Posted in pastoral theology, tagged evangelism, gifts, ministry on 27 December, 2009 | 1 Comment »
I’ve just listened to a seminar on hospitality.
Some verses on why we should
Some more verses as examples from the bible.
Then testimony after testimony from couples who grew up in hospitable homes, who rejoice to welcome people into their families and can’t help smiling even at the thought of hospitality.
And in the midst of my [...]
Posted in humourous, ministry, videos, tagged humourous, ministry, videos on 28 August, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Posted in evangelicalism, ministry, tagged evangelicalism, ministry on 21 August, 2009 | 8 Comments »
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners… (1 Timothy 1:15)
It’s a wonderful motto for gospel ministry. Here is the heart of all Paul does. But when he relates it, he can’t help but add his autobiography ‘…of whom I am the worst.’
Some ministries are good on the first half of the verse. That’s [...]
Posted in evangelicalism, gospel, ministry, tagged evangelicalism, gospel, ministry on 27 July, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Thinking and preaching through 1 Corinthians recently, it’s so stark what a mixture the Corinthian church was. Successful and troubled. Their congregation contains former male-prostitutes, idolaters, thieves, drunkards and swindlers (6:9-11). What a work of grace to convert this lot from their dark past. As this motley bunch meet together, called saints by the Father [...]
Posted in ministry, pastoral theology, sermons, tagged ministry, pastoral theology, sermons on 13 July, 2009 | 2 Comments »
The Wounded Heart is my favourite Dan Allender resource. (see previous post). But here’s one that’s $95 cheaper (i.e. free). A talk entitled The Psychology of a Pooped Pastor
His main point is that the problem is not Pooped Pastors but Pissed Pastors. (By the way Mum, by pissed he means angry – it’s an American [...]
Posted in Doctrine of God, evangelism, ministry, preaching, revelation, tagged Doctrine of God, evangelism, ministry, preaching, revelation on 16 June, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Go to theology network for the full paper on preaching. I’ll post it here in chunks. Be great to talk about it if you want to comment.
The Speaking God
Let’s begin at the beginning. Our God is the Speaking God. The eternal life of Father, Son and Spirit has ever been an out-going, communicative life. Because [...]
Posted in ministry, mission, preaching, revelation, tagged ministry, mission, preaching, revelation on 15 June, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Go to theology network for my paper on preaching in full. Here I’ll post it in chunks. Be good to talk about it if you want to comment…
Introduction
It is often said that the real issue in preaching is not ‘How to?’ but ‘How can?’ How can a preacher stand before a congregation and dare to [...]
Posted in gifts, ministry, pastoral theology, tagged gifts, ministry, pastoral theology on 10 June, 2009 | 11 Comments »
Here’s a question Rich Owen asked me. I’ve included my answer, but I thought it would be great to get your opinions too. This is the question:
To what extent does the gospel require a homogenisation of personality?
I’m thinking about bearing with one another, rebuking one another, kindness… the hard edge of graciousness and integrity… but [...]
Posted in ministry, pastoral theology, tagged ministry, pastoral theology on 8 June, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Some wonderful words of wisdom from Eugene Peterson.
And this on servant leadership.
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Posted in ethics, evangelism, ministry, sermons, tagged ethics, evangelism, ministry, sermons on 16 May, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Continued from here.
Where do we draw the line though? Is Paul infinitely flexible? Just a chameleon with no integrity? No, look at those brackets in v21:
21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to [...]
Posted in evangelicalism, evangelism, ministry, sermons, tagged evangelicalism, evangelism, ministry, sermons on 16 May, 2009 | 2 Comments »
…Continued from here.
Let me ask you a question: What does an evangelical look like?
‘Evangelical’ is just a label that bible believing Christians like us use for ourselves. It’s taken from the word ‘evangel’ which means ‘gospel’. An evangelical just means a ‘gospel person.’ So what does an evangelical look like?
The scandal is – everyone knows [...]
Posted in evangelism, gospel, ministry, sermons, tagged evangelism, gospel, ministry, sermons on 16 May, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Continued from here.
What does it mean to give up our rights for the sake of the Gospel? What does that even mean? What is the gospel? Let me summarize it for you:
‘Gospel’ is a word that just means good news. And here is the good news that the bible tells us:
[SLIDE - the Gospel]
Jesus Christ [...]
Posted in ministry, sermons, tagged ministry, sermons on 15 May, 2009 | 1 Comment »
I haven’t posted any sermons for ages. Part of the reason is that they’ve had trouble recording them at church the last couple of months. So I don’t have any mp3s, but here’s the text of Sunday’s sermon if you’re interested…
Previously on 1 Corinthians, we asked the vital question: Can I eat this kebab??
In a [...]
Posted in ministry, pastoral theology, psychology, tagged ministry, pastoral theology, psychology on 20 February, 2009 | 5 Comments »
This makes for disturbing reading. Jason Goroncy writes “Pastoral Ministry: Enter at Risk“ The statistics are sobering.
For instance, of 338 Protestant clergy in Canada:
* 94 per cent said they read Scripture for sermon preparation, but it rarely spoke to them personally.
* 86 per cent prayed regularly with others but had little time for personal prayer.
* [...]
Posted in bible, ministry, parables, pastoral theology, preaching, revelation, sermons, tagged bible, ministry, parables, pastoral theology, revelation, sermons on 25 October, 2008 | 1 Comment »
.
Do you believe these words from Jesus:
Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, welcome it, and produce a crop–thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown. (Mark 4:20)
Christ’s promise for Christian fruitfulness is out of this world. 3000%, 6000% or 10 000% is an incredible yield.
Do I dare believe in [...]
Posted in ministry, pastoral theology, tagged ministry, pastoral theology on 9 August, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Had to chuckle at this from Jonny Long’s Grace4Life webiste:
In case you can’t quite make it out, it’s
The Helmet of Pride
The Sword of the Tongue
The Shield of Defensiveness
The Belt of Self-Protection
The Breastplate of My Own Righteousness
The Shoes of Busyness
Which is your favourite?
Any to add?
.
Posted in Spurgeon, ministry, pastoral theology, tagged ministry, pastoral theology, Spurgeon on 27 June, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Lest anyone feel left out by my last post on ordination vows, this was today’s reading from Spurgeon’s Evening and Morning - we all have a holy calling!
”Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.”—1 Corinthians 7:20.
Some persons have the foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for [...]
Posted in Anglicanism, ministry, tagged Anglicanism, ministry on 26 June, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Right now you can read live blogging of GAFCON and the EMA. I give you live blogging of the Chichester diocese ordination retreat 2008!
On Sunday I’m being ordained into the presbyterate. In the Anglican church we’re ordained first as Deacons and then, usually the following year, as Presbyters (or “Priests”). I’ve been reflecting on my ordination [...]
Posted in ministry, pastoral theology, sermons, tagged ministry, pastoral theology, sermons on 16 March, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Today I listened to this talk by Robert Reymond addressed to men in the ministry. If you are a minister of the word, listen and be humbled. If you know a minister of the word, listen and learn how to pray for them.
The talk finishes after 47 minutes, the Q&A afterwards isn’t particularaly illuminating, but [...]
Posted in ministry, tagged ministry, pastoral theology, sermons on 28 February, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I’ve been very blessed by stumbling across the sermons of Victor Shepherd on the web.
Here’s a thought of his prompted by Revelation 5:5:
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.”
Here’s what Shepherd says:
I think that what a pastor [...]
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Stuff I’m reading