Hope's Reason Blog

April 7, 2018

Weekend Leadership Roundup

Here are some leadership posts I came across this week. Go and take a look. Preaching with Notes: Yes or No? – Chuck Lawless 10 Real Reasons Pastors Quit Too Soon – Tim Peters...

Christian Apologetics Blog

April 6, 2018

Is Satan in the Old Testament a Good Guy?

There is a common trend of contrasting the Old and New Testaments. Often it is comparing God as wrathful in the Old and loving in the New Testament. But there are also comparisons of...

Christian Blogging

April 5, 2018

5 Things I Love About Blogging

I have been blogging for over ten years. I have had a few breaks of a couple months in there but have stuck with it fairly consistently. The truth is that I enjoy blogging....

Christian Apologetics Blog

April 4, 2018

Here are some apologetics-related posts for you to check out. 13 Different Resurrection Appearances Made By Jesus – Brian Chilton The Joy of Easter – Ravi Zacharias 5 Common Objections to Christianity – Sarah...

Leadership Blog

April 3, 2018

Resurrecting Religion – Review

“Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship.” How many times have you seen this statement? You may have said it yourself. The problem is that when we look at traditional definitions of...

Autism Blog

April 2, 2018

Churches Need More Than Autism Awareness

There has been an increase in autism awareness, both in general and in the church. That is a good thing but more is needed. Autism awareness means that people know what autism is and...

Personal Blog

April 1, 2018

Good News: I Love Easter

My Good News is that Easter is one of my favourite days. This is on a number of levels. The first is about my faith. I understand that not everyone who reads my personal...

Leadership Blog

March 31, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Spend Time With Older Pastors

While it is good to spend time with younger pastors, it is equally good to spend time with older pastors. There are pastors who have already experienced what we have yet to experience. They...

Leadership Blog

March 31, 2018

Weekend Leadership Roundup

Here are some leadership posts for you to check out. How Will You Lead at the Next Level? – Tony Morgan 10 Things To Consider As Your Church Grows – Vanderbloemen Search Group Unparalleled Love...

Leadership Blog

March 30, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Remember the Cross

The day that I’m writing this is Good Friday, the day that we remember the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus is the focus of our faith and the inspiration for our ministry. How did Jesus...

Leadership Blog

March 29, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Pray For Your Colleagues

No one understands what it is like to be a pastor like another pastor. We know both the joys and pains of pastoral ministry. Who better to pray for other pastors than pastors? We...

Autism Blog / Leadership Blog

March 29, 2018

Caring for Special Needs People in Your Small Church

One of the most practical podcasts that I listen to is the 200 Church podcast. I was quite happy when I heard they were doing an episode on special needs. Co-host Jonny Craig has...

Christian Apologetics Blog

March 28, 2018

Midweek Apologetics Roundup

Here are some apologetics-related posts I came across this week. Cambrian Explosion Shrapnel Still Hitting Evolutionary Scenarios – Discovery Institute Five Tools To Help Discern Truth From Deception – Daniel Currier Jesus says you...

Leadership Blog

March 28, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Invest in the Next Generation

Moses had his Joshua. Elijah has his Elisha. Paul had his Timothy and Titus. Who do we have? Every current pastor was once a young person who knew nothing about ministry. Ideally, someone came...

Leadership Blog

March 27, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Plan to Finish Well

When it comes to ministry, we can look at our past and our present. But what about our future? Specifically, how our ministry will end? Our pastoral ministry will end, the question is whether...

Leadership Blog

March 26, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Start Writing

Most pastors are writers to begin with. Many of us write out a sermon manuscript, even if we may not preach from that manuscript. However, we can work on our writing skills. Developing our...

Personal Blog

March 25, 2018

Good News: Loving Our Church

A number of years ago, I though it would be neat if I could pastor at Queen Street Baptist Church. My original thinking was that it made sense since St Catharines is my home...

