Feb 26, 2009 | Technology
Would you read from a Kindle? What? You don’t know what it is? Check out Michael Hyatt’s video un-boxing of the new Amazon Kindle. I’m not there yet in wanting to spend $360.00 for 16 shades of gray. What do you think – would you use one? The New Amazon Kindle 2 Unboxed | Michael... read more
Feb 26, 2009 | Featured Articles, Preaching
A few quick thoughts on what happens when the pulpit and expository preaching loses a place of centrality within the life of the local church: Personal intake of Scripture becomes tiresome Personal prayer becomes little more than religious day-dreaming An atmosphere of worship gives way to a craving for entertainment Truth is replaced with preferences Discipleship is dismissed by the cult of personal excitement Culture becomes central Creativity becomes a mantra Personal desires become dominant Tradition becomes foundational Counseling becomes, at worst, psychological, and at best merely conservative Dr. Laura-type of advice or simply relational Fellowship becomes superficial Unity becomes merely relational Missions becomes nothing more than temporal societal betterment The gospel becomes self-help Discipleship becomes nothing more than a mere decision All this will be true because people, for people’s sake, become the focus and God becomes a servant to their own lust for centrality (2 Timothy 4:1-4) ““ our thoughts are no longer tethered to what God has systematically revealed to us about Himself. In the end, people are not best served where they are most prized. When expository preaching is not central in our life: We ultimately and over time won’t feel fed, satisfied, fulfilled The grass will always look greener in another ministerial field “¦because ultimately, God, truth, and His glory is not what we crave. Or perhaps we are misinterpreting our cravings and feeding them with the wrong things. When expository preaching is not central in the church’s life It will give way to the whims of culture It will be replaced by the mystical It will be sapped of true spiritual power It... read more
Feb 25, 2009 | Miscellaneous, Pastoral Ministry, Personal, Preaching
My calf-skin Shepherds’ Conference Bible is my favorite preaching Bible. I love the durability of the calf-skin. I love the size of the print. Most of all, I have loved the translation – the New American Standard. I’ve been preaching from the NAS for about 18 years. But, if I were to win this brand new Calf-skin ESV, from “A Boomer in the Pew,” (I use the ESV in my morning devotions), it may be enough to bring me over to begin preaching from it. We shall... read more
Feb 24, 2009 | Featured Articles, Preaching
Biblical preaching must not be less than central in the ministry of a local church. That was the theme of my sermon this past Sunday evening. By “biblical preaching,” I mean the sort of preaching that is often called expository preaching. It is that sermon that takes a portion of the Bible and reveals the God-intended meaning of that portion of Scripture in such a way that the audience comprehends God’s expectations for their thinking and behavior. It is that sort of preaching that systematically moves through books of the Bible in such a way that the text of Scripture determines the theme of the sermon as well as the sermon’s major structure. In essence it exposes the congregation to the intended meaning of the stated biblical text. When Paul told Timothy to “preach the word,” I believe this sort of preaching is what he had in mind. Timothy was to explicate the meaning of Scripture (3:15-17). He was not called to creatively wow the crowd with slick presentations and stunning oratory (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). He was called to carefully, authoritatively, regularly, publicly expose his audience to the written word of God as it had been delivered to him. The Scriptures were the focus. When systematic preaching through Scriptures is the priority, God and Christ will become the focus. We do have a long rash of preaching that sprinkles the Bible into secular messages, rather than submersing our society into Bible drenched sermons. If Pastors rarely hemorrhage Scripture our congregations will rarely bleed the Bible when cut by the circumstances of life. In other words, I think we should... read more
Feb 23, 2009 | Culture, Ecclesiology, Preaching
Pastor Matt Chandler talks here about silly, Christless ways as well as Christ saturated ways for Pastors to preach and respond to the recession. HT: Justin Taylor more about “Preaching on the Recession-Do’s and D…“, posted with... read more
Feb 21, 2009 | Blogging, Featured Articles
Well, no sooner had I made a post about sticking with the same ‘ole theme (which I still really like), I just happened across one that really caught my eye. Yes, perhaps a waste of some time, but, I’ve neglected the blog for some time and have really wanted a major change. This one is major ““ and is another major reason why I really love WordPress. THE CAPRANICA is transformed ““ not merely tweaked. It allows me to mark a number of articles as “features” and highlight them in a big way at the top. I love the format and have more options than ever to tweak it. There are three different layouts I could choose from ““ I picked one that gives more of a web-site feel than merely a blog look. Now, as for that new and improved content. . . . It should well be on its... read more
