Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
Listening to podcasts is an important part of my lifelong learning strategy. I listen to podcasts while I cut the grass, walk the dog, do the laundry, drive to work and any other opportunity that I get. I find it makes tasks that are not so fun to be more enjoyable. I have purposely designed … Read More “24 Podcasts That I Listen To” »
Here are some apologetics-related posts I came across this week. Have a look. The New Face of Atheism (And It’s Not Dawkins!) – Sean McDowell Why Believe the Holy Spirit Is a Person? – Tim Barnett Debate Video: William Lane Craig vs Mike Begon-“Is God A Delusion?” – Truthbomb Apologetics Why Do We Need To … Read More “Midweek Apologetics Roundup” »
Richard Carrier argues that the James who is described as the brother of Jesus, is not really his brother. Why is this important to Carrier? Unlike Catholic apologists who want Mary to be a perpetual virgin (although they do not deny they are related), Carrier needs to break this relationship because he denies that Jesus … Read More “Did Jesus Really Have a Brother?” »
Although the financial year for a church might start in January, the ministry year really starts in September. As I write this, September is just a couple of days away. Pastors should not just walk into the new ministry year blindly. Here are five questions that pastors should ask at the beginning of the ministry … Read More “5 Questions Pastors Should Ask at the Beginning of the Ministry Year” »
A sermon based on Matthew 6:25-34, preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. Introduction Futurists, a number of decades ago, had some predictions about what life would be like now. The hope was that advances in technology would allow us to work less and live less stressful lives. We would be able to sit back, relax … Read More “What is the Kingdom of God?” »
I try to share one Good News story every week as a way to keep me thankful. Tonight, I was looking at my computer and was not sure what to say. There was no one event that came to mind. That is not to say that things are bad. Rather, there was not one blessing … Read More “Good News: Thankful for Every Blessing” »
Here are some leadership posts that I discovered this week. Go and check them out. 5 Reasons Church Growth Strategies Matter – Chuck Lawless Are You Pushing Pastors to Build Bigger Churches? Please Catch Us When We Fall – Karl Vaters 4 Things Every Church’s Vision Should Include – Jeremy Roberts 5 Tell-Tale Signs Your … Read More “Weekend Leadership Roundup” »
I continue to hear from Christian leaders that there is no need for apologetics. People are looking for community and experience and are not impacted by intellectual arguments. Apologetics belonged a modernistic vision of the church but people today do not benefit from it. Is it true that there is no longer a need for … Read More “Research That Demonstrates the Need For Apologetics” »
The Jesus Myth Theory claims that Jesus never existed and that the narratives of the Gospels are based on pagan myths. In my recent book, Unmasking the Jesus Myth, I attempt to give practical advice on how to respond to the Jesus Myth. If you ever find yourself in conversation with a Jesus Mythicist, I … Read More “5 Questions to Ask Jesus Mythicists” »
I have read quite a few books on leadership and will continue to invest in this area of knowledge. However, Reviewing Leadership by Bernice M. Ledbetter, Robert J. Banks and David C. Greenhalgh fills in a gap that I have not seen in other leadership books. This is not a “how to” book for becoming … Read More “Reviewing Leadership” »
Here are some apologetics-related posts that I came across this week. I hope you enjoy them. New Testament Reliability Talks – Wesley Huff Debating an Atheist in a Speedo – Thomas Rauchenstein Surprising Evidence for God: Near Death-Experiences – Sean McDowell Challenge: There’s a Contradiction at the Core of Christianity – Amy Hall Understanding the … Read More “Midweek Apologetics Roundup” »
I was asked today on Facebook about the difference between a speech and a sermon. I thought that was a good question and so I have decided to look more closely at it. What is a speech? According to one online dictionary, a speech (at least in the relevant context) is: A formal address or … Read More “What is the Difference Between a Speech and a Sermon?” »
A sermon based on 1 John 1:5-2:6 preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. Introduction What is sin? Well, isn’t it obvious? Sin is doing something bad. We can all probably recollect a time when we did something that was pretty bad. Perhaps not requiring legal intervention, but still something that you are not proud of. The … Read More “What is Sin?” »
Three of our children just returned from a week at camp. I will admit, it is nice to have a bit of a break when they go to camp. At the same time, I miss them when they are gone. One of the things that I miss is reading to them at bedtime. I know … Read More “Good News: Storytime” »