Leadership Blog

March 25, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Read the Bible

Read the Bible? Who reads the Bible more than pastors? That’s the problem. We read the Bible to plan out sermons and Bible studies. But how often do we read the Bible to feed...

Leadership Blog

March 24, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Start a Reading Plan

Many of the pastors I know love to read. They have large libraries and collect resources to help with sermon preparations. But we can do better than just reading commentaries and other biblical resources....

Second World War

March 24, 2018

Battle of Stalingrad

The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 1942 – 2 February 1943)was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city...

Leadership Blog

March 24, 2018

Weekend Leadership Roundup

Here are some leadership posts that you should go check out. How to make Guests Feel Uncomfortable at your Church – Paul Alexander Does Attracting A Crowd Make Discipleship Harder? – Karl Vaters 4...

Leadership Blog

March 23, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better a Pastor: Pray For Your Congregation

There are many activities that a pastor can be involved in but prayer is one of the most important. There are many things that we can pray for but one of the most important...

Second World War

March 23, 2018

D-Day: Juno Beach

Everyone knows that the United States and Great Britain invaded France at Normandy on D-Day. What people are less familiar with is that Canada also had it’s own beach. It could be argued that...

Leadership Blog

March 22, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Plan Out Your Year

One way to do ministry is to do it Sunday by Sunday. Each week, pick a passage to preach on. Start or stop ministries as situations come up. Hope for the best and pray...

Christian Apologetics Blog

March 22, 2018

20 Books Every Christian Should Read

I enjoy reading posts that recommend books and I thought I would jump in. I read between two and four books per week and I have a sense of what books are worth reading....

Second World War

March 22, 2018

Peace in Our Time?

Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of Britain, truly desired peace for Europe. He believed that Adolf Hitler could be negotiated and that Hitler’s stated intentions were sincere. The situation was Germany’s plan to send troops...

Leadership Blog

March 21, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Retreat!

I was involved in a youth group at a particular church. The youth group traditionally went on retreats. One year, the youth pastor announced that Christians don’t retreat and so the time away was...

Second World War

March 21, 2018

The Man Who Survived Two Nuclear Bomb Attacks

Can you imagine surviving a nuclear attack? How about two? There actually was a man who survived both the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Find out his story in this video.

Christian Apologetics Blog

March 21, 2018

Midweek Apologetics Roundup

Here are some apologetics-related posts I came across this week. Go and check them out. What Drives a Cult Leader like David Koresh? – Lenny Esposito Science, Stephen Hawking, And Free Minds – Terrell Clemmons...

Christian Blogging

March 20, 2018

What Do You Need on a Church Website?

It is very important to have a church website. Many of the new people who come to our church, find us through an internet search. There are many options that you can have on...

Leadership Blog

March 20, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Get Some Exercise

In my first four months as a paid pastor, I gained about thirty pounds. This was the result of two things. One that I was spending much of my time getting together with youth...

Second World War

March 20, 2018

Battle of Midway Analysis

The video included in this post has two different historical contexts of interest. On one hand, it is a documentary about the Battle of Midway in 1942 during the Second World War. On the...

Christian Apologetics Blog

March 19, 2018

Questions About Petitionary Prayer

I recently heard an interesting episode about petitionary prayer on the Unbelievable? podcast. Some good questions about prayer were brought up. It is worth listening to. One of the questions that came up was...

Leadership Blog

March 19, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Mental Health

One of the biggest challenges that I face as a pastor is responding to mental illness. While I had a couple of counselling courses in seminary, I feel that I lack background in mental...

Second World War

March 19, 2018

German Airborne Invasion of Crete

In the Second World War, Italy invaded Greece but struggled terribly. While in a way Greece was a distraction for Germany, in another way it needed to be secure their flank for when the...

Personal Blog

March 18, 2018

Good News: First Draft In

For the past number of years I have been working on my Doctor of Ministry degree at Acadia University. The truth is that I should have graduated a couple of years ago. But between...

