Back Page Pulpit: Forget Me Nots

A recent article in the New York Times Magazine (July 25, 2010) points out the new dilemma posed by the Internet: Some things are impossible to forget. The article recounts the story of Stacy Snyder, a 25-year-old teacher-in-training, who four years ago posted a photo of herself on her MySpace page. (For those who are relatively new to social networking, MySpace is to Facebook as a little country church is to the Crystal Cathedral. Come to think of it, Facebook and the Crystal Cathedral have way too many windows.) As the story explains, this picture shows Stacy "at a party wearing a pirate hat and drinking from a plastic cup, with the caption 'Drunken Pirate.'"

Illustration: Missions and Evangelism

In an article in the July 26, 2003 issue of World magazine, Gene Veith points out that, "Christianity is growing at a rate that is nearly unparalleled in the history of the church. Yet this growth primarily is taking place in cultures that previously have not been Christian at all. In historically Christian societies, where for centuries upon centuries the church has thrived, Christianity seems to be fading.

Illustration: Apologies

British Prime Minister Tony Blair came to Washington and spoke to a joint session of Congress on July 17, 2003. Early in his speech he commented, "On our way down here, Sen. Frist was kind enough to show me the fireplace where in 1814 the British had burned the Congressional Library. I know this is kind of late, but: Sorry."

Biblical Preaching Ultimately Meets ‘Felt Needs’

In his book The Passion-Driven Sermon, Jim Shaddix points out, "The Corinthian congregation was a classic, living example of how disunity in the church comes from doctrinal ignorance and spiritual immaturity. In fact, Paul already said his solution to disunity was for everyone to hold the same understandings and opinions and to speak the same truths (see 1 Cor. 1:10).

Preaching Aims at the Human Will

G. Campbell Morgan once observed, "The preacher should never address a crowd without remembering his ultimate citadel is the citadel of the human will. He may travel along the line of the emotions, but he is after the will. He may approach along the line of the intellect, but he is after the will.

Transformational Church

Based on a survey of more than 7,000 churches, plus interviews with hundreds of pastors, Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer have written Transformational Church: Creating a New Scorecard for Congregations (B&H Books) to help leaders move beyond a "nickels and noses" mentality...