The Word and the Work: Thoughts on Preaching, Pastoring, and the Christian Life

So here it is, Monday morning.  It is a glorious morning weather wise here in North Central Virginia.  We have had a wonderful two weeks of weather. I even think the 2 feet of rain was okay on Saturday.  This morning I have been pondering a few things.  After staying up late to finish some last minute homework I watched some old Disney cartoons and it got me thinking.  Am I a horrible person for laughing at the way Chip and Dale always get the best of Donald Duck?  I mean after all they are continually bullying him and taking things that are not theirs.  The particular cartoon I watched last night Donald was being a good conservationist and planting acorns to grow some trees, but Chip and Dale needed said acorns for their winter food supply and took it upon themselves to take them and hilarity ensued.  This was obviously before their Rescue Ranger days.  If you don't know what Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers is then you are un American and probably don't

I have been privileged in my life to know some great and godly men.  The men that I have matured under have undoubtedly been more of the Old School flavor than the new.  This sometimes puts me at odds philisopically with others of my generation of ministers.  I used to wonder if maybe I was carrying on in the  fashion of a movement that was dead and gone, but I have come to the conclusion that this is not the case. Understand, I am not throwing rocks at this more modern way of teaching, leading, and preaching.  Some of my very best friends are of this cut and I would no more doubt their faithfulness than my own.  I do know, however, that through this new church attitude there are thousands being left in the lurch.  For every coffee house style church plant there is probably two old country churches that are faithful, and they need someone to preach to them too. Funny modern church service parody here.   Sure, it is not easy to butt our heads against the rock wall of stubbornness in s

You ever had it?  You ever had that moment when something that never made sense to you finally clicked in your mind?  Maybe it was algebra, maybe operating some vile piece of computer software, or maybe it was finally getting your universal remote to be truly universal.  These are simple examples, but there is nothing that compares with not knowing something one second, and then instantly you know it.  Most likely when you have these moments it is a piece of knowledge that will stick with you forever.  There are two reasons that this subject is on my heart this morning.  The first is that I was witness to one of these moments recently.  Holy Spirit decided to jump into our TeamKID meeting and really bring home some understanding.  A group of around 20 kids between 7 and 12 really understood what was being taught.  Usually a few get it, but this time it was a vast majority.  There must be a need in this particular area because the younger kids class also had a similar experience.  It