Today's Word

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
John 3:21

Today's Preaching Insight...

Faith makes a difference

Americans who help religious congregations not only give more time and money than people working with secular causes, but provide three-quarters of secular charity as well, according to a study that was reported in The Washington Times.

The study found that "religion-giving households" in 2000 gave 87.5 percent of all charitable contributions in the nation, for an average of $2,100 for each household. "Givers to religious congregations are dramatically more generous than others," said the report, issued by Independent Sector, a nonprofit research organization, and the National Council of Churches.

Six in 10 American households give to a religious congregation and more than 85 percent of those also gave to secular organizations, said the study . . .

"The influence of faith extends to volunteering," the study said, noting that 54 percent of regular worshippers also volunteer. That compares with a volunteering rate of 32 percent by Americans who do not attend a house of worship. Religious givers volunteer for secular charities as much as secular Americans, averaging about 10 hours a month. And the most actively religious people work the most volunteer hours. "In round numbers, one-third of the people give two-thirds of the time," the report said.

For more on this topic, check out The Grace of Giving by Bill D. Whittaker at http://www.preaching.com/resources/from_the_lectionary/11547537/faith%20giving/.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

Today's Preaching Insight...

Diversity

"The Church is called to be a Christ-centered community of diversity. Its very life proclaims the power of God to overcome the divisions that set people against each other. In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul announced, 'In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus' (v. 3:28). The church is to live as a people touched by Gods grace and no longer defined by the divisions that plague the world.

At least that's what God expects. But that is not what we find in far too many cases. Too often the divisions of the world are brought right into the church. Instead of reflecting the light of Christ, we mirror the broken world. Women are discriminated against, racial segregation persists and whenever an international conflict arises, those in the church are frequently uncritical cheerleaders for our nation's side in the hostility. But on top of all that, the church has its own problems with diversity. Differences in practice and opinion become occasions for distrust and fragmentation.



Among ecumenically minded Christians, unity in diversity has been one of our strong values. But as I recently heard it said, we sing our hosannas to the principal, but in practice too quickly we hear the cries, 'Crucify him, crucify him.' No matter how much we claim that we value diversity, living with it is tough work."

(From Diversity: Living with Diversity, Romans 14:1-9 by Craig M. Watts. To read the entire article on Preaching.com, click here).

Today's Extra...

Does Anyone Actually Proofread Church Bulletins?

The Sermon Fodder newsletter frequently offers a new batch of bulletin bloopers gathered from across America. Here's a sample:

Don't forget, Ash Wednesday is Monday, March 5th.
Several members of our youth department are collecting donations for Operation Graduation. Funds will be used for a drug and alcohol party following graduation on May 29th.
Additional volunteers are needed for next week's Easter Egg Nog Hunt.
We will have a Church-wide Christ-centered Easter Egg Hunt next Saturday for Toddlers through Grade 6.  We are accepting candy and individually wrapped monetary donations in the office.
The Seniors group will be heading off to the festival bright and early Friday.  We hope to see your smiling feces at 7:00 a.m. when the bus departs.
The Baby shower will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday.  All ladies invited. No clothing needed.   
Please be in prayer that authorities will catch the thieves who have been breaking into area churches in recent months.  There was a break-in at the Open Door Baptist Church last week.  Burglars entered through a rear window.
(from Bulletin Bloopers 2003 PT. III, by Sermon Fodder and Joke A Day Ministries. To subscribe drop an email note to Sermon_Fodder-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

Today's Preaching Insight...

In Ministry: It's an Online World

By Michael Duduit
Editor, Preaching Magazine.

As computers and the Internet consume more and more of our waking hours—from writing sermons to managing membership to keeping up on Facebook—another digital dimension is confronting pastors and church leaders: online education.

Mention "training for ministry" and most people likely still think of a traditional seminary classroom with a professor standing in front of students. While that continues to be the mode in which most ministry education takes place for now, that may not be the case for long. As in so many other disciplines, theological education is moving online in a big way.

According to am Aug. 19, 2009, story on The New York Times Web site, online education is increasingly catching up with traditional classrooms in student performance outcomes. Steve Lohr writes: "Until fairly recently, online education amounted to little more than electronic versions of the old-line correspondence courses. That has really changed with arrival of Web-based video, instant messaging and collaboration tools."

