Expository Mutterings
Ministry titles abound in the church today. Student Pastor. Children’s Pastor. Creative Environment Pastor (No idea). Senior Pastor and Worship Pastor are pretty standard fair on the leadership page of a church’s site. And what is also becoming standard is the willy-nilly way people use the word pastor. I don’t think we should put Pastor […]
Offensive for offensiveness sake is really offensive.
Preachers walk the line every Lord’s day between offending and being a jerk. Brothers, I think the best to avoid being a jerk, is to just let the Bible say what it says. Don’t be afraid to watch the Spirit point out our unrighteousness or self-righteousness.
Zigging when the Bible is zagging is a bad route for Preachers to take. And dropping zingers out of spite, anger, or bitterness is also a scenic router Preachers must avoid. A wise preacher once said that the aim of our teaching is love from a pure heart.
Be Bold
Don’t back-peddle when the Bible stomps on the gas. God’s word is filled with challenging, convicting, perplexing, and downright offensive verses and truths. Teachers of God’s word will be tempted to soften the wallop with a what-this-really-means-is hot take on the offending verse of truth. Since we can’t silence a thunderstorm, we’ll just look silly trying.
Let the Bible be the Bible. It’s highly profitable for the people (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Don’t dull the sword. Don’t wrap your Bible in eggshells. When the Bible is roaring, roar with it.
Read the text with confidence. Point out the potent words. Lean into the tension, not away from it. Pattern yourself, not after your favorite podcaster, but after the Apostles.
Get Apostolic
Peter didn’t pump the brakes when he told the crowd, “You crucified the Son of God! It’s time to repent”. When’s the last time you called people to repeat, to turn from their sin and trust Jesus? I just checked the weather, and this Sunday looks like a great day to call people to Jesus.
Paul didn’t dilute his doctrine on Mars Hill when he told a group of idolaters about the only true God, the only one they aren’t worshipping. The crowds take offense to Paul’s points and his preaching of the risen Jesus. Get bold. Get apostolic.
You read the title right. Heaven and the New Earth won’t be a never-ending church service. Now, we will sing about his love forever, but it won’t be the only thing we do.
Every one of Paul’s letters to the churches in the New Testament opens with the same portable gospel. Grace to you.
You’ve heard people say, “We just need to go back to the early church.” We need to be more like the raw, organic, on-the-go church we see in the New Testament. I disagree.
We pray for all kinds of things in our lives—healing, strength in temptation, help with children—but have you ever asked God to help you not be stupid?
Better late than never. That should be a title of a book. Maybe it is. If it is, it wasn’t one of my favorite reads in 2017. So, if you are looking to spend those Amazon gift cards you got from Uncle Ronnie, I got you. Looking for books to add to your list for 2018, […]
To celebrate the 500 year anniversary of Luther swinging his hammer—if you want to learn more about the Reformation, or maybe you want to keep reforming—here are 13 resources.
The #WhyIWrite is all over Twitter today, and it got me thinking about the why of my writing. Here’s why I write: “I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your […]