Leadership Blog

March 18, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Focus on Vision

Most churches have some sort of vision/mission statement. They may have both. But more is needed than just having a vision statement. Even having the vision posted on the wall is not enough. It...

Christian Apologetics Blog

March 17, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Include Apologetics in Your Ministry

Some people embrace Christian apologetics and some have no interest at all. I would suggest that pastors don’t have the right to reject apologetics. Even if we are not interested, apologetics is necessary for...

Leadership Blog

March 17, 2018

Weekend Leadership Roundup

Here are some leadership posts that you should go and check out. Five Key Steps to Reach and Retain Guests – Thom Rainer Haunted by the Mission – Chris Hefner A Recipe for Self-Renewal...

Second World War

March 17, 2018

The Rise and Fall of Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini is often lost in the shadow of Adolf Hitler. Many don’t know that Hitler admired Mussolini and Mussolini had a significant impact on Hitler. This short video gives a nice summary of...

Leadership Blog

March 16, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Include Laypeople in Congregational Care

There are those who argue that for churches to grow it is necessary for pastors to give up pastoral care. I reject that. I think that being involved in some pastoral care is by...

Christian Apologetics Blog

March 16, 2018

50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith – Review

As a pastor and Bible teacher, I see one of the most important needs as being greater knowledge of basic Christian theology. We have a small minority who devour theology books and a great...

Autism Blog

March 15, 2018

Stephen Hawking and Disabilities

Stephen Hawking just recently died. There is much about Hawking that I disagreed with. He denied the existence of God and thought heaven was a fairy tale. I suppose he knows the truth now....

Leadership Blog

March 15, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Build Your Team

Whether you are the solo pastor of a small church or one of the pastors in multi-staff situation, we are all part of a team. Out team might be other pastors, deacons/elders or a...

Second World War

March 15, 2018

Biography of Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin cast a shadow over the entire Second World War and beyond. The war began with Stalin and Hitler agreeing to a pact and ended with them at each other’s throats. What do...

Autism Blog / Leadership Blog

March 14, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Embrace Those With Disabilities

Many churches have embraced the concept of disabilities. Churches want diversity of gender, ethnicities, age, economic status and others. But what about disabilities? I need to confess that I’m biased in this area. In...

Second World War

March 14, 2018

The Death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

As important as Winston Churchill was to Britain, so was Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the United States. It was FDR who encouraged Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbour that “We have nothing to...

Christian Apologetics Blog

March 14, 2018

Midweek Apologetics Roundup

Here are some apologetics-related posts that I came across this week. Book Review: “Dynamics of Muslim Worlds” – J.W. Wartick WATCH: Nancy Pearcey on Love Thy Body – Kurt Jaros Is the New Testament...

Christian Blogging

March 13, 2018

Create an Editorial Calendar

There is nothing worse for a blogger than to sit down, knowing that it is time to write a blog post, and staring at a blank screen with no ideas. But it doesn’t have...

Second World War

March 13, 2018

The Battle of Wake Island

The Battle of Midway is a fairly well known battle in the pacific. Somewhat less well known is the Battle of Wake Island. The battle took place in 1941 and is worth learning about....

Leadership Blog

March 13, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Continue Your Education

Can you remember your time in Bible college or seminary? Were you counting the days until your graduation? Were you eager to finish your education? It is interesting to note that many other careers...

Second World War

March 12, 2018

The Story of Adolf Hitler

If there is one person who is identified with the Second World War, it is Adolf Hitler. This video is a documentary on Adolf Hitler to help give us a clearer idea of who...

Leadership Blog

March 12, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Invest in Your Preaching

In smaller churches, pastors are equated with preachers. But even in larger churches, many pastors have preaching as one of their responsibilities, although perhaps not every week. After preaching for a number of years,...

Personal Blog

March 11, 2018

Good News: Churches That Get It

As a pastor and a father of two children with special needs, I know that it can be challenging for churches to minister to special needs family and challenging for special needs families to...