I have been involved in apologetics almost right from the beginning of when I made a personal faith commitment. But this was no phase I was going through. Apologetics has only become more important to me, leading me to write about, speak about and even teach Christian apologetics. But why do I want to be … Read More “4 Reasons Why I Am an Apologist” »
Here are some leadership posts I have encountered this week. Go and check them out. 4 Proven Strategies for the Care and Treatment of an Unhealthy Church – Karl Vaters The “Sweet-Spot” of Discipleship – Daniel Im Strategic Planning in a Nutshell – Charles Stone Six Keys to Engaging Church Communications – Jonathan Howe Patience … Read More “Weekend Leadership Roundup” »
I recently wrote a post on the four Rs of good apologetics. I decided that I would follow this up with a post on the four Cs of good apologetics. Here they are: Character Are you the same person when you are discussing apologetics as your are when you are by yourself or when you … Read More “The Four Cs of Good Apologetics” »
The idea of guardian angels is very popular in our culture. Some people are more likely to rely on their guardian angel than on God. But do guardian angels even exist? I have always been skeptical but had not really looked at the biblical evidence. However, I came across a passage in the Church Dogmatics … Read More “Do Guardian Angels Exist?” »
I am a skeptic by nature. I was a skeptic as an atheist and I am skeptic as a Christian. So why do I believe in God? Obviously since I left atheism, I have thought this over and my belief in God is not based on tradition. I would like to share three reasons why … Read More “3 Reasons Why I Am Convinced That God Exists” »
Here are some apologetics-related posts that I came across this week. Make sure to go and check them out. You Want to Be a Good Apologist? – Amy Hall Was John Describing Something He Saw, or Was He Trying to Make a Point? – J. Warner Wallace Apologetics in the Gospel of John – Wintery … Read More “Midweek Apologetics Roundup” »
What?! Am I out of my mind? Pastors and other church leaders have been working hard for decades to get congregations to move from an inward to an outward focus. We have finally made some progress and now I’m saying that it is time to go back to the old ways? I’m not suggesting that … Read More “Churches Need More of an Inward Focus” »
One of the most important topics that we can study is that of worldviews. We all have a worldview, the question is how well do we understand our own and that of others? An excellent resource on this topic is The Universe Next Door by James W. Sire. This is one of the best books … Read More “The Universe Next Door” »
Today is the last day of three weeks of vacation. In many ways, it has gone by very quickly. We didn’t go away anywhere for vacation but it was still fun to have family time. Someone from our church let us use their pool for a week and that was great. Both Amanda and I … Read More “Good News: Going Back to a Job I Love” »
Here are some leadership posts I discovered this week. Go and check them out! 8 Characteristics of a 1 Corinthians 12 Church – Chuck Lawless Check the Mirror, Pastor – After Five Years, Your Church Looks Like You – Karl Vaters Ten Things Church Members Would Love to Hear From Their Pastors – Thom Rainer … Read More “Weekend Leadership Roundup” »
If you were one of Jesus’ twelve apostles, how would you like to be remembered by history? Simon gets to be the Rock. James and John get to be the Sons of Thunder. Thomas? Thomas gets to be Doubting Thomas. I must confess that I have a soft spot for Thomas and I feel that … Read More “Redeeming Doubting Thomas” »
The kingdom of God is arguably the most important topic in the Gospels. It definitely was the core of Jesus’ preaching. But what is the kingdom of God? Scot McKnight tackles this important topic in his book, Kingdom Conspiracy. McKnight observes two ways of looking at the spectrum that he cleverly calls the skinny jeans … Read More “Kingdom Conspiracy – Review” »
Has there been one book that has really changed or shaped you? Is there one book that you are continually recommending to others? For me, I would have to say that is C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity. It is not just the content of the book, although that is fantastic, but the way in which Lewis … Read More “What Has Been the Most Influential Book in Your Life?” »
One of the key passages for Christian apologists is the creed that Paul quotes in 1 Corinthians 15 as part of his discussion on the resurrection. For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He … Read More “Responding to Richard Carrier’s Dating the Corinthian Creed” »
