Today's Word

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

Today's Preaching Insight...

Preparing to Preach

In a paper at the meeting of the Evangelical Homiletics Society, Michael Quicke observed, "The more casual and unprepared that listeners are as they come to worship the less likely they are to experience God. All worshipers, preacher included, should make space and time for genuine prayers of preparation. "Who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully" (Ps 24:3,4). Snatched seconds of perfunctory routine before worship smothers spiritual possibilities within worship.  "True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" (John 4:21) and be sensitive to God who is spirit. Spiritual insensitivity to God beforehand can condemn to spiritual insensitivity during worship. The outcome is a Unitarian utilitarianism - preachers "do their own thing" which may or may not have any relevance to hearers "doing their thing."

"Preachers need to include themselves in more rigorous practice of prayerful preparation that stills the spirit (Psalm 37:7) and raises expectation that God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are involved in a spiritual happening in worship for the whole community.  God's word does not return empty. God's seed in good soil can make an astounding difference--"bearing fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold. " Worshipers should prepare with openness to what fruit they might bear. If you think a sermon is going to be a waste of time, nine times out of ten it will be. If you believe in an active present God anything could happen.

"Preachers have a responsibility to model sensitive preparation for worship. In the crescendo of interruptions often leading up to the service prayer should not be treated as a routine to be squeezed out by more important matters, but the foundation for prepared minds and hearts of everyone. Listeners can be encouraged to pray in the days leading up to worship by specific information. Preachers can share next week's Scripture text and theme and ask listeners to prepare by reading and reflecting themselves as well as supporting the preacher in preparation. The more seriously preachers reflect personal conviction about the Trinitarian dynamic of worship and preaching, the more seriously listeners will prepare with them."

Today's Extra...

Faith, Prayer, Atheism

There was a little old lady who would come out every morning on the steps of her front porch, raise her arms to the sky and shout, "Praise the Lord!"

Well, one day an atheist moved into the house next door. Over time, he became irritated at the little old lady. So every morning he would step out onto his front porch and yell after her, "There is no Lord!"

Time passes with the two of them carrying on this way every day. Then one morning in the middle of winter, the little old lady stepped onto her front porch and shouted, "Praise the Lord! Lord, I have no food and I am starving. Please provide for me, oh Lord!"

The next morning, she stepped onto her porch and there were two huge bags of groceries sitting there. "Praise the Lord!" she cried out. "He has provided groceries for me!"

The atheist jumped out of the hedges and shouted, "There is no Lord. I bought those groceries!"

The little old lady threw her arms into the air and shouted, "Praise the Lord! He has provided me with groceries and He made the devil pay for them!"

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

Today's Preaching Insight...

Going to the Fishing Lodge but Never Fishing

The last time we were up on the island one of the men in the church shared a memorable story. He told about his friend who owned a popular fishing lodge. Guests come year after year and spend their days fishing. Then at night they gather around the fireplace and tell tall tales about 'the one that got away'. This man told about one guest who came to that lodge. He was outfitted with the finest gear. He looked like a real fisherman. But he never fished! Day after day he spent reading or maybe walking along the lakeshore. But he never dropped a line in the water.

Finally someone asked him why he stayed at a fishing lodge but never fished. The man simply said, "Well, I used to fish, but not so much anymore. You can't find finer folk than fishermen. So I just come to be around them and to listen to their stories." (This story is adapted from Lloyd Oglivie, The Other Jesus, Word, 1986, p. 199).

It's hard to imagine, isn't it? With bluegill and bass just waiting to nibble and strike, this man preferred to sit in the fishing lodge or stroll along the shore! It's always easier to talk about something than to go out and actually do it. But does staying in a fishing lodge make you a fisherman? I think not. The lake, not the lodge, is where the fish are biting. The only fish that end up in a fishing lodge have already been caught.

Let's think about this from a spiritual standpoint. Fishing, of course, is a metaphor in the Bible for missions and faith sharing. Along with worship, discipleship, service and fellowship — our outreach to nearby ponds and to distant oceans fulfills one of the five purposes Jesus intends for us to carry out as his church.

