Today's Word

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things

Today's Preaching Insight...

Has Any People Heard the Voice of God Speaking...And Survived?

In Deuteronomy chapter four, we encounter one of the great touchstone passages in all of Scripture.  My heart and soul are absolutely struck by the question—a rhetorical question, but a very real question—asked in verse 33:  "Has any people heard the voice of the Lord, the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire and survived?"

What brings us here?  What brings us to this institution, to this campus, to this hour?  What brings us dressed in academic costumes, ready for learning and study?  Something summons us here.  There is some mandate, some basis, some foundation.

This is a theological seminary and college.  We dare to speak of God.  We even dare to define what we do here as Christian education.  What an audacious claim!  We actually claim that here we teach what God has taught.

There ought to be a bit of humility in recognizing the audacity of that claim.  It would be a baseless and a foundationless claim, an incredible claim, if God had not spoken from the midst of the fire and allowed us to hear.  On what authority are we here?  To dare to speak of these things, we must speak invoking the authority of God, who alone could speak these things, who alone could reveal Himself and tell us what we must know.  All this points to a big and inescapable question, the question in fact that haunts the postmodern mind: On what basis can we claim to know anything?

(To read the rest of this article, click here to visit the official website)

Today's Extra...

Illustration: Skill, Talent

Morris, the loudmouth mechanic, was removing the cylinder heads from the motor of a car when he spotted a famous heart surgeon who was standing off to the side, waiting for the service manager to come take a look at his Mercedes.

Morris shouted across the garage, "Hey Doc! Is that you? Come on over here a minute."

The famous surgeon, a bit surprised, walked over to where Morris the mechanic was working on the car.

Morris straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag, and asked argumentatively, "So, Mr. Fancy Doctor, look at this here work. I ALSO open hearts, take valves out, grind 'em, put in new parts; and when I finish, this baby will purr like a kitten. So how come you get the big bucks, when you and I are doing basically the same work?"

The surgeon leaned over and whispered to Morris the loudmouth mechanic, "Try doing it with the engine running."

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things]

Today's Preaching Insight...

Living on Purpose

On September 1, 1985 explorer Robert Ballard made a discovery that made his heart leap into his throat. He later recorded his feelings about this event and said, "My first direct view of Titanic lasted less than two minutes, but the stark sight of her immense black hull towering above the ocean floor will remain forever ingrained in my memory. My lifelong dream was to find this great ship, and during the past 13 years the quest for her had dominated my life. Now, finally, the quest was over."1

Ballard spent 13 years of his life searching for the long-lost Titanic. He had dreamed of it even before beginning the expedition. The goal of this find drove him on. His experience demonstrates the power that a single purpose has in a person's life.

This makes me ask a simple but important question: Do you know how to live on purpose?

(To read the rest of this article, click here to visit the official website)

Today's Extra...

Illustration: Politicians

A busload of politicians were driving down a country road when suddenly the bus ran off the road and crashed into a tree in an old farmer's field.

The old farmer, after seeing what happened, went over to investigate. He then proceeded to dig a hole and bury the politicians. A few days later, the local sheriff came out, saw the crashed bus and asked the old farmer where all the politicians had gone.

The old farmer said he had buried them.

The sheriff asked the old farmer, "Were they ALL dead?"

The old farmer replied, "Well, some of them said they weren't, but you know how them politicians lie."

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

Today's Preaching Insight...

Today I want to introduce you to two people you know well. I have heard the first man described like this:

He's rich. Italian shoes. Tailored suit. His money is invested. His plastic is platinum. He lives like he flies — first class. He's young. He pumps away fatigue at the gym and slam-dunks old age on the court. His belly is flat, his eyes sharp. Energy is his trademark, and death is an eternity away. He's powerful. If you don't think so, just ask him. You got questions? He's got answers. You got problems? He's got solutions. You got dilemmas? He's got opinions. He knows where he's going, and he'll be there tomorrow. He's the new generation. So the old had better pick up the pace or pack their bags.

He has mastered the three "Ps" of life today. Prosperity. Posterity. Power.1

Who is he? He is the top salesman in his district, making it up the career ladder. She is the rising lawyer who was just made a partner at her prestigious law firm. He's the successful real estate broker who has more listings than he can handle — except he can handle them just fine. In the Bible, he is the rich young ruler. Until today, life for him has been hang gliding in a clear, blue sky — but he runs into Jesus. He has one question, What's in it for me, and what do I have to do to get it?

