We have a tendency to assess the security of our faith by the depth of our feelings. If we feel very deeply, surely our faith is secure, or so we reason. But feelings are fickle, and the security of our faith rests not in our emotional state but in our sure Savior. John Stott (2012) walks us through this thinking. First, the danger: "Yet the way to be sure [about our relationship to God] is not just to feel sure. Many people who are at the beginning of their Christian life make this … [Read more...] about Faith and Feelings
Moving the Application from Elders to Churches
In a sermon, you can never say everything that could be said about a passage of scripture. You can't even say everything you would want to say. This morning at church our lesson came from Acts 20:17-38. There was one detail whose inclusion I debated. I decided not to mention it, but I thought I might now note it here. In Acts 20:17-38, Paul shares some final instructions for the church in Ephesus. This address is given specifically to the Elders (i.e., overseers) of the church. In the … [Read more...] about Moving the Application from Elders to Churches
Review of Common Bible Translations
I was curious about various Bible translation grade levels for my children, so I started doing some research. Here is brief compendium of common translations, their reading level and some of their attributes. Hope this is helpful to you. Christian Standard Bible (CSV) Website: https://csbible.com/about-the-csb/faqs/Reading Level: 7th Grade.History: An edited version of the Holman Standard Bible.Translation Philosophy: Optimal Equivalence. “The CSB was created using optimal equivalence, a … [Read more...] about Review of Common Bible Translations
Questions to Assess a Sermon
These questions come from an evaluation form used in Gordon-Conwell preaching classes (circa 2004). They provided a helpful grid for assessing student sermons, but they also act as a helpful checklist for sermon preparation. Take a look! If you are ever working on a sermon, these questions may serve you well. Introduction Does it get attention?Does it touch some need directly or indirectly?Does it orient you to the subject?Or does it orient you to the first point? Structure Is the … [Read more...] about Questions to Assess a Sermon
Sabbath Dimensions – Relevance
[This post is part of a series about observing a sabbath.] As we close out this series, this final post is kind of a postscript. This series has been written about observing a sabbath. By this, we have endeavored to consider the day as a beneficial practice or habit, but we have stopped short of talking about its more technical, theological shifts. So, here I want to say just a word about its ongoing relevance for Christians. The exegetical challenges of appropriating the Old … [Read more...] about Sabbath Dimensions – Relevance
Sabbath Dimensions – Preparation
[This post is part of a series about observing a sabbath.] I mentioned in the last post the need to consider a couple of meta dimensions of the sabbath. This is the second one: preparation. Modern advocates often forget this practical, necessary aspect of sabbath observance. People talk about the day itself, as we have, but fail to consider that one of the keys to sabbath observance begins the day before. You must get ready to sabbath. In the Bible, we bump into this necessity. … [Read more...] about Sabbath Dimensions – Preparation