So when it comes to faith sharing and missions, we're not talking about a "resort vacation". Instead, as Jesus' disciples, we're talking about our real vocation. We're talking about decisions and deeds today that can make a real difference in persons' lives for all eternity.

(To read the entire article, "Got Fish" by Gary Bruland at Preaching.com, click here).

Today's Extra...

Birth in a Grave

Human tragedy is never ultimate. Purpose often springs out of chaos and light from the darkness.

Paul Tillich tells of a moving event that came to light during the Nuremberg War Trials. It seems that in Wilna, Poland, in an effort to escape the clutches of the Nazis, several Jewish people resorted to hiding in graves in a nearby cemetery. There, in such an unlikely place, a young woman gave birth to a child.

An 80-year-old grave digger was the only one there to assist in the birth; and, as he saw what was happening, he said in awe: "Great God, hast thou finally sent the Messiah to us? For who else but a Messiah could be born in a grave?"

The old man was wrong as to the identity of the child because the emaciated mother had no milk and very soon the child died. But he was right in another sense, for only God could do something as incredible as cause life to be born in a grave.

This is exactly what did happen on Easter morning and is the greatest of all symbols of God's ingenious resourcefulness. Out of that awful matrix of death and tragedy, healing began to flow.

(Paul Tillich, The Shaking of the Foundations, 1955, chapter 20. Sadly this book is out of print but this insightful chapter can be seen online here. Quoted in Easter Sermon by John Claypool, Tragedy and Hope.)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Psalms 31:14-15
Today's Preaching Insight...

The Joy of a New Thing

I like new beginnings: a new book or a new class; a new art project or a new car; starting a new job or repainting a room. There is a deeper new thing, too -- a renewed spirit and enthusiasm after a satisfying vacation, Waking up to the singing of the birds as they celebrate a new sunrise, experiencing the mercy of God again and knowing that everything is going to be OK. A new thing.
A new thing is exactly what God promised to do for Israel in Babylon. You remember the Babylonian captivity. A whole nation driven away from home into a foreign country. A different language. Different customs. Different religion. Far from home. Disorienting, and disillusioning. The Psalmist recorded that the people of Israel sat down by the river Babylon and wept ... wept against the day they used to sing songs to God. Zion songs. "How can we sing songs to God in a foreign land?" they asked.
But now God was about to do a new thing. "I will break down all the bars in Babylon. I will make a way in the sea. I will make a path in the mighty waters, I am about to do a new thing, now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" A new thing.
God doesn't leave us parched and dried up. God doesn't leave us without hope. God doesn't leave us without a way. "I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself, so that they might declare my praise," says the Lord." "I am about to do a new thing."
(To read the entire article, "Newness: A New Thing Isaiah 42:16-21; John 12:1-6" by William Jacobsen at Preaching.com, click here).
Today's Extra...

The Jesus You Can't Ignore

In The Jesus You Can't Ignore (Thomas Nelson), John MacArthur paints a picture of Jesus unlike that offered by many. He demonstrates that the Jesus of the New Testament was blunt, confrontational, and passionate about drawing people to the Kingdom.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. Psalms 107:23

Psalms 107:23Today's Preaching Insight...

Twitter: The Virtual Couch

So, if you can't preach three points and a poem via Twitter, what can be done to express and enhance ministry?

"Think of social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter not as extensions of your pulpit," suggests Bettinger, "but rather as a living room sofa. A place for conversation." This is crucial. If the goal of ministry is to build a community of Christ-followers committed to the cause of the gospel and His kingdom, then it follows that somewhere early on there must be a connection that leads to a conversation. Twitter, Facebook and other such tools are tailor made for that vital ice-breaking work.

(To read the entire article, "What Would Jesus Preach?" by David R. Stokes at Preaching.com, click here).

Today's Extra...

Here are some quotes from athletes and coaches that might have been better left unsaid:

* New Orleans Saint RB George Rogers when asked about the upcoming season..."I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first."

* "Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." - Football commentator and former player Joe Theismann 1996

* "You guys line up alphabetically by height." - Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach

* "You guys pair up in groups of three, then line up in a circle." - Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Psalms 31:14-15
Today's Preaching Insight...

