Clark Kent or Superman?

In a recent Knight Ridder news service article on the Holy Spirit, Michael Clerkley, pastor of Lighthouse of Church of God in Christ, had this to say about the Holy Spirit's role in a Christian's life: "We are Clark Kent, but with the Holy Ghost, we become Superman." Immediately the images of Superman...

Past Masters: Hugh Latimer

For years, my grandparents had a sign in their yard that read, "Done Ploughing." Had my grandfather been a preacher in the sixteenth century, Hugh Latimer would have taken issue with that sign. Hugh Latimer (1490?-1555), the most illustrious preacher of the English...

Sensitive Preaching On Sexual Topics

A travel agency was upset that their local Yellow Pages advertised that their agency specialized in "erotic" tours when their ad was supposed to say "exotic". Oops! Just a difference of one word (in fact, one very small letter) resulted in a huge flood of interested but disappointed callers and...

A Pre-Owned Rose Is Still A Used Flower

I've written on this subject before, but the examples just keep coming. We live in a culture in which people don't always want to come out and say what they mean - particularly those people who are trying to sell us something. We've always had euphemisms around - "senior" instead of old, "pre-owned" instead of...

Proclamation Demands An Invitation

Sometime ago I was invited to preach in a church that emphasizes relationships. The individual who called made it clear that their pastor does not give an invitation at the conclusion of his message. "We don't want to put people on the spot" was the way he phrased it. Politely I informed the...

The 2005 Survey Of The Best Software For Preachers

Several weeks ago, I took a short-term missions trip with my church to Eastern Europe. I decided to pack light and carry on my luggage, thereby avoiding the hassle of losing it to that dark abyss (otherwise referred to as "checked baggage"). Packing light meant taking little more for reading than...

Preaching The Parables Of Jesus

Preachers are a practical bunch. We very quickly make assessments on sermon ideas such as "that will preach" or - one of my favourites - "that dog will hunt." I know, it doesn't sound too holy or spiritual. Remember, we are a practical breed. I recently had...

When Pastors Need A Pastor: An Interview With H.B. London

H.B. London Jr. is vice president of Ministry Outreach/Pastoral Ministries for Focus on the Family. A pastor for 31 years, he now communicates with thousands of pastors and church leaders each week through "The Pastor's Weekly Briefing" (via email) and produces a bimonthly Pastor...