I would not consider myself an expert in blogging but I have blogged for ten years and so have learned a thing or two. I would like to share a few ideas about how you can have a successful blog. The only way to know if you are successful is to determine what your goal … Read More “How to Have a Successful Blog” »
Here are some apologetics-related posts I discovered this week. Go check them out and feed your mind. Atheists Can’t Have Their Cake and Eat It Too – Tim Barnett Is the Evidence for Intelligent Design “Undeniable”? One Scientist Makes the Case – Sean McDowell What does it mean to say Christianity is true? – Eric … Read More “Midweek Apologetics Roundup” »
I really enjoying being the pastor of a local congregation. It is a fulfilling and stretching career. But how did I get to this point? What led me to pastoral ministry? This post is about how I first went into ministry. For the story of how I returned to ministry after a three year break, … Read More “How I Was Called Into Pastoral Ministry” »
Was Jesus divine? Was the divinity of Jesus a later invention of the church? What did Paul, our earliest Christian writer, say about Jesus? I can think of no better resource to answer these questions than Gordon Fee’s Pauline Christology. I have read Fee’s earlier book, God’s Empowering Presence, where Fee looked at every mention … Read More “Pauline Christology” »
I have a disease that is called sarcoidosis. A lot of people have never heard of sarcoidosis. In order to increase awareness, I would like to share six things that you should know about sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can attack many different parts of the body. Even though many online articles will … Read More “6 Things You Should Know About Sarcoidosis” »
Despite the name of this book, 4 Maccabees has nothing to do with Judas Maccabeus and his brothers. So why is it called 4 Maccabees? 4 Maccabees is in the Hellenistic Judaism tradition. The point of the book is that reason can be used to overcome every situation. The author uses some Old Testament examples … Read More “What is 4 Maccabees?” »
I just finished teaching a course on the Apostle Paul at Tyndale University College. I have been teaching for the adult modular program at Tyndale since 2010. I still remember being contacted by Daniel Wong and being offered the opportunity to teach a course on 1 Corinthians. It was dream come true to be able … Read More “Good News: Teaching at Tyndale” »
I love it when people contact me and seek clarification about the meaning of Bible passages. As a pastor and a Bible teacher, I love this stuff. Most of the time. There are certain passages that for me are just hard to understand. This is not a plea for people to explain them to me. … Read More “4 Bible Passages That Totally Confuse Me” »
Here are some leadership posts I came across this week. Go and check them out right now. 10 Reasons Why Leaders Stop Growing – Chuck Lawless The Tragic Story of a Hurting Pastor’s Wife – Thom Rainer The Leader’s Preparation – Rick Howerton 5 Ways to Stop Reviewing History and Create the Future – Dan Rockwell … Read More “Weekend Leadership Roundup” »
Is this even a question worth asking? Doesn’t everyone know what Christian apologetics is? I would suggest that we need to define Christian apologetics clearly. It is bad definitions of apologetics that lead to some people and churches rejecting apologetics. Some people define apologetics as attempting to bully people into faith with a barrage of … Read More “What is Christian Apologetics?” »
Being the pastor of a church can be a rewarding experiencing. However, much of that depends on the nature of the congregation. Individuals within a church have the power to make or break the experience of the pastor. Assuming that the congregation wants the pastor to be effective in ministry, here are five ways that … Read More “5 Ways a Church Can Support Their Pastor” »
Perhaps you are considering attending seminary and getting a theological degree. But what degree should you pursue? I would like to put forth the case for getting a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree. The MDiv is the standard degree for many denominations for ordained pastoral ministry. The MDiv offers a blend of academic and ministry … Read More “Why You Should Get a Master of Divinity Degree” »
Here are some apologetics-related posts that I came across. Go and check them out. The Apostle Thomas was Not a Doubter – Sean McDowell ISIS. We Don’t Hate You – Nick Peters How to Survive the Apocalypse – a review – Isaac Pain Help Your Students Learn About Mormonism – J. Warner Wallace The Authority … Read More “Midweek Apologetics Roundup” »
In my last health update, I reported that I had developed diabetes after having begun a prednisone treatment for my sarcoidosis. It has been a while since then, so I thought I would give a new update. There is good news and bad news. The good news is that I am almost finished weaning myself … Read More “Health Update” »