Here is the second person. He is called. He is gifted. He serves as an elder and a Sunday school teacher. He knows his Bible. He is committed to the Great Commission. He shares his faith. He is a true man of prayer. He is raising his family in the faith. He is a disciple of Jesus Christ. That is what people think, and that is the truth. But he also struggles. He struggles with one question, What is in it for me? Since I have given You so much, what can I get in return? I want health. I could use more money. I just want You to make my kids turn out all right. I just want to retire early.

Today's Extra...

Illustration: Abundant Life

In a classic "Peanuts" comic strip, Charlie Brown goes to Lucy for psychiatric help. He says, "What can you do when you don't fit in? What can you do when life seems to be passing you by?" Lucy leads Charlie away from her booth and says, "Follow me. I want to show you something. See the horizon over there? See how big this world is? See how much room there is for everybody? Have you ever seen any other worlds?" Charlie replies meekly, "No." She continues, "As far as you know, this is the only world there is...Right?" Even more meekly, Charlie says, "Right." Lucy presses on, "There are no other worlds for you to live in...Right?" Charlie admits, "Right." "You were born to live in this world...Right?" "Right," says Charlie. Lucy then explodes, "Well, live in it then! Five cents, please." While we may disagree with Lucy's counseling technique, we recognize she is on to something. We need to make the most of our lives and really live.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Today's Preaching Insight...

With Great Power...

"With great power comes great responsibility" — Spiderman.
It's a pity that real-life super-hero, Samson, never read Spider-Man comics. He was given supernatural strength to be a leader. Instead, he became a loner who usually acted irresponsibly. He was a man of great physical strength whose gifts blinded him to even greater spiritual dangers. Only at the end, when he lost his two eyes, was he finally able to see.

The sixteenth chapter of Judges begins in the dead of night. Mighty Samson lies with a prostitute. His enemies lie in wait. I imagine their nervous chatter: "He'll have to wait till dawn to come out, won't he? The gate's locked, right? I mean, what'see gonna do — take hold of the doors and tear 'em loose?"

That's exactly what he did — a feat analogous to crawling on your belly underneath a pickup truck, getting up with it on your back, then carrying it up the hill!

But there's no mention of God's spirit coming on Samson in power. I get the feeling that if Samson had seen himself as God's agent in the past, if he'd ever been conscious of his mission, that untended fire had gone out. The guy's alone, on his own.

(To read the rest of this article, click here to visit the official website)

Today's Extra...

Illustration: Comfort, Challenge

Too much comfort is dangerous. Literally.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, did an experiment some time ago that involved introducing an amoeba into a perfectly stress-free environment: ideal temperature, optimal concentration of moisture, constant food supply. The amoeba had an environment to which it had to make no adjustment whatsoever.

So you would guess this was one happy little amoeba. Whatever it is that gives amoebas ulcers and high blood pressure was gone.

Yet, oddly enough, it died.

Apparently there is something about all living creatures, even amoebas, that demands challenge. We require change, adaptation and challenge the way we require food and air. Comfort alone will kill us.

(John Ortberg, If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Today's Preaching Insight...

Making The Wrong Decisions 

Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there. Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. And they took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.

Decisions determine destiny. Your life tomorrow will be the direct result of the decisions you make today. In the first five verses of Ruth we encounter a man named Elimelech, a man whose destiny was indeed determined by his decisions. The Bible tells us that he was a Hebrew of the tribe of Judah. As such, he was privileged to have extended to him the promises of God. Sadly, Elimelech failed to realize the fulness of those promises. Being a Hebrew, he had been taught the absolute truths of God's revelation of man. Though the Old Testament had not been completed at the time of Elimelech's life, he did have the divine truth of the Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy). Elimelech, however, chose to make critical life decisions based on human rationale instead of God's divine revelation. We can learn three principles from Elimelech's decision-making.

(To read more of this article, click here to visit the official website)

Today's Extra...

5 Ministry Killers and How to Defeat Them

After 30 years in ministry, Charles Stone has identified 5 Ministry Killers and How to Defeat Them: Help for Frustrated Pastors (Bethany House). The five killers: head-in-the-sand mentality; misdirected emotional investment; unhealthy responses to ministry killers; an attitude of "God and I can handle this;" and lonely, hurting spouses. This is an important book that can save ministries -- maybe even yours.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.]