The Joy of a New Thing

I like new beginnings: a new book or a new class; a new art project or a new car; starting a new job or repainting a room. There is a deeper new thing, too -- a renewed spirit and enthusiasm after a satisfying vacation, Waking up to the singing of the birds as they celebrate a new sunrise, experiencing the mercy of God again and knowing that everything is going to be OK. A new thing.

A new thing is exactly what God promised to do for Israel in Babylon. You remember the Babylonian captivity. A whole nation driven away from home into a foreign country. A different language. Different customs. Different religion. Far from home. Disorienting, and disillusioning. The Psalmist recorded that the people of Israel sat down by the river Babylon and wept ... wept against the day they used to sing songs to God. Zion songs. "How can we sing songs to God in a foreign land?" they asked.

But now God was about to do a new thing. "I will break down all the bars in Babylon. I will make a way in the sea. I will make a path in the mighty waters, I am about to do a new thing, now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" A new thing.

God doesn't leave us parched and dried up. God doesn't leave us without hope. God doesn't leave us without a way. "I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself, so that they might declare my praise," says the Lord." "I am about to do a new thing."

(To read the entire article, "Newness: A New Thing Isaiah 42:16-21; John 12:1-6" by William Jacobsen at Preaching.com, click here).
Today's Extra...

The Jesus You Can't Ignore

In The Jesus You Can't Ignore (Thomas Nelson), John MacArthur paints a picture of Jesus unlike that offered by many. He demonstrates that the Jesus of the New Testament was blunt, confrontational, and passionate about drawing people to the Kingdom.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1
Today's Preaching Insight...

Mark Batterson: Reaching the De-Churched

Preaching: The vast majority of your people come from an un-churched or de-churched background. How do you go about reaching those "de-churched" folks?

Batterson: That's just someone who grew up going to church but quit going. I've read statistics that as many as 61 percent of 20-somethings quit going to church at some point, and we kind of get them on the rebound. It's amazing how many people were checked out for five or 10 or 15 years, and we find them or they find us on the rebound. We love being a church for those folks who left the church for one reason or another. That's really who we're targeting and part of the reason why we're trying to meet in marketplace locations. It makes it a little bit easier for them to walk in our front door.

(To read the entire article, "Preaching to the De-Churched: An Interview with Mark Batterson" by Michael Duduit at Preaching.com, click here).

Today's Extra...

Limitations and Fear

Passengers on a small commuter plane are waiting for the flight to leave. They're getting a little impatient, but the airport staff has assured them that the pilots will be there soon, and the flight can take off immediately after that.

The entrance opens, and two men walk up the aisle, dressed in pilots' uniforms -- both are wearing dark glasses, one is using a seeing-eye dog, and the other is tapping his way up the aisle with a cane.

Nervous laughter spreads though the cabin; but the men enter the cockpit, the door closes, and the engines start up.

The passengers begin glancing nervously around, searching for some sign that this is just a little practical joke. None is forthcoming.

The plane moves faster and faster down the runway, and people at the window realize that they're headed straight for the water at the edge of the airport territory.

As it begins to looks as though the plane will never take off, that it will plow into the water, panicked screams fill the cabin -- but at that moment, the plane lifts smoothly into the air. The passengers relax and laugh a little sheepishly, and soon they have all retreated into their magazines, secure in the knowledge that the plane is in good hands.

Up in the cockpit, the copilot turns to the pilot and says, "You know, Tony, one of these days, they're going to scream too late, and we're all gonna die."

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. Psalms 107:23

Psalms 107:23Today's Preaching Insight...

Twitter: The Virtual Couch

So, if you can't preach three points and a poem via Twitter, what can be done to express and enhance ministry?

"Think of social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter not as extensions of your pulpit," suggests Bettinger, "but rather as a living room sofa. A place for conversation." This is crucial. If the goal of ministry is to build a community of Christ-followers committed to the cause of the gospel and His kingdom, then it follows that somewhere early on there must be a connection that leads to a conversation. Twitter, Facebook and other such tools are tailor made for that vital ice-breaking work.

(To read the entire article, "What Would Jesus Preach?" by David R. Stokes at Preaching.com, click here).

