In over twenty years of pastoral ministry, I have discovered that the most important currency in leadership is trust. If you don’t have the people’s trust, you can not do anything. To make things...
The Christian world is still grieving the death of Billy Graham. Even though he lived to be 99 years old, there is still a sense of loss. We should pray for his family in...
Here are some apologetics-related posts that I came across this week. What is the Key to Discovering Truth? – Ryan Pauly Gold Metallic Umbrellas (An Apologetic Parable Exposing Relativism) – Marilyn Tyner Protein Amino Acids...
It was sad to hear that Billy Graham had died. I never had the opportunity to hear him preach in person. I attended one of his crusades but he was sick that night and...
While many people think of LinkedIn as social media, it is also possible to use LinkedIn as a blogging platform. People blogging on subjects related to technology and business have had some success with...
I’m grateful to Lamar Hardwick for sharing his experience with autism. Lamar blogs at The Autistic Pastor. Could you share a little about yourself and what you do? My name is Lamar Hardwick. I...
Family Day is the newest holiday in our neck of the woods but it has quickly become one of my favourites. It’s not just a day off work but it is a time to...
Here are some leadership posts that are worth checking out. Five Common Reasons Church Leaders Stop Leading – Thom Rainer 8 Insights from the Coaching World for Pastors – Chris Hefner Prevent Fear from...
There has been a great increase in the number of Christians who are interested in apologetics. I think this is a good thing. I have encountered a number of new and extremely talented apologists...
I came across an article from the Charisma magazine website written by Becky Dvorak titled Miraculous Healings for Autism Begin to Manifest. How do I respond to this? When our children were first diagnosed with...
Here are some apologetics-related posts I came across this week. Street Epistemology: Why? – Mark McGee Did Saul change his name for Paul? – Miguel Rodríguez Rivera Do Cavemen And Dinosaurs Fit Into The Bible?...
Many bloggers wish that their blog was doing much better than it is. Well, I want to tell you that having a successful blog is as easy as ABC. Here are the ABCs of...
I recently read the book Autism: Explaining the Enigma by Uta Frith. It is an older book, having been published in 1989, but it is still useful. I have read many books on autism...
I have been interested in military history, especially that of the Second World War, for as long as I could remember. I would go through our family encyclopedia (this was long before the internet)...
My wife Amanda had surgery on Friday. The surgery she had was a gastric bypass, which is fairly serious surgery. Thankfully the surgery went well and Amanda is recovering. I haven’t seen Amanda since...
Here are some leadership posts that I came across this week. Go and check them out. 9 Steps to Rebrand Your Church – Brian Jones Church Discipline (Jude 1:17-25) – Darryl Dash 3 Small...
There are some great apologetics blogs out there, both single and multi-author blogs. I have compiled a list of the top ten in each category. I use the Alexa ranking to determine who makes...
Sin. Who wants to hear about sin? Whether we want to hear about it or not, followers of Jesus should take it seriously. Sin is talked about throughout the Old and New Testaments and...
Here are some apologetics-related posts you might find interesting. 5 Regrets You Don’t Want to Have If Your Kids Walk Away from Faith – Natasha Crain Book Plunge: The Path of Intimacy – Nick...
I recently blogged on what to include in an email newsletter. While some of that is applicable to a church newsletter, I thought I would share some ideas about what to include for this...
Our family was able to watch Wonder, a movie that we have wanted to see for sometime. The movie is about August “Auggie” Pullman, a boy with a facial deformity. For the first time, he...
Revelation is at the same time both one of the most interesting and most confusing books in the Bible. The confusion doesn’t mean that we should lose interest. One of the questions that comes...
One of the best things I’ve done recently is to start observing a Sabbath. By Sabbath, I mean a day of rest. I’m not legalistic about it, but it is designed to be a...
One of the big parts of my childhood was collecting comic books. It started with war comics and moved on to superhero comics. I was mainly into DC but had a good Marvel collection...
Here are some leadership posts that you should check out. 3 Things to Keep In Mind When Church Planting In The City – Chelsea Tyson The Path to Growth – Bill Finch 7 Leadership...
