Blog Archives
Would They Have Killed Jesus if HE Preached the Same Message the Church Preaches Today?
“If Jesus had preached the same message that ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified.” Leonard Ravenhill
I actually think Ravenhill’s very pointed observation is accurate. What do you think? If Jesus had taught how to be wealthy, how to be succesful, how to have your best life NOW or any number of things that we are taught today, instead of what he did teach, would they have crucified Him?
As we think about this question it is important to remember that The Cross was God’s idea. It was His plan. The truth is that no one took Jesus life, he laid it down. Still, would they have wanted to crucify him had he preached the same message we hear today? Read the rest of this entry
“Calling all Worship Leaders” and Top Posts of 2010
Happy New Year to all our readers! Today we are excited to announce a new feature to the blog. It is called “Worship Leader Makeover.” One of my passions in life is the corporate worship meeting of the church. Whether it was as a senior pastor (10 LONG years) or a worship leader, I have been responsible for leading every aspect of the Sunday morning meeting. I have also studied worship in the church extensively. All that to say, I think I have earned the right to comment on the current state of “worship” and to encourage those who lead “it”.
Our “Worship Leader Makeover” will feature a regular post for worship leaders. It will not focus on any technical issues. Rather, I will be sharing foundational things I have learned over the years. My hope is that one by one, I can encourage other worship leaders, and that true Christ honoring worship would be restored in His church. It won’t matter if your congregation uses instruments or not, as the things I share will have nothing to do with that.
Disclosure: I am a full-time musician. A guitar player (what can I say, God loves me!) I run my own teaching studio and have traveled… Read the rest of this entry
The Offensive, Attractive Cross
“The curious paradox of the atoning death of a bloody Jesus rising above the plane of human history with a mocking crown of thorns is that he is offensive in an attractive way. It is the utter horror of the cross that cuts through the chatter, noise, and nonsense of our day to rivet our attention, shut our mouths, and compel us to listen to an impassioned dying man who is crying out for the forgiveness of our sins and to ask why he suffered… Read the rest of this entry
What Are You Thankful For?
Thanksgiving has arrived! If you are like me, you are busy getting ready for the big day. There will be lots of food, visiting family and friends, football, pie and shopping on Friday (I need a new laptop!). With all these activities, it is easy to forget that the whole purpose of the day is to give thanks to God for all he has done in our lives. As Americans, we have a lot to be thankful even in these hard economic times. Those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ have the ultimate reason to be thankful. Not just on Thanksgiving day, but every second of every day… Read the rest of this entry
Whatever Happened to the Message of The Cross?
The sign said, “Now serving Starbucks coffee!” It was the late 90’s and the premium coffee craze was taking the country by storm. Everyone who liked coffee LOVED Starbucks or soon would. So it wasn’t surprising that some business would be utilizing the brand name to promote what they were doing. It made pretty good sense. It wouldn’t have fazed me at all if any other company was doing it. But this massive sign was hung in front of a local evangelical Christian church. The message was crystal clear: “Come to our service on Sunday, we have free Starbucks coffee!”
Not For Itching Ears 