Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
Philippians 4:6 Introduction I have spent a lot of time in seminary. I have read a lot of books on theology and the Bible. I have been to many conferences and have heard from some excellent speakers and preachers. As helpful as all of that has been, I do not think there has been anything … Read More “Thanksgiving as Prayer” »
I have seen some recent claims by some Christians that pro-life activist, Paulette Harlow was arrested simply silently praying across the street from an abortion clinic. We are meant to be outraged that this 75 year old woman would be sent to jail and we are meant to see this as a sign of the … Read More “Was Paulette Harlow Jailed For Silently Praying?” »
2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Introduction I am no medical doctor, although I have had plenty of experience with the medical care system, both with my own health concerns and those of family members. We have had to face a number of health issues from injuries to illnesses that have been caught to those that probably had … Read More “Chronic Suffering” »
I purposely titled this post wrestling with prayer rather than wrestling in prayer, although the latter is a good thing to do as well. Even though most Christians believe in the importance of prayer, we rarely ask the hard questions about the nature of prayer. If I asked a random group of Christians from a … Read More “Wrestling With Prayer” »
Luke 11:1-4 Introduction As you may know, in addition to being a pastor, I am also a chaplain in the army reserves. One of the things that I appreciate about the military is the emphasis on continual learning. When you think of military training, you might think primarily of how to use a weapon. While … Read More “Learning to Pray” »
For many people, prayer is a simple topic. You ask God for something and God decides whether or not to grant the request. There’s not much to think about. Or is there? What actually happens when we pray? When we pray, does God take into consideration our request and adjust his actions accordingly? Would God … Read More “We Don’t Have to Fully Understand Prayer” »
Many Christians see ministry as something limited to pastors and other gifted leaders in the congregation. This small group does the ministry and the rest of the congregation watches and (hopefully) funds the ministry with their offerings. In some ways I can understand that. Not everyone is gifted in preaching, evangelism or music. There are … Read More “3 Ways That Every Christian Can Be Involved in Ministry” »
In our current time of racial tension, some are calling upon white Christians to repent of our racist heritage. But what about white Christians who are not in the least bit racist? Should they repent? I would suggest that many of us have been guilty of racial prejudice at some point, even if we were … Read More “Should Christians Repent of Sins They Did Not Directly Commit?” »
I am doing research on the experience of people with disabilities in the church. There are many different experiences, as disabilities affect people in different ways. But there is one theme that comes up over and over. People with disabilities generally don’t people to pray for their healing. See my post: The Moment That Haunts … Read More “Should You Pray For Healing For a Person With a Disability?” »
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 may be in a great chapter of our ministry or a challenging one, but we can all pray. Our experiences may … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Pray For Your Colleagues” »
Prayer is an important part of the Christian life. But role does it play? Does prayer accomplish anything or is it just a religious duty? No one has all the answers, but C.S. Lewis, like with all topics, is able to get to the heart of the matter. I appreciated his comments in this reflection … Read More “C.S. Lewis on Prayer” »
As I write this post, it has been less than a week since Christian apologist Nabeel Qureshi died of cancer. Many people, including me, were praying for his healing. But God didn’t heal him. Although many people will say his death and resurrection when Jesus returns will be a healing, let’s be honest and admit … Read More “Why Was That Godly Person Not Healed?” »
A message based on Acts 2:42-47 and preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. You can watch the video here. Introduction A few weeks ago, we took a trip into the past to observe the activity of the early church. We looked at the way we go over a family photo album or an online collection … Read More “Being an Acts Church: Part Two” »
I have witnessed a sense of shock this morning, perhaps from both Trump and Clinton supporters, that Donald Trump has been elected as the next president of the United States. There is much that I would want to say about this but I won’t. I do want to address Christians in terms of appropriate response. … Read More “Donald Trump Has Been Elected … Now What?” »
A sermon based on Philippians 4:4-7 and preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. Introduction Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays. I will confess that a big part of that is the thanksgiving meal. It is both the delicious food but also the gathering of family and the reflection of the things that we are thankful … Read More “Living a Life of Thanksgiving” »
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” »
I was speaking with one of our deacons this morning about the importance of prayer. We were saying that even if a person is not able to volunteer for a ministry, they can always pray. Prayer is one of the most important things that we do as a church. So how does prayer fit with … Read More “How to Pray for Families With Autism” »
It is unfortunate that Karl Barth is mostly read by only theologians. He has so much to teach the Church in practical ways. I appreciate his words on Christian prayer. Christian prayer means thanksgiving and praise, then confession and intercession, and then again thanksgiving and praise: all directed toward God; all offered to Him; all … Read More “Karl Barth on Christian Prayer” »
Prayer is an extremely important part of being a Christian. Christianity is a relationship between the person and God. That means that there must be communication. That often takes place in the context of prayer. However, if I was to invite a person to pray, there are a number of things that would take … Read More “5 Myths About Prayer” »
I have just completed my first three months as the pastor of Queen Street Baptist Church. As I have been reflecting on this experience, I have come to realize that my appreciation for this church is not based on my pastoral role. There are some things about this church that I would love, even if … Read More “5 Things I Love About Queen Street Baptist Church” »