One of the first books on apologetics that I ever read was the original Evidence That Demands a Verdict. That book totally blew me away. I had come out of a number of years...
One of the most controversial topics among Christians is the role of evolution, if any, in the creation of humanity. I’m not referring to debates between Christians and non-Christians, but disagreements among people in...
Here are some apologetics-related posts that I came across this week. Go and check them out. High School Students Have Questions – Ryan Pauly Are Religious Discussions Important? – Brian Chilton Did the Church...
There are some amazing leadership blogs for pastors and other Christians leaders. I share five of these every week in my Weekend Leadership Roundup. I have been compiling a top ten list for apologetics...
I have previously blogged on why bloggers should start compiling an email list right away. But an email list should be gathered for a reason and not just to have another task to complete....
My observation of churches is that there is an increase in awareness and compassion about autism. The media has really brought autism to the forefront and a variety of advocacy groups have promoted autism...
Two of the areas that I’m most interested in are theology and disabilities. When these two come together, I’m in my sweet spot. Some time ago I responded to a call for papers for...
Here are some leadership posts I came across this week. Go and check them out. 7 Critical Abilities Senior Leaders Must Have – Ron Edmondson Should You Quit? – Russell Moore What Two Simple...
John Piper has set the internet on fire with his recent comments about female professors in seminary. You can read his post here. His argument that there should NOT be female seminary professors has...
I remember as a teenager listening to our minister say during the service that he had one time doubts about Christianity. It really shocked me. Pastors should be giants in the faith, never having...
Here are some apologetics-related posts that you should check out. Are You Guilty of This Common Apologetic Error? – Tom Gilson Raising Your Kids for Christ – Chad Gross Faith, Hope, Love, & Climate...
In addition to your personal Facebook profile, you have the option to set up specialized pages or groups. What’s the difference between them and which one should you use? The basic difference concerns who...
James Bishop is a thoughtful blogger who frequently writes on issues touching on theology, apologetics and biblical studies, I frequently link to his posts in my Midweek Apologetics Roundups. James recently wrote a thought-proving...
Our family recently moved to a new house. It is not surprising that in the packing and unpacking that long lost items turn up. I recently noticed on the floor something that I hadn’t...
Much of my Good News lately has been about moving into our new home. Does this make me materialistic? Am I too focused on possessions? This weekend was a reminder that our new home...
Here are some leadership posts I came across this week. What Martin Luther King Jr. Teaches Leaders Today – Chris Williamson The Generation that Must Save Evangelicalism from Its Moral Compromises – Brandon Colbert Why...
Being a pastor of a church is a rewarding career. Most pastors are quite passionate about their ministry. But pastors need more than excitement to be successful long-term. Here are seven things that pastors...
I’m thankful for the opportunities that I have to teach at Tyndale University College. My most recent course was on Jesus and the Synoptic Gospels. This one of my favourite courses to teach. I...
There are many things that Christian bloggers need to know but there is one thing that I have learned that has really made the difference. Ironically, what I learned is not about what to...
Here are some apologetics-related posts that I came across and that are worth checking out. Is Faith Just a Feeling? – Tim Barnett 5 Myths of Higher Education and Peer Review – Steve Schramm...
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to teach a module as a part of the Certificate in Accessibility Ministry at Tyndale University College. I teach biblical studies regularly at Tyndale but topics related...
The gospel should be central to the life of every follower of Jesus. But I find that even evangelicals (that label comes from the Greek for gospel) have trouble explaining what the gospel is....
Things are coming together in our new home. This past week, our children started at their new school and are already making friends. They seem to be comfortable with our new house and our...
Here are some leadership posts that you should check out. 6 Thoughts on Leading an iGen’er for Parents and Ministry Leaders – Eric Geiger Andy Savage’s Standing Ovation Was Heard Round the World. Because...
The other day I saw a car with two adornments. One was a Darwin fish, a poke at the Jesus fish by adding legs and including “Darwin” rather than “Jesus.” The other was a...
There are a number of leadership styles. Some are better than others and some are a matter of taste or personality. But there is one style that I think is always unhealthy and unfortunately...
