Tipping, Tithing, and Grace Giving Part 8* I ordered an ice cream cone one time and watched as the server prepared it. She pushed the first scoop all the way to the bottom of the cone. She packed the second so it was even with the top. On this solid... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
I have a book on my shelf called Springs In the Valley, by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. Recently I pulled it down and looked it over. It’s an oldie, published in 1939. The paper dustjacket is crackly, the pages yellowing, and that musty old-book smell... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
The previous post on this subject presented reasons people leave one church for another and concerns that our pastors have about this practice. Let me say again, there are legitimate reasons for leaving a church and going to another one in the same... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
This is a continuation of my thoughts on the Church-Hopping Phenomenon in my community, which is the greater Greenville, South Carolina area. It’s probably obvious that, as a pastor, I really struggle with this, especially when it’s such a common... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
I realize this is practice is not unique to my community. But I think it happens in the Greenville, South Carolina area at an unusual level. Too much, in fact. According to City-Data, there are 473 Evangelical Protestant churches in Greenville... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
I’m speaking of a national trend. Many churches that used to have a Sunday evening service don’t anymore. There is much theorizing about reasons for that. Thom Ranier wrote about it last year. His article, along with the comments, is very helpful in... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Busted. Broken. Wrecked marriage. Shame. Guilt. Despair. Now what? Payment. For your wrong. By Jesus. Still consequences. But guilt before God removed. Forgiveness. Possibility of change. Hope. Progress. Maybe restoration to the people you love.... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
This is the third and last post of my observations after 2000 sermons and 25 years of pastoral ministry. In the first two I talked about preaching and about churches. This one will be about people. Of course every pastor could share the good, bad,... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
I am always amazed when archaeologists or explorers find something ancient. It’s fascinating to me to see an object, or sometimes even a skeleton, that is hundreds or thousands of years old. Those old objects and people have stories. It’s like the... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Having reached, by the grace of God, the milestone of 25 years of pastoral ministry and 2000+ sermons, I am writing here a few things I have learned along the way. The first post was things I have learned about preaching. My pastoral ministry has... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]