As a part of my research for my DMin thesis, I recently read James Sire’s A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics. I really didn’t have any expectations going into it but I ended up loving this book. Sire, who was a student of Francis Schaeffer, brings not only an intellectual understanding of the topic, but … Read More “A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics” »
I have heard from a number of people who have been frustrated when their church leadership does not seem interested in apologetics. You have read the books and have been to the conferences and you know how powerful apologetics can be. But when you talk to your pastor, there seems to be no interest. What … Read More “How to Talk to Your Pastor About Apologetics” »
Like 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras was not written by Ezra. The earliest part of the book was not written until the first century AD. Second Esdras is made up of a Jewish writing called 4 Ezra with 5 Ezra stuck at the beginning and 6 Esdras at the end. Although 4 Ezra is a Jewish … Read More “What is 2 Esdras?” »
During this election season, I must confess that I’m thankful that I’m a Canadian. My thoughts and prayers are with my American brothers and sisters. In some ways I’m surprised that Donald Trump has made it to this point that there is a good possibility that he might be the next president. I have no … Read More “3 Things Pastors Can Learn From Donald Trump” »
Here are some leadership posts I came across this week. Go and check them out. 14 Things Leaders Tend to Forget – Chuck Lawless How People-Pleasing Crushes Your Leadership Potential – Carey Niewuhof 3 Keys to Making Change Stick in your Church – Charles Stone Seven Reasons to Consider Not Requiring Office Hours for Ministerial … Read More “Weekend Leadership Roundup” »
I’m sure that most people involved in apologetics want to be successful in their apologetics endeavours. But how can you know if you are successful? You need some way to measure. One way to do this is to set some goals. General Goals I would start with some very general goals. What are you trying … Read More “What is Your Goal for Apologetics?” »
If I have a specialty in apologetics, it is in responding to the Jesus Myth Theory. The JMT argues that there was no historical Jesus and the Jesus of the Gospels is based on pagan myths. My first major foray into the apologetics world was co-writing Unmasking the Pagan Christ. Since then, I have written … Read More “5 Reasons I Write About the Jesus Myth” »
Here are some apologetics-related posts that I have discovered this week. Make sure to go and check them out. Is Evolution A Theory in Crisis? – Sean McDowell Why Christians Need to Renew Their Commitment to Share the Gospel – Eric Chabot The Third Mission to the West – Amy Hall Five Reasons Why God’s … Read More “Midweek Apologetics Roundup” »
As both a pastor and an apologist, I believe that there should be connections between both roles. I actually became an apologist because of a need that arose while being a pastor at a local church. I also understand that there are many pastors who are not interested in apologetics. They believe that the keys … Read More “5 Reasons Why Pastors Should Care About Apologetics” »
I recently wrote a blog post called Don’t Be That Apologist, where I gave some examples of apologists (without names) that are bad examples. I thought I would do the same thing for pastors. As a pastor, I have made plenty of mistakes and have witnessed mistakes by other pastors. Unfortunately there are lots of bad … Read More “Don’t Be That Pastor” »
This is a message that was preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. Introduction The Ten Commandments have been a huge influence in the development of morals in western society. Each of the commandments are important, but the commandment against killing would seem to be the least controversial. Thou shalt not kill. Or as more accurately … Read More “Abortion and Euthanasia” »
It is easy to come up with good news today. Today is the start of three weeks of vacation. What makes this better, is that my excitement is not about the chance to get away from work. I love my job and I enjoy doing what I do. This won’t be one of those vacations … Read More “Good News: Vacation Time!” »
It is easy to call oneself an apologist. It is a different thing to be a good and effective apologist. There are plenty of bad examples of apologetics for us to learn from. Obviously, I won’t name names. But I will give examples of the apologist that you shouldn’t be. Don’t be that apologist who … Read More “Don’t Be That Apologist” »
Here are some leadership posts that I came across this week. Go and check them out. 8 Things My Workaholism is Costing Me – Chuck Lawless 9 Signals Your Hormones May be Hijacking your Leadership – Charles Stone Eight Warning Signs of a Bully Church Member – Thom Rainer 6 Takeaways from Scaling Up Excellence … Read More “Weekend Leadership Roundup” »