Here are some apologetics-related posts I have come across. Go and check them out. Did Neanderthals Make Glue? – Fazale Rana 9 Facts About Exorcism & Demonic Possession – James Bishop New “Jesus Among...
Last night I watched the movie Breathe, directed by Andy Serkis. The movie stars Andrew Garfield (Amazing Spider-Man) and Claire Foy (The Crown). The movie is based on a true story about Robin Cavendish,...
While you are free to blog on any and every topic that comes to mind, you may want to reconsider if your are seeking to be a successful blogger. Those who thrive at blogging...
This has been a great week for the Bedard family. We moved into our new home. We have been renting for the past two years and have been hoping to buy. Things worked out...
I recently did a Twitter poll on people’s beliefs on human origins. Here are the results. What is your view of human origins? — Stephen Bedard (@SJBedard) January 6, 2018 Obviously the numbers are...
Here are some leadership posts that are worth checking out. The 5 Essential Practices Of Leaders Who Multiply Leaders – Carey Nieuwhof 12 Brainstorming Ideas that WILL Improve Team Creativity – Charles Stone 10...
Although I agree that Jesus is God (John 1:1), I have something specific in mind when I ask if Jesus is like God or God like Jesus. Traditionally, people have looked at Jesus and...
You may or may not know that I used to be the associate editor for Faith Today magazine. Although I have moved on to other endeavours, I’m still very excited about the magazine. I...
Here are some apologetics-related posts I came across this week. How Christians Can Take Back Their Minds – Douglas Grouthius Some Proteins Act Almost Like Humans – Discovery Institute Deliver Me From Evil: Demonic...
What are the most controversial issues facing society today? In addition to long-time debates about abortion and casual sex, there is an increase in discussions about euthanasia, as well as an almost total reversal...
It is always the right time to be setting goals for your online activity, including blogging. The key is to set SMART goals. What are SMART goals? Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely Anything less...
This is my final Good News post for the year. I have already posted about the year in review. But as 2017 comes to a close, I’m still reflecting on what this year has...
Here are some leadership posts that I came across this week. Go and check them out. Five Reasons My Family Loves (Really!) Ministry Together – Sam Rainer Pruning! 3 Ministry Areas to Tackle |...
There was a time not long ago when it was trendy fir churches to develop vision/mission statements. We don’t hear as much about it now, perhaps because most churches have now adopted one and...
Please note that the following article is satire. While studying online articles about the Jesus Myth, Philipp Bullocks of Buffalo, NY, came to a startling conclusion. The Jesus Myth (aka Christ Myth) claims that...
I have never had a boring year yet in my adult life and 2017 was no exception. I thought that with the year coming to an end, it would be a good idea to...
Here are some apologetics-related posts that I came across. Truth in the Story of Christmas – John Dickson The Connection Between Christmas and Hanukkah – Misty Callahan Christmas is Christmas Because Jesus is God...
Thank you for the support of this blog. I have enjoyed this year of blogging and have seen some significant growth. I have tried to organize the blog in such a way to make...
One of my favourite parts of Christmas is the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. We had a wonderful service tonight at Queen Street Baptist Church. Not only is the image of lighting candles meaningful, it...
Here are some leadership posts that you should read. What Ebenezer Scrooge Can Teach Us About Generosity – Jeremy Lott Armed Only with Vulnerability: Sean Palmer on the Mission of God – Derek Vreeland...
Would our world be better off without Christianity? John Lennon, in his song Imagine, asks us to consider a world without religion and the peace and prosperity that would result. The New Atheism, in...
I have seen numerous posts recently calling into question the continued use of the label “evangelical.” Is it time for evangelicalism to come to an end? Some of the concerns seem to be the...
Richard Carrier has recently had an ongoing debate with New Testament scholar Larry Hurtado. I have not been following the debate because frankly I don’t care. Plus, I find that Carrier just gets nasty...
Here are some apologetics-related posts that you should check out. Does “Jesus” Actually Mean, “Hail, Zeus?” – Chad Gross Can Robots Become Human? – Rosalind Picardand Michael Littman J.P. Moreland asks: does truth matter...
