John Stott (2011) lists five paradoxes of preaching. Good preaching is… Both biblical and contemporary (relating the ancient text to the modern context)Both authoritative and tentative (distinguishing between the infallible Word and its fallible interpreters)Both prophetic and pastoral(combining faithfulness with gentleness)Both gifted and studied(necessitating a divine … [Read more...] about Five Paradoxes of Preaching
Articles
The Right Age for Working in Student Ministry
As a long-time student ministry guy myself and as someone whose cool-card is currently being traded in for a daddy-card, I really appreciated these thoughts from Doug Fields. Fields, who has now served in student ministry for over two decades, concludes that despite his older age he's more ready than ever for youth ministry because, in his words... I’ve never felt more … [Read more...] about The Right Age for Working in Student Ministry
Love Your Near
In Matthew 22:39, Jesus says, "Love your neighbor as yourself." The Greek reads: "ἀγαπήσεις τoν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν." What's interesting here is the word for neighbor, πλησίον. It literally means "near." With an article it can be used as a noun, becoming "neighbor," or more literally "the one who is near (you)." I think this nuance of meaning is helpful. We tend … [Read more...] about Love Your Near
Prerequisites for Preachers
T. David Gordon (2009) suggests three prerequisites for good preaching: "To preach the Word of God well, one must already have cultivated, at a minimum, three sensibilities: the sensibility of the close reading of texts, the sensibility of composed communication, and the sensibility of the significant." (p. 106) Gordon, T. D. (2009). Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media … [Read more...] about Prerequisites for Preachers
A Matter of Interpretation: 1 John 3:19-20
Some passages of scripture are difficult to translate and understand. 1 John 3:19-20 is one of those passages. Look at the various ways translators have wrestled with these two verses: “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” ESV“This is how … [Read more...] about A Matter of Interpretation: 1 John 3:19-20