Today's Preaching Insight...

Surviving Depression

Once upon a time, there was a traveling preacher on the American frontier. Hungry and tired, he arrived at the home of Christian people to stay the night. Before he went to bed he entered this optimistic note in his journal:

"Arrived at the home of Brother Brown late this evening hungry and tired after a long day in the saddle. Had a bountiful supper of cold pork and beans, warm bread, bacon and eggs, coffee and rich pastry. I go to rest feeling that my witness is clear; the future is bright and I feel called to a great and glorious work in this place. Brother Brown's family are godly people."

On the basis of his entry the next morning before he left his room, however, it appears that his bountiful supper had changed his spiritual outlook. This is what he wrote in his journal the very next morning:

"Awakened late this morning after a troubled night. I am very much depressed in soul; the way looks dark; far from being called to work among this people, I am beginning to doubt the safety of my soul. I am afraid that the desires of Brother Brown and his family are set too much on earthly things . . . "

Even deeply spiritual men and women down thru history have experienced depression. Martin Luther, great Protestant reformer, suffered periods of black gloom. Charles Spurgeon, probably the most effective British preacher of his generation, was immobilized for weeks at a time by depression. Soren Kierkegaard, influential nineteenth century writer, suffered chronic depression. And J.B. Phillips sank into a debilitating depression after the popular success of his paraphrase of the New Testament.

(To read the rest of this article, click here to visit the official website)

Today's Extra...

Illustration: Truth

"It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, then falsehood that comforts and then kills. It is not love and it is not friendship if we fail to declare the whole counsel of God. It is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie.

"It is impossible to find anyone in the Bible who was a power for God who did not have enemies and was not hated. It's better to stand alone with the truth than to be wrong with a multitude. It is better ultimately to succeed with truth than to temporarily succeed with a lie." (Adrian Rogers)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Proverbs 14:26

He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge

Today's Preaching Insight...

Handling Life When You're Hot, Dry, and Donkeyless

From the time the children of Israel entered into the Promised Land they were led by judges. These were people that God raised up, who were mightily endued with the Spirit of God. This period lasted for some three hundred years. Deborah was one of those judges, as was Gideon was, and Samson was also a judge. By the time we get to 1 Samuel 9, Israel is under her final judge, the prophet Samuel.

During this three-hundred-year period, the nation was truly a theocracy. God was her King. He was her great shepherd. He was her able advocate and saving defense. The eyes that run to and fro throughout all of the earth stood watch over little Israel.

Israel was unlike any of the other nations of the earth. She was strong, yet had no standing army — Almighty God was in her camp. The people prospered. Moreover, when she was in a right relationship with the Lord, she was invincible against her enemies, for the Lord fought her battles.

However, like many of us, the people did not realize they had a good thing going when they had it. One morning, the people of Israel woke up, and they wanted to be like all the other nations. Listen, make no mistake anytime you find yourself wanting to be conformed to this world and be like this world, you are moving in spiritual reverse.

(To read the rest of this article, click here to visit the official website)

Today's Extra...

Illustration: Repentance

In Vansbro, Sweden, police were startled when a thief returned a wallet he had stolen with the whole amount that was in the wallet along with the interest the money would have earned. He also enclosed a letter of apology. He had stolen the money 40 years earlier. It is never too late for restitution and repentance.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Today's Preaching Insight...

I'll Hold You Again in Heaven

Of all deaths, that of a child is most unnatural and hardest to bear. We expect the old to die. While that kind of separation is always difficult, it comes as no surprise. But the death of a young child or a youth is a different matter. Life with its beauty, wonder, and potential lies ahead for them. Death is a cruel thief when it strikes down the young.

In a way that is different from any other relationship because a child is bone of his parents' bone and flesh of their flesh. When a child dies, part of the parent is buried.1 So writes Joseph Bayly, who had the sad duty of burying three of his children.

When we lose a child, the effect is widespread. It not only touches the parents, but it can involve siblings, grandparents, friends, and caregivers in a unique way. In the Scripture there is a story that offers us some insight and comfort as we share in this grief. David and Bathsheba's little boy lived only seven days.

(To read the rest of this article, click here to visit the official website)

Today's Extra...

Illustration: Purpose, Direction

Former Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice once told graduates of the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson that they have a responsibility to be "optimistic" in their lives.