Lohr adds: "The real promise of online education, experts say, is providing learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students than is possible in classrooms. That enables more 'learning by doing,' which many students find more engaging and useful."

Seminaries and divinity schools are shifting major attention to online courses, reflecting growing interest from students who want the training but not a move away from their current locations or ministry positions. If you are considering online education as an option, be sure to keep a few things in mind:

Make sure the program is fully accredited. Lots of "seminary degrees" are available online, but many are from unaccredited institutions. If you are going to invest time and money in education, be sure the school you attend is regionally accredited (recognized by one of the major regional accrediting agencies authorized by the federal government to offer such accreditation).

Why does accreditation matter? First, because such agencies verify that institutions actually provide what they promise in terms of curriculum, faculty, resources and quality. It's a quality check to know you aren't paying for a degree from a "school" that meets out of someone's garage and that could close its doors at any time.

Second, if you decide you'd like to do additional study, such as pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry, only an accredited degree will be a adequate for admission to quality schools. As dean of a graduate program in ministry, I've already encountered a number of pastors who have realized they made terrible mistakes by pursuing bachelor's degrees from unaccredited schools and now can't get accepted into accredited graduate programs.

Find out how much of the program can be done online. Some programs offer all of the degree online while others only offer a part of the program and require you to come to campus for a significant portion of the degree. Before you start, find out how much, if any, you will need to do "in residence" on campus; and decide if that will work for you. If it's a problem, it's better to know before you start the program.

Learn about how the courses are taught. Online courses are not one size fits all. Many require you to acquire the content for the course primarily through reading material posted online. Some hybrid courses provide a portion of the content online while requiring you to come to campus for a day or two each semester. Still others provide course content through video materials via DVD and/or streaming video.

So know what you are signing on for before you mail that tuition check!

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
Romans 8:13

Today's Preaching Insight...

Planning Preaching Series

In an interview with pastor Mark Batterson, he talks about how they plan preaching series: "We do series the entire year. Occasionally in between--just to take a little bit of a creative breather--we'll do a buffer Sunday. Sometimes we'll call it PBJ Sunday, peanut butter and jelly. We'll kind of strip it down, not a whole lot of creativity. We'll often celebrate communion those weekends and do kind of a back-to-basics message, but by and large it's sermon series.

"We do a staff retreat in November and we begin strategizing our sermon series for the next year. By the time we're done with that meeting, we will have a rough strategy of those series that we're going to do throughout the next year.

"By the way, this might be really kind of a helpful tip: We do an annual survey every year before that retreat, and one of things I do in that survey is pitch a dozen sermon series ideas to our congregation and say, 'Which one of these series would be most helpful to your spiritual growth?' We track those numbers--the ones that come back with a very high percentage; it's a pretty good bet that we're going to do those series. Then, interestingly enough, the ones that come back very low--in other words, the series that people don't want to hear--those series often will end up making the cut, too; because we're wondering, 'Why don't you want to hear about this?'"

Today's Extra...

This Week's Laugh

Don't Scream Too Late!

Passengers on a small commuter plane are waiting for the flight to leave. They're getting a little impatient, but the airport staff assures them that the pilots will be there soon, and the flight can take off. The entrance opens, and two men dressed in pilots' uniforms walk up the aisle. 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 through 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 the people at the windows realize that they're headed straight for the water at the edge of the airport territory. As it begins to look as though the plane will plow into the water, panicked screams fill the cabin. At that moment, the plane lifts smoothly into the air. The passengers relax and laugh a little sheepishly, and soon all retreat into their magazines, secure in the knowledge that the plane is in good hands.

In the cockpit, the co-pilot turns to the pilot and says, "You know, Bob, one of these days, they're gonna scream too late, and we're all gonna die."

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3

Today's Preaching Insight...

Why Leviticus?