Leadership Blog

March 11, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Observe a Sabbath

One of the best decisions I have made is to observe a Sabbath. A Sabbath is not just a day off. A day off can easily be filled up with other stuff. A day...

Leadership Blog

March 10, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Subscribe to Some Podcasts

One of the best ways to become a better pastor to be intentional in lifelong learning. The worst thing is to see graduation from Bible college or seminary as the end of learning. There...

Second World War

March 10, 2018

10 Most Incredible Finds of WW2

Leadership Blog

March 10, 2018

Weekend Leadership Roundup

Here are some leadership posts that you should go and check out. Discipling Stay-at-Home Moms – Daniel Im Ministry Without the Gospel – Darryl Dash 4 Common Leadership Traits in Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos,...

Personal Blog

March 10, 2018

Increase Your Reading Capacity

I recently ran a poll on Twitter asking people about how many books per year people were reading. The results were as follows: How many books do you read a year? — Stephen Bedard...

Leadership Blog

March 9, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Focus on the Family

There is much respect given to pastors who work long hours and who are always available to their congregation. But that doesn’t mean they are good pastors. What about their family? At one time...

Second World War

March 9, 2018

My Favourite War Movie

I grew up watching war movies. I don’t want to date myself but our first TV was black and white and I didn’t know any war movies were in colour. I still have a...

Leadership Blog

March 8, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Embrace Thankfulness

One of the best ways to build a long lasting and effective ministry is to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness. It is easy to focus on the things that are wrong or frustrating. Being...

Second World War

March 8, 2018

Pope Pius XII Blesses the US Troops After Liberation of Rome

Here is some vintage footage of Pope Pius XII blessing US troops after they liberated Rome. Pope Pius XI is a controversial figure but this event needs to be taken into account.

Leadership Blog

March 7, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Get a Coach

This post in the series is by guest blogger Dave Jacobs. Dave coaches pastors and you can find out more about him in the bio at the end of this post. Why you need...

Second World War

March 7, 2018

Indian Army Soldiers During World War II

When we think of the nations fighting during World War Two, India is not necessarily at the top of the list. However, India played a significant role on the Allied side. This vintage video...

Christian Apologetics Blog

March 7, 2018

Midweek Apologetics Roundup

Here are some apologetics-related posts that I came across this week. Go and check them out. Ancient Mosaic Presents Jesus as God – G. Smith Book Review: Expanded and Updated Evidence that Demands a Verdict...

Second World War

March 6, 2018

Partisans on the Eastern Front during WW2

Leadership Blog

March 6, 2018

31 Days to Becoming a Better Pastor: Connect With Other Pastors

One of the frequent descriptions of pastoral ministry concerns the loneliness of being a pastor. It doesn’t have to be that way. While I think it is good to have friends within the congregation,...

Second World War

March 6, 2018

How Did Hitler Rise to Power?

Second World War

March 5, 2018

Operation Barbarossa

There are a handful of events that were turning points in the Second World Ear. One of those is Operation Barbarossa. At the beginning of the war, Germany and the Soviet Union had a...

Second World War

March 5, 2018

World War 2: Battle of the Atlantic Animated

The Battle of Britain was an exciting contest of planes against plains for the survival of Britain. Less exciting but just as important was the Battle of the Atlantic. This animated video provides a...

Leadership Blog

March 5, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: No Major Decisions on Mondays

I’m told that Christian job sites have biggest spikes of pastor resumes on Mondays. That is, it is most likely on the day after a Sunday service that a pastor is looking for a...

Second World War

March 5, 2018

Darkest Hour – Review

There has been a renewal of historical movies related to the Second World War with the success of Dunkirk. One of the recent offering is Darkest Hour, featuring the first part of Winston’s Churchill...

Personal Blog

March 4, 2018

Good News: Sunday Night Fun

Sunday nights are one of my favourite times of the week. Over a year ago we started a tradition of going swimming on Sunday nights. This is something that breathes life into me in...

