamation of the gospel." (Click here to learn more about the book Preaching and Professing.)

Today's Extra...

Preparation

In his blog, Mike Glenn shares the following: "You don't have to talk to me very long to understand I am an avid fan of college football. Most of the teams have reported back to begin practice, and we are days away from the first games! I can't wait! But as intense as every Saturday promises to be, do you realize that most of the games are being won and lost right now -- before they are even played? Who shows up in shape? Who was watching extra film? Who is most focused and determined in practice right now? People who study successful men and women always point out how intentional they are with their time and work. Every action today is done with tomorrow's contest in mind -- a contest they will be most prepared to win.

"I remind you all of the time that we have to 'get ready' because there will come a time when we will have to 'be ready.' The contest will begin, and the time for preparation will be over. We will win or lose by how prepared we are for the moment. We will face temptation. We know that moment is coming. What are you doing right now to get ready to resist that temptation? We know someone will ask you about your relationship with Jesus. What are you doing to get ready for that moment? Just as football games are won in practice, spiritual victories are won and lost in our preparation. The moment is coming...and what we are doing right now will determine how well we do." (Click here to visit Mike's blog.)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,+t,+u who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
John 1:17-18

John 1:17-18Today's Preaching Insight...

Swindoll's Leadership Lessons

Chuck Swindoll was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Catalyst '09 Conference. During his presentation, he described "10 Things I Have Learned During Nearly 50 Years in Leadership." Here's the list:

1) It's lonely to lead. Leadership involves tough decisions. The tougher the decision, the lonelier it is.

2) It's dangerous to succeed. I'm most concerned for those who aren't even 30 and are very gifted and successful. Sometimes God uses someone right out of youth, but usually He uses leaders who have been crushed.

3) It's hardest at home. No one ever told me this in seminary.

4) It's essential to be real. If there's one realm where phoniness is common, it's among leaders. Stay real.

5) It's painful to obey. The Lord will direct you to do some things that won't be your choice. Invariably you will give up what you want to do for the cross.

6) Brokenness and failure are necessary.

7) Attitude is more important than actions. Your family may not have told you: Some of you are hard to be around. A bad attitude overshadows good actions.

Integrity eclipses image. Today we highlight image, but it's what you're doing behind the scenes.

9) God's way is better than my way.

10) Christ-likeness begins and ends with humility.

Today's Extra...

Stand for Truth

In an article on "Preaching and Applying Truth" in a past issue of Preaching, Bob Russell wrote: "A wealthy businessman in our community who had pledged a million dollars to our building fund came to me before it was collected and asked me to perform his wedding--his third wedding. Because of the circumstances surrounding his previous divorce, his situation didn't fit into our marriage policy. It really was tempting to try to find a way to accommodate his request, but I decided to follow the policy. (Partly, I confess, because I was afraid the elders would fire me if I didn't follow their guidelines!)

"There are times in every church when the leaders are tempted to water down the truth. There will be influential people you want to accommodate. There will be brilliant, likable theological liberals you want to impress. There will be arrogant, angry conservatives you wish you could debate, because even though you may agree with their stance, you hate their demeanor. There will be seekers and believers you won't want to alienate by taking an unpopular stand on a controversial issue.

"Despite the real temptation to say just what itching ears want to hear or to say nothing at all, it is imperative that the church be a place where the truth is unashamedly proclaimed. As Paul said, 'If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?' (1 Corinthians 14:." (click here to read the full article.)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. - Psalms 18:2

Today's Preaching Insight...

"S" Is for Settled In

A friend reminded me recently that several decades ago, children in the earliest grades of school were given one of three marks for their achievement: outstanding, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory. Children frequently compared their results, telling how many O's and S's they received from their teacher. They never bragged, of course, about any U's. For most children, getting an S for satisfactory was just that --satisfactory. S might also stand for "settled for." If a student becomes content with a satisfactory effort, he will rarely apply himself to earn an O for outstanding.

The same is true in life. If a person becomes content with what is average, minimally acceptable, or satisfactory, she will rarely exert the effort or work toward something truly excellent or outstanding. In the vast majority of cases, the longer a person remains satisfied with a string of S marks in her life, the more she becomes complacent about life. Going through the motions to achieve satisfactory results becomes the norm.

(To read the full article by Charles Stanley, "How to Reach Your Full Potential," click here)

Today's Extra...

The Christmas Harmonica

"Thanks for the harmonica you gave me for Christmas," Johnny said to his Uncle Rodney the first time he saw him after the holidays. "It's the best Christmas present I ever got."

"That's great," said Uncle Rodney. "Do you know how to play it?"

"Oh, I don't play it," Johnny said. "My mom gives me a dollar a day not to play it during the day, and my dad gives me five dollars a week not to play it at night."

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
Luke 2:4-5

Luke 2:4-5Today's Preaching Insight...

Redemptive Sermons

In his new book Christ-Centered Worship (Baker), Bryan Chapell includes a chapter on sermons that begins with a reminder of the need for expository preaching. Then he continues: "But we need to be clear that the preacher's concern should not only be instructive. God is active in His Word, convicting the heart, renewing the mind, and strengthening the will. This means that preaching is not simply an instructive lecture; it is a redemptive event. If we only think of the sermon as a means of transferring information, then we will prioritize making the message dense with historical facts, moral instruction, and memory retention devices that prepare people for later tests of formal doctrine or factual knowledge. Such tests are rare. And most persons' ability to remember a sermon's content in following days can devastate the ego of a preacher whose primary goal is the congregation's doctrinal or biblical literacy.