When he launched Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Rob Bell began by preaching through the book of Leviticus -- not the obvious choice for most church planters! In an article for the PreachingToday newsletter, he explains: "First, I didn't want the church to succeed because we put together the right resources. I wanted the church to flourish on the power of the Spirit alone. I knew opening with Leviticus -- foreign words to today's culture -- was risky. But the bigger the risk, the more need for the Spirit and the more glory for God to get.

"Second, unchurched people often perceive the Bible as obsolete. If that crowd could discover God speaking to them through Old Testament law, it would radically change their perception that Christianity is archaic. I wanted people to know that the whole biblical story -- even Leviticus -- is alive.

"The Scriptures are a true story, rooted in historical events and actual people. But many people don't see the connection between the Moses part and the Jesus part. But Moses' Leviticus is all about Jesus. The whole story. Every message in my series ended with Jesus. Every picture is about Jesus. Every detail of every sacrifice ultimately reflects some detail of Jesus' life.

"This teaching hit home. Many of my listeners wanted to make sense of the Bible, yet they knew only fragments of the story. Leviticus taught us all to ask the difficult questions: How does this connect with entire biblical narrative? How does this event point to the cross? How do I fit into the story?

"We discovered that the Bible is an organic whole: these concepts do connect, these images do make sense. For the first time, many in our congregation began to realize, 'This story is my story. These people are my people. This God is my God.'" (Click here to read the full article.)

Today's Extra...

Christmas, Traditions

In northern Europe, a walk through a winter's forest is a bleak affair—white, stark, cold, lifeless except for occasional boughs of green holly bearing bright red berries. In Medieval times, these boughs were brought inside to brighten the interior of the small houses. As Christianity spread, people noticed that the thorny points of the holly leaves could symbolize our Lord's crown of thorns. The red berries, His blood. The green color, the new life He gives. Even the word "holly" resembles the word "holy."

How interesting that all nature points to Him who created the earth and died for the world. Romans 1:20 says, "Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made."

As you see the blue skies today or the falling snow or the green boughs of holly in homes, stores, and offices, remember: The baby in the manger is the Maker of the universe, and the Christ child we worship is the creator of the cosmos.
(Turning Point Daily Devotionals, 12-20-08)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
Mark 11:25

Today's Preaching Insight...

Let the Prayers Flow

I want us to learn how to pray. If we were going to learn about leadership, we would study Winston Churchill. If we were going to learn about heart surgery, we would probably study Dr. Michael DeBakey. If I wanted to learn about evangelism, I would go to Billy Graham. If I want to learn about prayer, I want to go to Jesus, whose life was a living prayer, who prayed incessantly, unceasingly. Jesus, the man of prayer, has something to teach us, not an obscure character in the back channels of the Old Testament in only two or three verses. Jabez never appears anywhere else.

Sigmond Freud said, "The problem of the world is repressed sexuality." I believe in America there is a repressed spiritually. I think the secular media and secular nature of our culture has so suppressed our spiritually that it has to run out somewhere because it's jammed up inside us. Because it has not been trained, it runs out in all kinds of immature channels.

I believe Jesus has something to teach us about prayer. The first thing Jesus has to tell us is that our goal in prayer is not to feel good but to do good. Doing good is the goal of Jesus. We need to understand that we have this turned around. Shallow Jabez pray-ers become spiritual couch potatoes, summoning God to run their errands while the world moves on toward hell. If you understand the prayers of Jesus, Jesus brings us in, gives us strength in season and out of season to do His work and His will. The only thing the disciples ever asked Jesus to teach them was to pray, "Lord, teach us to pray." I wonder why they did that.

(To read the entire article, "Jesus and Prayer: Programming the God Machine" by William L. Self at Preaching.com, click here)

Today's Extra...

Prayer, Sin

A little boy was overheard praying, "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am." Is this the unspoken prayer of many to whom we preach?

[Judy Harder]

Life Isn't Fair

They trusted in Him and defied the King's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. - Daniel 3:28

When you experience unfairness in life, the examples of the prophet Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will give you encouragement and direction. Despite their lives of obedience, Daniel and his friends weren't protected from God's judgment on their nation, Judah.  Innocence doesn't automatically protect you from tragedy. But you do have the assurance that God is concerned about what you're doing, and He will honor your faithfulness and obedience.

