Your Library is Your Armory

In his book A Mind for God (IVP), James Emery White writes: "A monk in Normandy penned these words in 1170: 'A monastery without a library [sine armario] is like a castle without an armory [sine armamentario]. Our library is our armory.' This was certainly the conviction of the apostle Paul, who even from his prison cell in Rome implored Timothy to be sure to bring him his books (II Tim. 4:13).

Have a Preaching Research Team

In his latest Ministry Toolbox newsletter, Rick Warren discusses his research team--and how any pastor can have such a team using laypeople from the congregation. He observes: "Any pastor--no matter how small his church--can have a research team. No matter what size your congregation, there are people in your church who like to read and research. They are shaped by God for this very thing. They'll be thrilled to help you with your sermon preparation, if you just give them a list of your sermon topics."

Don’t Give in to Fear

Rev. Ord L. Morrow, former associate minister and conference speaker on Back to the Bible from 1959 to 1981, said, "Ours is a very complicated world, a world of up and down, of good and evil. It would be impossible to describe our world with a single word. But if I had to choose one word, I would choose the word 'fear.'"

Wesley’s Rules for Preachers

In a recent blog entry, Nathan Finn shares this: "Wesley laid out 12 rules for preachers who wished to serve as Methodist itinerants. While some of the rules themselves are not strictly applicable to a settled, non-Methodist ministry, there is still much wisdom to be gleaned from the principles Wesley articulated. The following is taken from John Telford's The Life of John Wesley, which is available online at the Wesley Center for Applied Theology at Northwest Nazarene University."

Preaching in an Amoral Age

In a recent article for PreachingTodaySermons.com, Tim Keller writes: "The contemporary preacher of orthodox Christianity faces an unprecedented dilemma. Despite what you would think from a casual perusal of any video store, bookstore or magazine rack, we do not live in an immoral society-one in which right and wrong are clearly understood and wrong behavior is chosen. We live in an amoral society-one in which 'right' and 'wrong' are categories with no universal meaning, and everyone 'does what is right in his or her own eyes.'

Exploring Caesarea National Park

During the Spring 2010 Press Junket to Israel, hosted by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the first full day began at Caesarea National Park. This is Caesarea Maritima located on the Mediterranean shore, not the inland Caesarea Philippi. A full day could be spent here visiting the Roman-styled theater and hippodrome, studying the antiquities, snorkeling in the bay, dining and more.

Israel: Experience the Wonder

In March 2010, a 12-member team representing various evangelical media outlets was hosted by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism for a week-long tour of the country, its sites and the hospitality for which Israel is known. A week wasn't nearly long enough. We each vowed we'd back again. And again.