"The needed reordering of priorities will not come by emptying the sermon of biblical content, but by preparing it for spiritual warfare and welfare. Our primary goal is not preparing people for later tests of mind or behavior, but rather humbling and strengthening the wills of God's people within the context of the sermon. Because God is active in His Word, we should preach with the conviction that the Spirit of God will use the truths of His Word as we preach to change hearts now! As hearts change, lives change -- even when sermon specifics are forgotten (Prov. 4:23). ...

"The preacher's obligation to transform as well as inform should compel us to ensure that our sermons are an instrument of God's grace as well as a conduit for His truth." (Click here to learn more about Christ-Centered Worship.)]

Today's Extra...

FEAR

In 1991, Michigan's Timid Motorist Program assisted 830 drivers across the Mackinac Bridge that is five miles long and 200 feet high. The drivers were so scared of heights that they couldn't drive their own cars. The same year, more than a thousand motorists received assistance at Maryland's Chesapeake Bay Bridge -- also 200 feet high and four miles long.

David Jeremiah writes: "In spite of their destination being in plain sight and a history of the bridges being safe, the drivers were paralyzed by fear. The same thing happened to the nation of Israel when they were ready to enter the Promised Land. The land was in plain sight, and they had a history of God meeting their needs; but only three people in the entire nation were willing to exercise their faith and enter the land: Moses, Joshua, and Caleb. The rest said, 'We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we' (Numbers 13:31). That generation of Israelites never reached their destination. Instead, their fear paralyzed them in the wilderness where they died.

"If you can see your destination and have experienced God's faithfulness in the past, don't let fear destroy your freedom." (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 9-2-09)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. " - Micah 5:2

Today's Preaching Insight...

Standing on the Word
We instructed staff members to go to the classrooms and offices in the building where they would be working and write Scripture verses on the concrete floors. I said, "Someday soon the scriptures will be covered with carpet. But I hope you will always remember what you have written today. And what we do today will be a visible reminder that we are always to stand on God's Word."

I believe the greatest reason God has chosen to bless Southeast Christian Church and thousands of other evangelical churches around the world is that we have been serious about upholding the absolute truth of God's Word. In a very real sense, we've continued to stand on the Word of God.

(To read the full article by Bob Russell, "Stand for Truth," click here)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

"Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. - Habakkuk 1:5

Habakkuk 1:5Today's Preaching Insight...

The Emblem of Sacrifice

Baptists and most other evangelicals are not into the veneration of relics no matter how we value the work of Calvary. I think it was Conner's way of saying that it is not the blood as such but the dying that brings life.

When the angel told John those in the heavenly vision had "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," he was saying there is power in the death of Christ to do what no other power in the universe can do. The white robes do not make anyone pure; they are emblematic of that purity and personal holiness that comes only from the sacrifice of Christ. White is throughout the Book of the Revelation an emblem of holiness.

To read the full article, "White Robes and Palm Branches" by Austin B. Tucker, click here.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. - Matthew 2:10-11

Matthew 2:10-11Today's Preaching Insight...

Turning Life into an Adventure

There are reasons life becomes just one long bore.

In my opinion, the foremost reasons are: (1) people have lost sight of who God made them to be and what He designed them to do; and (2) as a result, people are not actively, intentionally, and purposefully pursuing what the Father has planned and desired for them.

If you truly want to pursue and reach your full potential, then you must face up to these two truths:

Truth #1: God has placed more within you than you realize.

Truth #2: You likely have settled for the life you have now.

To read the full article, "How to Reach Your Full Potential" by Charles Stanley, click here.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Psalms 139

Psalms 139Today's Preaching Insight...

What if you're a leader...who's not a visionary? I used to believe that a visionary was by definition one who stayed on the cutting edge of society, alert and ready to catch the next cultural wave. I've always had a problem, however, seeing the wave, let alone catching it! Let me give you an example.

A couple of years ago, Mel Gibson made a movie, "The Passion of The Christ." Chances are, your congregation bought rolls of tickets, climbed aboard a bus (or a fleet of buses), and went to see the movie. Why? Christian leaders considered the excursion to be a fresh means of deepening faith and a culturally savvy tool of evangelism. After all, our generation is visually oriented, having grown up on a steady diet of TV and movies. It was the visionary thing to do.

But I didn't have the vision. Somebody else thought of it, not me. How depressing!

Then there was the time our church bought another building. We definitely needed it. The benefits of having another building were obvious. But I didn't suggest that we buy it. I hadn't even thought of us buying more property.

Then there was the M.O.P.S (Mothers of Pre-schoolers) ministry. Wonderful program. It's not only been a big help to the young mothers of our community; it's exposed them to the Gospel. Sure wish I'd thought of it!

About now you're wondering whether this is the church custodian writing. Nope. This is the preaching minister writing. And now you're asking, "What in the world are you, Mr. No Vision, doing in such an important position of church leadership?" Believe me, I've asked myself that question many times!

What is "vision," really? If it's being able to see where you're going, I must confess that often I can't. Neither do bats, I'm told. Yet somehow they manage to get where they're going—even in the dark. God gave them the ability to do so. He's done the same for all the people He's chosen to lead. "Blind as a bat" is but one way to describe many of them!

Take Moses, for example. Was this a man with a vision of liberty, aching for a chance to tell old Pharoah, "Let my people go?" As a matter of fact, he argued with God over his qualifications for the job (Exodus 4:1)!

(To read the entire article, "So You're Not a Visionary" by Gary Robinson at Preaching.com, click here)

Today's Extra...

Health

Satchel Paige was a baseball legend. His promotion to the major leagues was delayed because of the infamous color barrier. He came to the majors at the age of 42 and pitched in a game when he was 59. Here were his rules for staying young:

Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood.
If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts. 
Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move. 
Go very lightly on the vices, such as carrying on in society. The social ramble ain't restful. 
Avoid running. 
Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you.