One of the outcomes that some special needs families experience is that the children move into a group home. How that takes place depends on the situation. Ideally, the family is aware of the...
Jo Walton has written an article on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and his impressions of it. The unusual thing about The Hobbit for me was that Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit and a grown...
There is a joke that Baptists don’t believe in change. I’m thankful that is not the case with my church, Queen Street Baptist Church. Today we had an important business meeting. Business meetings are...
Here are some leadership posts that are worth checking out. Research and Thoughts on Billy Graham’s Legacy and Leadership – Eric Geiger I’m an Evangelical Ecumenist? What Does That Even Mean? – Ed Setzer...
This is the first of two-part guest post by Bryan Stoudt. Visit Bryan’s website at the link found in his bio at the end of this post. You can find the first part here. Last...
There is a trend for churches to change their names. Sometimes it is to find something a bit more trendy or hip (e.g. Explosion Church) but more often it is to just remove the...
As I evaluate and rank a variety of apologetics blogs, Lenny Esposito’s Come Reason is always near the top of the list. Lenny dos a great job of presenting Christianity in a reasonable way,...
Here are some apologetics-related posts I came across this week. Go and check them out. Responding to an Old Earth Argument: Are the Days in Genesis Actually Long Ages? – Steve Schramm Alarmist evangelical...
I have had numerous titles during my ministry career. I have been pastor, reverend, padre, chaplain, captain and hopefully soon, doctor. But what titles, if any, should a pastor use? In my first ministry...
Chuck Chalberg has written an article on G.K. Chesterton, summarizing his philosophy in three words: If one were to capture G.K. Chesterton’s philosophy to just a few words, it could be done in this...
I have already blogged about the controversy over Ravi Zacharias and the exaggeration of his credentials. To be honest, I think that RZIM was simply sloppy and careless about this and they should have...
Advent is one of my favourite seasons of the year. It allows us to prepare ourselves for the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Last year we started at Queen Street Baptist Church to observe...
Here are some leadership posts that you should check out. 7 Ways Great Leaders Handle Their Mistakes – Carey Nieuwhof 10 More Signs that a Church Has Settled for Mediocrity – Chuck Lawless Sticky...
I speak often on the needs of families who are dealing with disabilities. My prayer to that the church will respond to those special needs. But the challenge is that the needs of each...
I consider myself to be relatively well-read when it comes to theology. I at least am aware of the major theologians and have sampled from their teachings. I am also fairly well-read when it...
Here are some apologetics-related posts you might find interesting. Confronting Questions-with complications from concussions – Alison DeLong If Evolution Is True, Our Cognitive Faculties Cannot Be Trusted & Atheism Cannot Be Rationally Held –...
This is the first of two-part guest post by Bryan Stoudt. Visit Bryan’s website at the link found in his bio at the end of this post. You can find the second part here. Our...
First, I want to say I have the utmost respect for Ravi Zacharias. He has done much good for both Christian apologetics and the kingdom of God in general. Unfortunately, Ravi has recently been...
If you are intending to take your blogging activity seriously, I recommend that begin building your email list now. I mean, right now. The sooner the better. You might think there is no point...
Our son Justus has been trying to figure out his own way when it comes to faith. We have purposely not pushed him. We don’t want to pressure him to be a certain way...
Here are some leadership posts that you might find interesting. Seeking Counsel & Empowering Others: More Biblical Practices That Businesses Embrace and Stuck Churches Avoid – Tony Morgan 3 Ways To Increase Your Attendance...
As I write this, it is the day before the first Sunday of Advent. But what is Advent? I don’t want to just assume that everyone knows what Advent is. Even within the church,...
When you think about an accessible church, what do you think of? Perhaps the installation of an elevator or a wheelchair ramp. Maybe hearing assisting devices or specially designed washrooms. Those are good but...
“The devil doesn’t take a day off and so neither should the pastor.” Have you ever heard that one? But then again, perhaps Satan is not the best model for healthy leadership. At the...
These are some apologetics-related posts that I came across this week. Go and check them out. The Burden of Super Hearing – Joshua Beck Review of Bertrand Russell’s Lecture “Why I am not a...