What keeps you up at night? Ever experience the syndrome where you cannot turn your mind off because you’re thinking about stuff? I fall asleep rather easily, but if I wake up in the middle of night, usually to use the restroom, anxious thoughts can creep in my mind, and it can be so difficultContinue reading “The state of fear in America – 1st Samuel 11-12, Preview”
Tag Archives: faith
The battle with “Bigger is Better,” and 2 other battles I wasn’t prepared for…and one great joy – What I wish I would have known before becoming a pastor, Part 5
All week long on the blog, I’ve been trying to answer the question: “What I wish I would have known before becoming a pastor.” In this final post in the series, I have a few more responses. I wasn’t prepared for the Christianity of it all. My life is in large part wrapped up inContinue reading “The battle with “Bigger is Better,” and 2 other battles I wasn’t prepared for…and one great joy – What I wish I would have known before becoming a pastor, Part 5″
People can see pastors as vending machines – What I wish I would have known before becoming a pastor, Part 4
Pastors are spiritual vending machines. Well, not really, but some people view their pastors and ministry staff like they view vending machines. You put your money in, you get your spiritual goods and services out. We live in a consumer society, so it is very common for people to view most everything in our livesContinue reading “People can see pastors as vending machines – What I wish I would have known before becoming a pastor, Part 4”
Preaching is like packing apples & Church competition can be brutal – What I wish I would have known before becoming a pastor, Part 3
In high school I worked at Hess Bros Fruit Company, packing bags of apples into boxes. Bags come down the conveyor, and I would gently place the bags in boxes, close the box lid, and send it down the line to the box-taping machine. Then I would do it again. And again. And again. ForContinue reading “Preaching is like packing apples & Church competition can be brutal – What I wish I would have known before becoming a pastor, Part 3”
How The Matrix taught me people are difficult (me included) – What I wish I would have known before becoming a pastor, Part 2
In my first year as senior pastor of Faith Church, I showed a video clip from the R-rated movie The Matrix, attempting to illustrate a sermon. I could have shown a brief clip from the film that was relatively tame, but, no, I had the great idea of showing a ten-minute clip, including then scene whereContinue reading “How The Matrix taught me people are difficult (me included) – What I wish I would have known before becoming a pastor, Part 2”
Pastoral Ministry is not only a job, it is a life – What I wish I would have known before becoming a pastor, Part 1
“What do you wish you would’ve known before becoming a pastor?” We pastors talk about it all the time amongst ourselves. We rarely if ever talk about it with the people we pastor. Yet that’s what I did this past Sunday at Faith Church. Why? Once per quarter I pause my sermon series and haveContinue reading “Pastoral Ministry is not only a job, it is a life – What I wish I would have known before becoming a pastor, Part 1”
I’m nervous about the next Q & A week on the blog – Preview
For the past few years at Faith Church, one Sunday per quarter, I take a break from the sermon series, and I have a Current Events sermon. In those sermons, I scour the headlines, and study Scripture to try to help us think Christianly about the headlines. As always, I’ve blogged those sermons here. We’veContinue reading “I’m nervous about the next Q & A week on the blog – Preview”
The diminishment of the American presidency – 1st Samuel 8-10, Part 5
A few years ago I was in a doctoral class about leadership, and we were talking about the American presidential election coming soon. My professor made what I thought was a very irresponsible comment, “The person in the White House matters very little.” My professor is a deep thinker, so I was surprised to hearContinue reading “The diminishment of the American presidency – 1st Samuel 8-10, Part 5”
The king who didn’t want to be king – 1st Samuel 8-10, Part 4
This week I’ve been blogging about the story of Israel asking for a king. God is their king, but they want a human king. Amazing God grants their wish, and in the last post we met the king. He’s a man name Saul. As the story in 1st Samuel chapter unfolds, Saul searches for hisContinue reading “The king who didn’t want to be king – 1st Samuel 8-10, Part 4”
Evaluating placing our hopes in a political candidate – 1st Samuel 8-10, Part 3
In the previous post, we learned that after the Israelite elders ask Samuel to give them a king, God warns them that while having a king might sound effective or powerful like the nations around them, it could easily backfire. That warning didn’t make a dent in the elders’ desire for a king. In 1stContinue reading “Evaluating placing our hopes in a political candidate – 1st Samuel 8-10, Part 3”
Engaging Scripture 