One of the common responses I get when I try to encourage people to attend Polishing the Pulpit is that it is a week long and people say that they just cannot take a week off of work. However, did you know that Polishing the Pulpit (PtP) actually begins with “Spiritual Renewal Weekend?” This part of PtP starts on Friday evening and concludes with worship on Sunday morning. If you have never attended PtP, let me encourage you to dip your toe in the water by attending Spiritual Renewal Weekend. I always tell people that, if you will do that, you’ll be finding ways to attend the whole week as soon…

It’s no fun to be hated. It’s no fun to be disliked. It’s no fun to have things said about you that are demeaning. It’s no fun to be thought of in a negative light. We all want to be well thought of. We might not need to be the center of attention, but we would probably all at least desire to be liked. And since the 21st-century culture is now screaming, “Tolerance!” – nobody wants to be considered the intolerant one. We don’t prefer isolation and rejection. We all need some sense of acceptance by the public in order to feel like we are worthy or good. Well, guess…

There is something about the world of preaching that is hard to describe unless you are in that world. People often have ideas about preachers that are based on his public persona, and build this idea that he is some type of super-Christian. Because of that perception, people often think of the preacher as standoffish or cold. To some, he is almost like a robot and they do not see what happens when he is not in the pulpit or in front of a classroom. To others, they figure he just can’t be “that good,” and assume he must be hypocritical. Today, I would like to share 7 things you…

The Bible tells of a woman of Shunem who had no children. She was a notable woman and she and her husband cared for Elisha as God’s prophet. They made him a room and provided for his physical needs whenever he came to town. Because of her hospitality, Elisha sent his servant Gehazi to the woman to ask her what he could do in return. It seemed unthinkable but in her heart, all she wanted was a son. And so the child was promised and the child was born. The woman had been granted her greatest wish. But as the child grew there was an episode one day while the…

Many more times than I would like to remember, I’ve heard the following (or something like the following): “Only one or two people have visited me since I’ve been in the hospital.” “I haven’t been attending regularly for quite some time, but nobody has checked on me.” “I (or one of my family members) is unable to get out of the house much, but nobody has visited, called, written a note, or communicated in any way.” “A relative (or friend) very close to me passed away. I was very disappointed by the small number from our congregation at the visitation and funeral service. I am also disappointed and hurt because nobody has…

Life has its way of teaching us some important lessons if we will just take note of what goes on around us. In the last few days, I have heard some words come from the mouths of some women around me that have made me begin to think about my own life and its direction. The first woman was responding to a greeting I gave her. When I asked how she was doing, she responded with “I’m hanging in there…hanging by a thread.” The surroundings didn’t really give me the opportunity to find out exactly what she meant by that, but it caused me to wonder about what was going on in her…

When Philip was called by the Lord to overtake a chariot headed to Gaza, there was more to overcome than just the chariot. A man was reading God’s word but he did not understand it. He needed guidance and encouragement from an evangelist. He needed knowledge. He needed a change of heart. As they came upon some water, this man asked the question, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:36). One obvious conclusion from this passage is that baptism is necessary for salvation. If not the case, there would be no reason for the Ethiopian to request it. But in an even more practical sense,…