Daniel and his friends sought to live according to God's plan, but they found that others opposed their efforts. This led initially to great danger, but ultimately a great victory.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had to walk through a fiery furnace because they obeyed God. Only the ropes that bound them were burned. 

Then when he was 80 years old, Daniel was thrown into a den of lions because he was faithful to God, and he walked out unscathed. God used these trials to bring blessings to his servants and glory to himself. As you seek to be obedient to God, he may lead you into some difficult situations. But more often than not God uses such trials to strengthen your character and bless you. 

If Daniel and his friends hadn't believed that God was sovereign, they might have decided compromise was better than risking their lives. But then they wouldn't have experienced the glorious victories God gave them. What an affirmation of God's faithfulness!

"An act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
Luke 21:9

Luke 21:9Today's Preaching Insight...

The Real Health Care Business

H1N1 is the new danger on the horizon. This particular flu virus has already taken a number of lives, and experts fear many more could be in danger. As a result, we're being told -- by everyone from President Obama to Sesame Street's Elmo -- that we should wash our hands frequently and sneeze into our sleeves. Such precautions can help avoid unnecessary spread of the virus.

There's an even bigger danger our world faces, and it poses a far greater hazard than any flu -- though it does seem to spread virally. It is called sin, and it will destroy everything we have and all that we are if not dealt with.

The problem is, washing your hands won't help. In fact, there's not enough hand sanitizer on the globe to deal with your sin. The only thing that will help is to sanitize your soul, and that takes a Doctor who is unlike any other. You and I need the Great Physician because He is the only one who can cleanse sin and bring permanent healing to our lives.

Preacher, you have the privilege of sharing the good news about the cure. Isn't it exciting to be in the health care business?

Today's Extra...

This Week's Laugh

Darth Vader and Christmas

The fight between good and evil, an epic battle: Darth Vader and Luke. Suddenly in the middle of the fight, Darth Vader pulls Luke to him, and whispers "I know what you're getting for Christmas!"

Luke exclaims "But how??!?"

"It's true Luke, *breathe* I know what you're getting for Christmas."

Luke tries to ignore this, but tears himself free, screaming "How could you know this?!"

Vader replies, "I felt your presents."

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

[The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
Luke 1:28-29

Today's Preaching Insight...

Fred Craddock shook the homiletical world nearly 40 years ago with his book As One Without Authority. Citing that book in his recent commencement address at Southern Baptist Seminary, Al Mohler goes on to remind us Craddock's title does not adequately describe those who faithfully proclaim God's Word:

"The preacher's authority is a delegated authority, but a real authority. We are assigned the task of feeding the flock of God, of teaching the church, of preaching the Word. We do not speak as one who possesses authority, but as one who is called to serve the church by proclaiming, expounding, applying and declaring the Word of God. We are those who have been called to a task and set apart for mission; as vessels who hold a saving message even as earthen vessels hold water.

"Our authority is not our own. We are called to the task of preaching the Bible, in season and out of season. We are rightly to divide the Word of truth, and to teach the infinite riches of the Word of God. There are no certainties without the authority of the Scripture. We have nothing but commas and question marks to offer if we lose confidence in the inerrant and infallible Word of God. There are no thunderbolts where the Word of God is subverted, mistrusted or ignored.

"The crowds were astonished when they heard Jesus, 'for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.' Congregations are starving for the astonishment of hearing the preacher teach and preach on the authority of the Word of God. If there is a crisis in preaching, it is a crisis of confidence in the Word. If there is a road to recovery, it will be mapped by a return to biblical preaching." (Click here to read the entire address.)

This Christmas, we celebrate not only the gift of the Christ child, but the privilege of proclaiming His truth to a lost world. Merry Christmas!

Today's Extra...

Christmas

"An old pioneer traveled westward across the great plains until he came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the Grand Canyon. He gawked at the sight before him: a vast chasm one mile down, 18 miles across, and more than 100 miles long! He gasped, 'Something musta happened here!'

"A visitor to our world at Christmastime, seeing the lights, decorations, trees, parades, festivities and religious services, also probably would say,'Something must have happened here!' Indeed, something did happen. God came to our world on the first Christmas" (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited).

[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.)