Most bloggers like to highlight their most popular blog posts and I have done that myself. But I thought I would do something different. Instead of listing my five most popular blog posts, I’m going to share my five least read posts. This does not mean they are bad posts, they just ended up at … Read More “My 5 Least Read Blog Posts” »
As I sit here thinking about what to write for my weekly good news post, my mind is drawn to God. Not just the existence of God or his power in creating the universe. I am thinking more about all the times we have had to put our trust in God and found him faithful. … Read More “Good News: Thank God for God” »
Integrate Prayer What are the activities required of apologists? Reading. Researching. Speaking. Writing. Praying. Praying? One of the most important aspects of apologetics is prayer. This may not always be highlighted and yet it is vital. Apologetics is not just a matter of presenting evidence and seeing results. There is a spiritual part that is … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 27” »
I am a firm believer that attending a worship service should not be a passive experience. We can do much more than just soak up whatever is offered to us. One of the ways that we can be active is to pray throughout the service. But what should we be praying about during the service? … Read More “7 Things For You to Pray About at Church” »
I laugh when I look at predictions from previous generations that the advances in technology would give us shorter work weeks and more leisure time. If anything, technology has increased the expectations about how productive we should be. We are busier than ever. But what about God? How do people with careers, families, etc. find … Read More “How to Spend Time with God When You Are Busy” »
Prayer is one of the most important activities for a Christian. But how do we pray? Prayer is one of the most misunderstood things in the Church. If we are going to learn, we need to turn to the Bible. Thankfully, D.A. Carson presents us a resource with his Praying with Paul. This is the … Read More “Praying with Paul” »
Apologists are not known for their prayer activity. That is not to say that we don’t pray, it is just that is not what stands out. Ironically, there are some specific prayer points that apologists should be praying for. If you are an apologist, consider praying for these specific items: Pray that more local churches … Read More “Apologetics Prayer Points” »
A devotion based on 1 Timothy 2:1-2. Paul lived in the Roman Empire which included something called the Pax Romana or Roman peace. This was a double-edged sword (pun intended). On one hand, some nations enjoyed peace for the first time in centuries because of the Roman presence. However, if you were deemed to be … Read More “Devotions: 1 Timothy” »
A devotion based on Colossians 4:3. Paul was a super-Christian. He was so close to Jesus that whenever he wanted something he just needed to call in a favour. Paul was so powerful that his relationship with other Christians was always just one-way. None of that is true. Paul experienced weakness and concern and uncertainty. … Read More “Devotions: Colossians” »
This Monday, December 8th, I will be doing something I’ve never actually done before. I will be unplugged from the internet. I will be spending the day writing in my journal, praying for God’s guidance and fasting. I feel in this current struggle, in order to find some solace, I must seek God. I’m choosing … Read More “Prayer and Fasting | Ramblings about faith, hope and love” »
Sunday is my time to share a good news report from the past week. I will confess that this is a hard week to find good news. It has been a difficult week at the Bedard household. That is as much as I will say about that. Tonight as I was feeling at my lowest, … Read More “Praying at the Cross” »
What role should personal testimonies play in apologetics? I know this is a controversial topic among apologists. For many, testimonies are too subjective and they would rather the emphasis be on more logical evidences for the truth of Christianity. While I acknowledge the shortcomings of personal testimonies, I can’t help but notice that Paul is … Read More “Apologetics and Testimony” »
Nehemiah 1:4-11 Introduction In every area of life, but especially in trying to live the Christian life, people tend to extremes. It is either all this way or all that way. As we have been looking at prayer, this can be seen here as well. There are those who believe that everything is done by … Read More “Get Off Your Knees and Pray” »
Matthew 6:5-15 Introduction When someone is going through a hard time, I encourage them to pray. I stand by that advice as God can far better care for a person than I can with any words of pastoral care. I believe we must go to God in prayer at all times but especially when life … Read More “What is Prayer?” »
There are some pastors out there who are so naturally gifted, full of charisma, blessed with resources and full of energy that they can do ministry in their own strength. That is not me. Frankly, I am glad that is not me. One of the things that I have learned during my time of ministry … Read More “Ministry Reflection Two” »
Should we pray to Jesus or should we only pray to the Father? Certain groups, including Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that we should pray to God in the name of Jesus but should never pray to Jesus. This makes sense if one denies the deity of Christ. But what does the Bible say? In Acts 7, … Read More “Praying to Jesus” »
September 11 is an emotional day for everyone. It is very easy to let anger and resentment take over. There is a strong temptation to lash out. Jesus calls us to a different way. There will be many people today praying for the families of those who lost loved ones on 9/11, and we should … Read More “Prayer for Muslims” »
A post on CNN’s Belief Blog asks how other Christians will respond to the plan to burn Qur’ans this Sept. 11. You can read the post here. What will we do? Is it enough to just inwardly disagree with this action? Is it enough even to openly criticize the pastor responsible? There are so many … Read More “Responding to the Qur’an Burning” »
From all my lame defeats and oh! much more From all the victories that I seemed to score; From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf At which, while angels weep, the audience laugh; From all my proofs of Thy divinity, Thou, who wouldst give no sign, deliver me. Thoughts are but coins. Let me not … Read More “The Apologist’s Evening Prayer” »
