Blog & Articles
Blog & Articles
The Transition from Hunting for Illustrations to Building Your Own
Hunting for Illustrations Illustration is one of the four functional elements commonly used in preaching. Traditionally, illustration has been defined as “to shed light upon or cast light upon.” Illustration has typically been subservient to explanation and has been...
Mighty Weaklings
The Last Pick Remember as a kid, that feeling that you would get when it was time to pick teams on the playground? You know what I’m talking about. The kids are gathered around the ball, and two captains are chosen. The job of the captains is to select their team. Oh,...
No More Hiding
My kids love “hide-and-go-seek.” While my eleven- and eight-year-olds are accomplished hiders, my six-year-old has a habit of attempting to hide in plain sight. As the count nears its end, he panics when he hasn’t found a hiding spot. So, he stops, and stands...
Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace
“Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace” In September of 1938, Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of England, met with Adolf Hitler over the growing concern of Hitler’s aggression in Europe. Leading up to this meeting the English people were preparing anxiously for...
Two, Two, Two Mentoring: A Unique Approach to Multiplying Ministry
During my recent sabbatical research trip, I discovered several interesting things about healthy, growing churches. One interesting fact I discovered was just how important mentoring is in a number of these churches. Some would argue that mentoring is for pastors who...
We Need More Aquilas & Priscillas
Symmetry appeals to me. I often stop and take notice when I see it in nature. Having things line up and correspond breathes life into my world. However, life would be boring if everything was symmetrical. It is often when things don’t line up, or we experience an...
Constitution and Bylaws Considerations for the Local Church
Helpful guidelines and processes for developing a church constitution and bylaws are provided in "Church Administration'' by Robert Welch. The constitution and bylaws provide the church with an organizational structure in addition to core beliefs, dogma, and polity. A...
Overcoming the Lies of the Second Chair
Overcoming the Lies of the Second Chair For my entire ministry, I have served in a second chair leadership position. A “second chair leader” can be defined as “a person in a subordinate role whose influence with others adds value throughout the organization.” From...
John Broadus on Application
Philosophy of Preaching Following a brief study of the word homiletics, Broadus offered a description of what occurs in the preaching moment. He wrote, “The primary idea is that the discourse is a development of the text, an explanation, illustration, application of...
BUNKING WITH BIKERS ON ‘MOTORCYCLE’ SABBATICAL BRINGS FRUITFUL CONVERSATIONS
When NOBTS evangelism professor Jeff Farmer discovered he could stay in the homes of other bike-enthusiasts during his 16,400 mile “motorcycle sabbatical,” it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Farmer booked his stays through a website where bikers and bike...