I’m currently teaching a course on the Apostle Paul at Tyndale University College. One of the things that I ask my students is, why should we study the Apostle Paul? Shouldn’t we be “red letter Christians,” that is shouldn’t we just follow Jesus and not worry about Paul? After all, we are Christ-ians and not … Read More “4 Reasons to Study the Apostle Paul” »
This morning, my ten year old son asked me a very interesting question. He asked me, if I could restart my life, what job would I want to do? Imagine having that second chance. Being able to design your education and plan your experiences to gain that dream job that you have always wanted. What … Read More “If I Could Restart My Life…” »
One would assume, based on the title, that like 1 and 2 Maccabees, that 3 Maccabees is an account of the revolt led by Judas Maccabeus. That would be a reasonable assumption. It would also be incorrect. Despite the title, 3 Maccabees has nothing to do with Judas Maccabeus or his family. Rather 3 Maccabees … Read More “What is 3 Maccabees?” »
The unfortunate reality is that not all pastors finish well. We hear about the pastors of megachurches who have moral failures but it happens in small churches all the time. The key is not to wait until the pastor is in burnout or is dealing with the consequences of bad choices. Like every other area … Read More “4 Questions Pastors Need to Ask” »
I am excited to tell you about a brand new resource. My newest book, Unmasking the Jesus Myth, is now available in Kindle! What is this book and why should you buy it? In 2006, I co-wrote a book with Stanley Porter, called Unmasking the Pagan Christ. It was a response to one specific mythicist, … Read More “Unmasking the Jesus Myth” »
A sermon based on Ephesians 6:10-20 preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. Introduction I remember back about twenty-five years ago when I was deep into my spiritual journey. I had recently moved from atheism to a generic belief in God. I was then working for some Christians and they were eager to get me to convert … Read More “Spiritual Warfare” »
This has been a different kind of a week for me. For the past week, three of our children were away at camp. That by itself is good news as they had a very fun time. At the same time, Amanda has been gone for a week as well. She has been visiting with some friends … Read More “Good News: A Gift to an Introvert” »
Did you even know there was a Psalm 151? The truth is there are many more psalms than the 150 found in the Bible. A psalm is a genre and there is no reason why we can’t write more psalms. There is a Psalm 151 that is a part of the apocrypha. It is actually … Read More “What is Psalm 151?” »
Here are some leadership posts that I came across this week. Go and check them out. 8 Church Member Who Made Me Mad… But Who Taught Me Something – Chuck Lawless 5 Ways to Deal With Jackholiness – Dan Rockwell When Plans Get Interrupted, What Should You Do? – Charles Stone Eight Mistakes Churches Make … Read More “Weekend Leadership Roundup” »
It takes much more than an excitement or appreciation about apologetics to be a good apologist. You can have read dozens of apologetics books and have listened to all the best podcasts and still be ineffective as an apologist. Here are four Rs that can get you started on the road to being an effective … Read More “The Four Rs of Good Apologetics” »
This is a heartbreaking time that we live in. We live in a world where we can watch a black man killed by a police officer live on the internet. We live in a world where people respond to injustice by killing innocent police officers who are only trying to protect. We live in a … Read More “Terrorism, Race Riots and the World We Live In” »
In 2 Kings 21:1-18, Manasseh is portrayed as a purely wicked king of Judah. In 2 Chronicles 33, Manasseh is also described as a bad king but with the added detail of his repentance. Read my post on What is the Difference Between Samuel/Kings and Chronicles? Wouldn’t it be great to have more information about that repentance? … Read More “What is the Prayer of Manasseh?” »
When we speak of eschatology, we must remember that there are a couple of aspects to this doctrine. It both refers to what will happen to the world when Jesus returns and what happens to individuals when we die. My eschatology has developed in both areas. Growing up Anglican, I had no beliefs about the … Read More “My Eschatology Has Changed (But It’s Not the End of the World)” »
Here are some apologetics-related posts that I came across this week. Go and check them out. Religion and Well-being: Assessing the evidence – Theos A Brief Description of My Journey from Atheism to Christianity – J. Warner Wallace Archaeologists Make First-Time Discovery of Philistine Cemetery – Wintery Knight Problems with the Shallow Grave Hypothesis – … Read More “Midweek Apologetics Roundup” »
