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Book Reviews for Your List
Our Wednesday list this week is the latest books I’ve finished. Due to the Thanksgiving break, I read a few different types of books. I hope you enjoy. ————— A Million Miles in a Thousand Years Donald Miller An autobiographical tale, A Million Miles was given to me by Justin Gerhardt (thanks!). Miller recounts his struggle to find him real purpose in a book that is amazingly open. One of my favorite features of this book is that it is written in a quasi-journal style. Miller is able to keep the book moving forward, while taking small tangents to describe certain details as needed. I would recommend A Million Miles…
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Being the Best Bible School Teacher You Can Be in One Step
Teaching Bible class is something I greatly enjoy. It is truly a skill, and one I need to hone! I pray often that my classes see that I am trying and that I truly enjoy the honor of teaching. It is a blessing to teach classes in which students offer input and are willing to answer questions and provide feedback. That being said, teaching is work! It isn’t hard to tell when a teacher has “thrown together” a class at the last minute. No teacher is going to be 100% prepared every single week, but it should not be a pattern for the instructor to be waiting until the last minute…
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Friday Links Roundup: The REAL Game on Saturday
Did you know there are football games tomorrow? I know, with the lack of media coverage, it would be easy to miss that Florida and Alabama play tomorrow. I hope that wasn’t a shock to you. However, we know that one of those teams will play for the BCS national championship. So, why watch? There’s no drama there. The REAL game is between Texas and Nebraska! If the Cornhuskers pull a major upset, they will earn a BCS bid and quite possibly open the door for TCU to play for a national title. Now THAT’S worth watching!!! On to the links for this week: 1. I often speak about the…
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Your Help Needed for a New Series
Two Thursdays ago, I posted an article on some general reflections on the hymn “Where No One Stands Alone.” That brief post received a lot of positive feedback, and led me to think that it might make a good series to continue. I want to take Thursdays for the next few weeks and do more “reflections on hymns.” However, I don’t just want to do my favorites. I like all sorts of songs, from older “standards” to many newer songs of praise, but I want to know which ones YOU like. In the comments, or via email or Twitter, please leave me a list of no more than three songs…
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20 Ways You Start to Know that You are a Preacher
In my short time as a preacher, I have been called on to do many things and have faced many ups and downs. When I think about these experiences, they pale in comparison to many who read this and have worked longer and done far more. Please read this list knowing that this is not a “resume” or an “I’m better than other preachers” list. Please read it as (1) a fellow preacher who is beginning to understand, or (2) a preacher trying to let “non-preachers” know a bit of the heart of the men who stand before you and try to present God’s Word as best we can, though we…
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10 Things I'm Very Thankful For
We are often told to “count our blessings,” and the Thanksgiving holiday is a great time to really do that. None of us could ever list every single thing with which God has blessed us, but we can all think of a few things that are most important. This list is not comprehensive, but let me share a few things for which I’m thankful. Maybe this will help you get your list started. 1. I’m thankful that Jesus died on the cross in fulfillment of God’s plan. Our God truly is loving, and that love was demonstrated on Calvary. Though He wished for the “cup to pass,” Jesus still went…
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Friday Links Roundup: espn360 Edition
We don’t have TV anymore, but I am still getting to see a little bit of basketball. We love espn360.com. Okay, I love espn360.com, and Leah admits that she’s glad I’m getting to see some college basketball, as well. In fact, on most days, there are more choices on there than on TV. I’ve already seen at least a few minutes of over 20 teams play and with the Thanksgiving week tournaments coming, I’m looking forward to seeing more. (Here’s hoping for a classic soon between Duke and UConn in their preseason tournament!) On to the links for this week: 1. Cindy Colley (welcome to the blog reader) writes a powerful…
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Reflections on "Where No One Stands Alone"
When I was in the Sonshine Singers at Freed-Hardeman, we sang the beautiful hymn “Where No One Stands Alone” many times. The song was also a favorite at campus singings and devotionals. It’s always fascinating to me what “old” songs are commonly sung by young people and young adults. The hymn reflects a theme that is common to many other great songs: God’s protection. We go through moments in life when we feel alone, but, as the song eloquently states, we “cry” to God, “Don’t hide Your face from me.” Aren’t you thankful that God is always there! In my mind, though, it’s the chorus of the song that gives it a…
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7 Little "Extras" that Make Visitors Feel Welcome
Every congregation has visitors. Even small, rural congregations have visitors from time-to-time. Since we are in a fairly large city (and near the airport, Opryland Hotel, and LP Field), we have regular visitors. We are always excited to see new faces. Visitors are exciting, whether from near or far. I have never met with anyone who says, “Our congregation just isn’t friendly.” Every congregation thinks it is doing well in welcoming visitors, but we’ve all had moments where we knew we didn’t feel welcome. What are some steps congregations can take? Here are just a few, and I hope you’ll add to the list in the comments. 1. Greet people…
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Commenting on Commentaries
I love commentaries. I don’t have as many as I’d like to have, but I love the ones I have, and I like having the church library just down the hall to fill in some gaps in my own library. Obviously, there are some that I like more than others, and some I trust very deeply. Others I read more for word study or just for a quote or two. Some do not see the need for such volumes. 300 pages on James? Who needs that much material? (My dad has a 10-volume commentary just on Hebrews, and each volume has about 250 pages!!!) Most preachers have at least a…
