Green Like God

Jonathan Merritt has taken on the subject of creation care and provided a balanced and biblically faithful treatment in his new book Green Like God (Faith Words). He argues that one can't be serious about loving God without caring about His creation.

Illustration: Talent, Tools

An amateur photographer was invited to dinner with friends, and he took along a few pictures to show to them. The hostess looked at the photos and commented, "These are very good! You must have a good camera."

Illustration: Holy Spirit, Security

David Jeremiah wrote: "It would be nice to be told, when we leave on a long car trip, something like this: 'I want you to know that you are going to reach your destination safely and on schedule. Regardless of what happens en route--you may get lost, you may encounter a fierce rainstorm, and you may have a flat tire--don't worry. I am here to promise you that you will arrive.

Change the How

In a recent blog entry, Will Mancini shares an insightful discussion of leading change in your church: "If you want to lead change, change the common denominator first. Think of the common denominator as the most likely, most common, source of meaning for people every day. The common denominator in your organization today is most likely "the how." By "the how" I mean how I, as an individual, get things done, and how we, as an organization, get things done.

Patterning Your Preaching with God’s Authority

There is a pattern of preaching worth imitating today. This model of proclamation was practiced by Jesus and His apostles and continues presently. It consists of heralding God's eternal Word with the authority of the triune Godhead. How can the modern messenger of this sacred duty be assured he is shaping his sermon to reflect this essential paradigm?

Delivering Sermons that Preach

Do you have beautiful feet? You might want to consider Romans 10:15 before answering my informal Burge Poll question. "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" Congratulations if you are a preacher of the gospel, because your calling elevates your standing into a sanctified group with attractive feet.

The Pathway to Honor

In verse 1, Luke set the scene at a dinner hosted by a prominent Pharisee. Robert Karris observed that in Luke, "Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal or coming from a meal." The entire dinner party was watching Jesus insidiously. At the same time, He was watching them intentionally. At the end of the meal, He taught three principles on the proper way to behave at a banquet.

A Lasting Legacy

When I conduct a burial ceremony, I sense that I stand among a gathering of people who still speak, even though they are no longer alive. Sometimes their message is inscribed on their headstone: a Bible verse, a famous quotation or just the dates of birth and death. However, beyond a meager message on stone, the dead continue to communicate through the legacy they left us about how they lived.

Waiting and Watching

Jesus compared His coming to a bridegroom returning from his wedding and a thief breaking in unexpectedly. parables with Jesus assuring His disciples the Father has chosen to give the kingdom to them.