The most complicated aspect of 1 Esdras is that it is sometimes called 1 Esdras and sometimes 3 Esdras. When it is called 3 Esdras, it is because the Old Testament books of Ezra and Nehemiah are names 1 and 2 Esdras respectively. We will go with 1 Esdras. Firs Esdras is rather unique in … Read More “What is 1 Esdras?” »
My heart is breaking as I watch the events that are currently taking place in the United States around race relations. The killing of both black men and white police officers is so wrong. It feels as if society is falling apart. I must confess that this is so strange for me to see as … Read More “Race Relations and the Church” »
The history of Islam and the teachings of the Qur’an are one of the areas that I’m interested in. Fairly recently, what seems to be the earliest copy of the Qur’an was discovered. It is known by its informal name, “The Birmingham Qur’an.” What is it and what is its significance? I found this episode … Read More “What is the Birmingham Qur’an?” »
My good news for this week was about a fantastic church service we had this morning. Queen Street Baptist Church had our annual (and my first) outdoor service at Montebello Park. I really did not know what to expect, having never been a part of this before. Everything we have done so far this year … Read More “Good News: There Was Praise in the Park” »
Here are some leadership posts that I came across this week. Check them out. 10 Reasons You Are Always Pushing People – Dan Rockwell 3 Ways to Help Our Kids Process Racial Injustice – Joshua Straub 5 Basic Mistakes Churches Make Over and Over Again – Carey Nieuhoff Preventing Teenage ‘Faith Drift’ – Leadership Journal … Read More “Weekend Leadership Roundup” »
One of the major challenges to the Church in recent years has been the New Atheism. The New Atheists do not have new arguments, but they do have a new aggressiveness and a new level of visibility with their media savviness. It is in response to this that William Lane Craig and Chad Meister edited, God … Read More “God is Great, God is Good” »
The Jesus Myth Theory, the belief that Jesus never existed and that the Gospels are based on pagan myths, just does not seem to go away. The recent appearance of a mythicists on the Unbelievable? podcast shows how much more prominent mythicist ideas are becoming. More and more books and websites are appearing that argue … Read More “5 Things You Need to Know About the Jesus Myth” »
You should not think of 2 Maccabees as the sequel to 1 Maccabees. It is not like 1 and 2 Kings where one book is broken into two parts for the sake of space. Nor is it like 1 and 2 Corinthians, where the same author is writing twice to the same audience. First and … Read More “What is 2 Maccabees?” »
Today was a bit of a blast from the past. I was blessed to be able to have tea with Jim Powell, who was the minister of St. James Anglican Church, the church I grew up in, over thirty years ago. It was a joy to be able to catch up and to hear the … Read More “Reflecting on My Anglican Heritage” »
I have been reading through some of my books on Paul for the course on the Apostle Paul that I’m teaching at Tyndale University College. One of the ones that I read was Anthony Thiselton’s The Living Paul: An Introduction to the Apostle’s Life and Thought. I picked this up at ETS/SBL a few years … Read More “The Living Paul” »
Here are some apologetics-related posts that I came across this week. You should check them out. Modern Old Testament Study – Peter J. Williams The Brief Biblical Case for the Eternal Life of the Soul – J. Warner Wallace Why God Doesn’t Create a World with Less Suffering – Lenny Esposito Why I Love Atheists … Read More “Midweek Apologetics Roundup” »
I recently listened to the debate between Sean McDowell and Ken Humphreys on the Unbelievable? podcast. One of my main areas of research is the Jesus myth theory and Humpreys is a mythicist, so this was of some interest to me. Having listened to the debate, I thought I would share some random thoughts. Justin … Read More “Sean McDowell and Ken Humphreys on the Martyrdom of the Apostles” »
I never thought I would say those words. I used to drink tremendous amounts of coffee. It was not unknown for me to drink two pots (not cups!) of coffee in an evening and still be able to sleep no problem. I loved the taste and just the experience of having coffee with my friends. … Read More “I Hate Coffee!” »
A sermon preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. Introduction It was about thirty years ago. I was up early to catch a plane to go to Florida for March Break with my friends. I was pretty groggy, and my mother after waking me had started telling me about Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. My parents … Read More “Healing and the Prosperity Gospel” »
My brother-in-law sent us a copy of Peter Scazzero’s Emotionally Healthy Spirituality some time ago. To be honest, I am given/lent/recommended so many books that I don’t often get around to reading them. I have enough trouble reading the books that I am given in exchange for agreeing to review them on my blog. So … Read More “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” »