Today's Extra...

Here are some quotes from athletes and coaches that might have been better left unsaid:

* New Orleans Saint RB George Rogers when asked about the upcoming season..."I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first."

* "Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." - Football commentator and former player Joe Theismann 1996

* "You guys line up alphabetically by height." - Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach

* "You guys pair up in groups of three, then line up in a circle." - Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach

(Read the rest on Preaching.com here)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

Today's Preaching Insight...

Back to the Water Source

What about your life, pastor? Do you have supernatural power in your life and ministry? What is your power source? Are you weary and worn-out — can people hear the dipper banging against the bottom of your bucket? Or are you vibrant and victorious?

We have before us one of the most remarkable and challeng­ing statements in the whole of the New Testament. Jesus said,"If anyone thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). These words were spo­ken by Jesus to people who were spiritually dry, empty and defeated. They are like many people of our day, going through religious ritual and ceremony but finding no real meaning, life and victory.

The apostle John includes the commentary on the words of Jesus. Verse 39 tells us that Jesus' statement about "rivers of living water" is a reference to the Holy Spirit.

When it comes to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, it is possible to go to extremes. However, despite our fear of one extreme, we must not go to the other extreme and be devoid of the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Herein lies the power for life and ministry. The Holy Spirit is our power source.

(To read the entire article, "Rivers of Living Water" by Roger D. Willmore at Preaching.com, click here).

Today's Extra...

Words

It happened in the 1840s in Uruguay. The Uruguayan Navy was desperate. They were fending off the navy of an aggressive force from Argentina. They ran out of conventional ammunition and thought their cause was lost. Someone came up with a creative idea. They would use old cheese as ammunition. So they raided the kitchen and loaded their cannons with old, hard Edam cheese and used it as cannonballs. Incidentally, they won the battle.

Is it possible for us to take good things and turn them into weapons? Words for instance can be used to edify; or, if hard, they can be used to destroy.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Today's Preaching Insight...

More about the Father

More recently scholars urge us to discover that the parable is more about the father, the main character who shows up in both chapters of the story. After all, the very first words of the parable are "a certain man had two sons."  Scholars invite us to see the loving father or the waiting father or perhaps the forgiving father. Why not take a clue from them and pay more attention to the father in the story but with an angle?

One day while going over this beloved story I put two things together I never had. When it first hit me my admiration for the father in the story soared. This father, on the very same day, reached out to both of his sons with a fistful of grace and love for each of them.

This father loved both of his sons! God loves disreputable sinners and reputable sinners. Our appreciation of God expands exponentially. So many sermons lately appeal to our selfish desires. If you are up for it, why don't we say a good word about God this time.

(To read the entire article, "Twice in One Day" by Peter Rhea Jones on Preaching.com, click here.)

Today's Extra...

Lord's Supper
The oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere is the Mikve synagogue on the island of Curacao. It dates to the year 1732. Every day they sprinkle sand on the floor as a reminder of the years their ancestors wandered in the Desert of Sinai on their way from bondage in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. They thought a visible symbol would aid the memory. So it is for us in communion. We believe the visible symbols of the bread and the cup keep fresh for us the memory of our freedom from sin and our hope for a better promised land made possible by the torn body and shed blood of Jesus Christ.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. Proverbs 17:1

Today's Preaching Insight...

Daniel: A Travel Guide

The Book of Daniel is the place where prophecy and theology meet in a teenage boy named Daniel in captivity to a foreign king. Along with Daniel's friends, the reader comes face-to-face with the realities in his own life:

How a believer must live in times of apostasy

How a believer may follow the Lord in the most secular of conditions

How a follower of Christ can trust Christ even when it seems He is not in control

How a disciple of Jesus can meet the demands of discipleship in the tough, hard places of life

This part of Daniel grips me as your pastor. So I am back to why I love travel books. Think of Daniel as your divine guide to living for God in those times when it looks like God is nowhere to be found. And if we are truly becoming the secular nation that many say we are, then Daniel is God's guide for our lives as we stand up for Him in this generation.

(To read the full article, "Disciple in a Strange Land" by Michael Milton on Preaching.com, click here.)