Leadership Blog

March 4, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Take Time to Worship

I have already talked about the importance for pastors to grow in their relationship with God in a previous post. Related to that but still distinct is the importance of worship. How are they...

Leadership Blog

March 3, 2018

Weekend Leadership Roundup

Here are some leadership posts that you should go and check out. 3 Ways To Keep Your Youth Pastor Longer – Sarah Robins A Faithful Life – Bill Finch 5 Signs Your Church Isn’t...

Leadership Blog

March 3, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Love Your Congregation

The two most important things a pastor needs to do is to love God and love people. Often the loving of God comes easier than the love for people. Some people are easier to...

Leadership Blog

March 2, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Seek After God

You have likely noticed that during safety demonstrations by airlines that the stewardess always tells the passengers that in case of emergency they need to put the oxygen on themselves before helping another. The...

Leadership Blog

March 1, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Remember Your Call

I am not the best pastor in the world nor do I have all the answers. But I have been pastoring for over twenty years and have been able to serve in a variety...

Christian Apologetics Blog

February 28, 2018

Jesus Mythicists Are Not Skeptical Enough

The Jesus Myth Theory basically has two components: 1) that Jesus of Nazareth didn’t exist and 2) the Jesus of the Gospels is based on pagan myths. They would argue that their skepticism leads...

Christian Apologetics Blog

February 28, 2018

Midweek Apologetics Blog

Here are some apologetics-related posts I came across this week. 7 Fascinating Facts that Make the Bible Unique – Sean McDowell What “Living Biblically” Will Probably Get Wrong – Tim Barnett Aberrant Christianity: What...

Leadership Blog

February 27, 2018

The Most Uncomfortable Leadership Lesson

It is good to have the opportunity to serve under good and healthy leaders. We should be observant and teachable as we follow them. I served with one pastor and I would meet weekly...

Christian Apologetics Blog

February 26, 2018

5 Theological Positions I Have Changed Over the Years

Winston Churchill once said, “Those who never change their minds, never change anything.” A change of mind is not a sign of weakness but of strength. There have been a number of areas related...

Personal Blog

February 25, 2018

Good News: Better Health

The past six months or so have not been great for me health-wise. My sarcoidosis has been acting up and with that, my diabetes. I don’t say this to complain. My good news is...

Leadership Blog

February 24, 2018

Weekend Leadership Roundup

Here are some leadership posts that are worth checking out. Leading A Church Through Difficult Times: A Lesson From “The Most Bombed Hotel In The World” – Karl Vaders 4 Reasons Every Pastor Needs...

Leadership Blog

February 23, 2018

The Trust Protocol – Review

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...

Leadership Blog

February 22, 2018

5 Things We Can Take Away From the Legacy of Billy Graham

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...

Christian Apologetics Blog

February 21, 2018

Midweek Apologetics Roundup

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...

The Impact Billy Graham Had on My Christian Faith

Personal Blog

February 21, 2018

The Impact Billy Graham Had on My Christian Faith

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...

Christian Blogging

February 20, 2018

Should You Blog on LinkedIn?

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...

Autism Blog

February 19, 2018

Interview With Lamar Hardwick

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...

Personal Blog

February 18, 2018

Good News: Family Day Weekend

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...

Leadership Blog

February 17, 2018

Weekend Leadership Roundup

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...

Christian Apologetics Blog

February 16, 2018

5 Opportunities For Apologists

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...

Autism Blog

February 14, 2018

Miraculous Healings From Autism?

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...

Christian Apologetics Blog

February 14, 2018

Midweek Apologetics Roundup

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?...

Christian Blogging

February 13, 2018

The ABCs of Building a Better Blog

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...

Autism Blog

February 13, 2018

Autism: Explaining the Enigma – Review

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...

Personal Blog

February 12, 2018

The Second World War Podcast

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)...

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