Last Sunday in my Good New post, I shared that it had been a difficult couple of days. I did not give many details about what happened and I will not in this post either. However, many people have been praying for our family and we have seen the results of those prayers. This week … Read More “Good News: A Much Better Week” »
It has long been my opinion that if a person is going to read only one book from the apocrypha, they should read 1 Maccabees. First Maccabees covers some important events in Jewish history from the early to mid-second century BC. After the death of Alexander the Great, his empire broke up into four pieces. … Read More “What is 1 Maccabees?” »
Here are some leadership posts that I came across this week. You might find them helpful, so go check them out. 5 Questions Pastors Neglect in Sermon Prep – Charles Stone Eight Time Drainers of Pastors and Staff (and Eight Solutions) – Thom Rainer 9 Hidden Factors That Influence Your Leadership More Than You Think … Read More “Weekend Leadership Roundup” »
One of my favourite podcasts is Rainer on Leadership and Thom Rainer’s blog posts that I share seem to get a lot of engagement. So I was looking forward to finally reading one of his books. The book I chose is his latest, Who Moved My Pulpit? I love that this book is a reply to a … Read More “Who Moved My Pulpit?” »
Today is Canada Day and it is natural for me to be reflecting on what it means to be Canadian. I must say that I’m very proud to be a Canadian and truthfully, I would not want to live anywhere else in 9the world. The winters might be long but I still think that Canada … Read More “5 Reasons I Love Being a Canadian” »
There is power in positive thinking. Or is there? And what do we really mean by that? Is the power of positive thinking just a harmless fad? L.L. Martin, in her book Positively Powerless, looks at this popular but so misunderstood movement. In this book, Martin looks at the historical background of the movement and … Read More “Positively Powerless” »
Here are some apologetics-related posts I came across this week. You should check them out. Why Do You Feel Guilty About Evangelism But Not About Apologetics? – J. Warner Wallace 30 Things You Can Do This Summer to Deepen Your Kids’ Faith – Natasha Crain Is the Probability of Getting a Universe That Supports Complex … Read More “Midweek Apologetics Roundup” »
There so many different kinds of Bibles out there. There is a wide variety of translations, study Bibles and so on. But there is one Bible that I must admit I really like and recommend above all others. In this video, I explain why I like the ESV Journalling Bible. If you are interested in … Read More “The Bible That I Recommend” »
Like most people, I have a desire to be as productive as possible. When I come into my church office in the morning, I write on my white board all of the tasks that I need to accomplish on that day. Unexpected things always come up and so I have to be careful with my … Read More “I Don’t Have Time Not to Write” »
Some of my favourite parts of the apocrypha are the Additions of Daniel. As the name suggests, they do not originally belong to Daniel. Still, they are fun to read and worth looking at. The date of composition is unknown. Some scholars have thought that they were originally composed having nothing to do with Daniel … Read More “What Are the Additions to Daniel?” »
Being an associate pastor can be a very rewarding ministry in a local church. One of the advantages of being an associate pastor is that you often have a more focused ministry portfolio than a solo pastor who has to do everything. I was a youth pastor for four years and an associate pastor for … Read More “5 Tips for Associate Pastors” »
A sermon preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. Introduction We have been looking at the mission of Queen Street Baptist Church. We have looked at our qualities as a welcoming, growing and worshiping church. We are now going to look at what it means to be sharing church. But we should begin by asking if … Read More “What is a Sharing Church?” »
I started my Good News posts a couple of years ago when I was going through a very dark time in my life. At that point, I posted daily about something that I could be thankful for that day as a way of coping with what was going on. As time went on, life got … Read More “Good News: Glimmers of Light” »
Here are some leadership posts that I came across this week. You should go check them out. Five Headaches Pastors Experience When Search Committees Fail to Communicate – Thom Rainer Why You Should Stop Ripping Off Other Preachers (The Led Zeppelin Scenario) – Carey Nieuwhof 5 Ways Insecurity Damages the Team – Eric Geiger 8 … Read More “Weekend Leadership Roundup” »