"I first learned this lesson from hearing stories about my paternal grandfather," she said. "Grandfather Rice was a poor farmer's son in Eutaw, Alabama. One day, he decided to get book-learning. So he asked, in the language of the day, where a colored man could go to school.

"They said that a little Presbyterian school, Stillman College, was only about 50 miles away. So he saved up his cotton to pay for the first year's tuition. After the first year, he ran out of cotton and he needed a way to pay. My grandfather asked the school administrators how those other boys were staying in school, and he was told that they had what was called a scholarship.

"They said, 'If you want to be a Presbyterian minister, you could have a scholarship, too.' My grandfather said, 'That's just what I had in mind.'"

The moral of the story, she said: "In America, it is not about where you are coming from, but where you are going."

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Deuteronomy 29:29

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.

Today's Preaching Insight...

Surviving Depression

Once upon a time, there was a traveling preacher on the American frontier. Hungry and tired, he arrived at the home of Christian people to stay the night. Before he went to bed he entered this optimistic note in his journal:

"Arrived at the home of Brother Brown late this evening hungry and tired after a long day in the saddle. Had a bountiful supper of cold pork and beans, warm bread, bacon and eggs, coffee and rich pastry. I go to rest feeling that my witness is clear; the future is bright and I feel called to a great and glorious work in this place. Brother Brown's family are godly people."

On the basis of his entry the next morning before he left his room, however, it appears that his bountiful supper had changed his spiritual outlook. This is what he wrote in his journal the very next morning:

"Awakened late this morning after a troubled night. I am very much depressed in soul; the way looks dark; far from being called to work among this people, I am beginning to doubt the safety of my soul. I am afraid that the desires of Brother Brown and his family are set too much on earthly things . . . "

(To read the rest of this article, click here to visit the official website)

Today's Extra...

Illustration: Riches in Christ

Recently my wife and I were given use of two major league baseball tickets. Always glad to see a baseball game, we took the tickets and headed to the stadium. We noticed the tickets came with a free parking pass, but that only registered slightly.

As soon as we entered the stadium, I made my way to one of the few vendors where you can buy food for a dollar. So, I stood in a long line and came away proudly with my little dollar popcorn and my little dollar soft drink. We had trouble finding the number for our seat. Finally, we were pointed to an elevator.

We went up to the assigned section where we were met by two attendants who welcomed us and informed us all the food in the suite was complimentary. We turned the corner and saw a beautiful air-conditioned room with many kinds of food and drink. There were hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, barbeque, shrimp Alfredo, ice cream, etc. There were large windows facing the field and the outside of the stadium. We made it down to the seats where they were giving out free snacks. You actually could watch the game from the large room, an outdoor terrace or the actual assigned seats.

You can imagine how foolish I felt clutching my little bag of dollar popcorn and my cup of soda. I did not know the riches that were actually mine. Many Christians do not know the riches that are available to them in Christ.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Galatians 1:9

As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

Today's Preaching Insight...

Rebuilding for the Future

Sometimes churches spend too much time talking about what we need to do and not enough time doing what needs to be done. Sometimes we seem to value planning and discussing more than we value doing.

Have you seen those excellent television commercials advertising the Royal Bank of Scotland? In one of them, a group of people is eating in a restaurant when one of them starts to choke. One man says, "Isn't Jacobsen choking?" Someone else says, "I'd definitely say Jacobsen's choking." The first fellow then says, "I know exactly what to do. I saw it in the movies once. It's called the Heimlich maneuver." That launches the diners into a discussion first of how to pronounce "Heimlich" and then how to perform the maneuver. Of course, all the while Jacobsen is choking. Finally, a man from a neighboring table comes over and successfully performs the maneuver on Jacobsen. Then the announcer says, "Less talk — make it happen!"

Now, I'm not downplaying the importance of deliberate, constructive, and thoughtful talk. Good planning is necessary. But if someone is choking to death talk won't save his life; action must be taken. I am convicted that the future of this church is directly connected with our willingness to take action to help those around us who are choking to death.

(To read the rest of this article, click here to visit the official web page)

Today's Extra...

The Word in Small Boats: Sermons from Oxford

Now a professor at the University of Edinburgh, Oliver O'Donovan spent some two decades as pastor of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. His new book The Word in Small Boats: Sermons from Oxford (Eerdmans) shares 32 of the sermons he preached in the heart of that university city. The "small boats" of the title represent the sermons that carry the Word into the life of the church.]