Marla Ottenstein, a professional organization who is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, recently wrote an article in the Naples Daily News about her year long experience of purging stuff from her life. More specifically, she committed to get rid of one thing a day for 365 consecutive days. Her original plan changed a bit to allow for more flexibility, but by the end of the year she exceeded the original goal and purged 444 items from her home. So Read More …
Discipleship
Sermon: How Much is Enough? (#1210)
Sermon Text - Luke 12:13-21 Sermon Excerpt I don't know much about barns, but I do know a bit about real estate. In all honesty, houses have always fascinated me. All you have to do is to start using real estate terms like location, layout, view, amenities, finishes, and cost per square foot and I will gladly join your conversation. So, it is my pleasure to be your guide as we (read the full manuscript) So What? While few people who seek to follow the way of Jesus are consumed by Read More …
WWJND (#1206)
WWJD - What Would Jesus Do - was an incredibly popular theme during the 1990s. Jodi Detrick, recently shared that she has been thinking about a modification created by adding the letter N: WWJND - What Would Jesus Not Do. She explored the idea more fully in a chapter in her recently published book: The Jesus-Hearted Woman (2013). In that context she offers a list of things Jesus would not do, including He did not seek human popularity. (John 8:50) He did not pander Read More …
Sermon: Persisting for the Children (#1203)
Sermon Text Luke 18:1 -8 Sermon Excerpt In both the modern retelling and the original parable, you can't miss the huge power difference between the judge and the widow. The widow has limited resources, limited mobility, and limited options. The judge is supposed to play by the rules but has decided he is above them. The persistence of the marginalized widow is appealing. It is an admirable quality that resonates with readers and viewers alike. They want what she Read More …
Sermon: The Best Sermon (#1196)
Sermon Text Matthew 5-7 Sermon Excerpt I begin in a way I never have before and likely never will again by offering a bold guarantee. I assure you that this morning's sermon will be the best sermon you will ever hear. With this in mind, let us pray . . . As those who seek to follow the way of Jesus, may his wisdom continue to be our guide. Take and use the words I will speak to empower our imaginations, awaken us to new possibilities, and embolden us in our actions. Amen. When Read More …
Sermon: Reuniting Old Friends (#1189)
Sermon Text Ephesians 2:19-22 Sermon Excerpt The so-called religious right has sought to make their version of Christianity the only authorized American version. While many within this group market a message that suggests a literal approach to the Bible is the only correct approach, the general public are not embracing that news. In fact, only 3 in 10 people approach Scripture with a highly literal interpretative framework, and an understanding that it is the actual word of Read More …
What’s Holding Christianity Back? (WHCB) (#1186)
Christian Piatt is the author of multiple books, including Banned Questions About Jesus and Banned Questions About the Bible. Recently, he shared a list of things he feels are holding Christianity back: church buildings, denominations, worship, church boards, and fear. So What? Piatt labels these items as "the five biggest things I’ve seen that tend to keep us from doing our best work as the living, breathing body of Christ in the world today." While Read More …
Online Learning in Congregations (#1185)
Over the last decade online learning has grown from a niche market to something that touches nearly everyone. Increasing numbers of students take online courses as part of their educational programs in K-12 and higher education, and employers continue to shift more and more of their training to online formats. Given these shifts, it is logical to assume that the future of education in the context of congregations will include online learning. The Rt. Rev. Kirk Smith, bishop of Read More …
Sermon: Life-Giving Wind (#1182)
Sermon Text Acts 2:1-22 Sermon Excerpt Journey with me into the story. . . Step back and ask yourself, “If I had all the power in the world and wanted to enable a huge crowd of people from different parts of the world to speak to one another, wouldn't I just give them a common language?” And, if I foreknew that the occasion was to go down in history as the birth of a religion, wouldn't I choose a brand new language with a catchy name that would make the jobs of marketing and Read More …
Learning from Church Spies (#1180)
Terry Mattingly writes the nationally syndicated “On Religion” column for the Scripps Howard News Service in Washington, D.C., and is director of the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. His latest article, "Lessons Learned from Church Spies," features the story of one spy's experience. The church spy, Chuck Lawless (evangelism professor and the graduate dean at Southeastern Baptist Theological Read More …