Feb 21, 2009 | Blogging, Featured Articles
As Kelly and Brie were under the weather yesterday, I took some time (more than a human should) to scour the World Wide Web for a new blog design. There are tons out there, but to be honest, I really didn’t find any that were free, easily customizable, and better-looking (IMHO) than the one I have. I was a bit disappointed. While the guys at Glued Ideas no longer seem to do much for the Subtle theme, It is still one of my favorites. It’s free, simple, professional, clean, easily customizable and personable. Above all that, my wife likes it best and has threatened me if I changed it much. How intimate that all sounds ““ especially for a blog that is really rarely updated, especially with much meaningful content. So, I’ve decided to stick with Subtle. I did change from the “Subvert” (darkish) feel to the default, brighter feel ““ just for a change of pace. But really, now, who cares? In the next few days, I’ll be updating my blogroll as well as a few other overdue updates. I did add a new feature: “GReader-Cap.” Ever since I happily converted to Google Reader as my feed reader, and since I use the beautiful iPhone web-app for Google Reader, I find myself sharing a number of articles from my reading via Google Reader. It is actually easier to share an article from GReader than to go in and put up a “Short Cap” post of it. So, watch the GReader section to see the articles across the web I’m following and think are interested, but don’t really want... read more
Feb 16, 2009 | Humor
OK, I just saw this and I cannot quit laughing. HT: Justin... read more
Feb 11, 2009 | Culture
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Feb 9, 2009 | Time/Life Management
This is an excellent thought on merging GTD and Covey. I’m going to give it some good thought. A Quick Thought on Areas of Responsibility, GTD, and the 7 Habits : What”™s Best... read more
Feb 9, 2009 | Personal
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Jan 31, 2009 | Technology
Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers notes what he uses for his frequent presentations. . . . Makes me want a Mac. My Current Presentation Tools – Michael... read more
Jan 24, 2009 | Time/Life Management
David Allen of GTD fame gives a video tour of his office and how he get’s it done. more about “A Tour of David Allen’s Office“, posted with vodpod HT: ... read more
Jan 3, 2009 | Presidential History
By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer Ben Feller, Associated Press WASHINGTON ““ President George W. Bush will be judged on what he did. He will also be remembered for what he’s like: a fast-moving, phrase-mangling Texan who stays upbeat even though his country is not. For eight years, the nation has been led by a guy who relaxes by clearing brush in scorching heat and taking breakneck bike rides through the woods. He dishes out nicknames to world leaders, and even gave the German chancellor an impromptu, perhaps unwelcome, neck rub. He’s annoyed when kept waiting and sticks relentlessly to routine. He stays optimistic in even the most dire circumstances, but readily tears up in public. He has little use for looking within himself, and only lately has done much looking back. Bush’s style and temperament are as much his legacy as his decisions. Policy shapes lives, but personality creates indelible memories “” positive and negative. Call it distinctly Bush. ___ Don’t be late. Bush demands punctuality and disdains inefficiency. Every meeting better have a clear purpose. And it better not repeat what he already knows. He is up early and in the Oval Office by 6:45 a.m. By 9:30 to 10 at night, it’s lights out. He likes to be fresh and won’t get cheated on his sleep. In sessions with policy experts, Bush tends to ask questions that get right to the nub of a sticky issue. His top aides speak regretfully about how the country never got to see that side of him, even after all this time. They describe a man who is deeply inquisitive,... read more
Jan 1, 2009 | Personal
Happy New Year! Here’s a glance at our first year together as a family since Brie’s adoption. Not to us, but to your name be all the glory . .... read more
Dec 30, 2008 | Hermeneutics
Here’s a great little test linked to a new book on the NT use of the OT (I received a copy for Christmas-looking forward to the read) – I’ll post my results before I read the book and then after I finish it. Koinonia: Test Your View of the NT Use of the OT HT: Matt... read more
Dec 29, 2008 | Reading
Great article by former adviser Karl Rove on the current President’s reading habits. Karl Rove Says George W. Bush Is a Book Lover – WSJ.com read more
Dec 29, 2008 | Humor, Miscellaneous
Amen. HT: Jeff Mooney – he should write one for... read more
