Category Archives: Index

The Holy Spirit: The Synoptic Gospels, Summary

The synoptic Gospels, especially Matthew, begin and end with the Spirit. They are centered on Jesus, but the Spirit nonetheless permeates their narratives. The Spirit conceives Jesus. The Spirit inspires prophets to glorify God in announcing the birth of the … Continue reading

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The Holy Spirit: The Synoptic Gospels, Part 3

Missionaries (Mat 10:16-22 ESV)  16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you … Continue reading

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Leadership: On Getting Volunteers

My wife is perhaps the world’s foremost expert in getting church people to volunteer. She heads our cradle roll program — class for kids from old-enough-to-sit-up to two years. And she needs a lot of people to hold crying babies, … Continue reading

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Clergy & Laity: And he wants Mondays off?!

If you want to hear some strong opinions from elders, don’t ask about instrumental music or speaking in tongues; ask about the preacher’s weekday day off. It’s becoming customary for ministers to expect a day off during the Monday through … Continue reading

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The Holy Spirit: The Synoptic Gospels, Part 2

The baptism of Jesus (Mat 3:15-17 ESV) 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from … Continue reading

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Clergy & Laity: If he’d ever had a real job, he’d know how unrealistic his preaching is!

This is a tough one. One great advantage of having a fulltime preacher is that they are fulltime. Of course. But this is also a disadvantage because it gives the members the opportunity to rationalize away the preacher’s demands. After … Continue reading

Posted in Ministers, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

Clergy & Laity: Thoughts on the Last Post, Part 2 (Accountability)

Should the minister be accountable to the elders for how he uses his time? Accountable for results only? Not accountable at all? Well, let’s start with some principles. Principle 1: People fill gaps in their knowledge in the most pathological … Continue reading

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Clergy & Laity: Thoughts on the Last Post, Part 1 (The Preacher Pattern)

As I expected, the readers’ comments on the last post in this series have been insightful, helpful, and utterly inconsistent with each other. The inconsistency is entirely understandable, as I feel a bit conflicted myself. And I admit to a … Continue reading

Posted in Ministers, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

The Holy Spirit: The Synoptic Gospels, Part 3

Missionaries (Mat 10:16-22 ESV)  16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you … Continue reading

Posted in Holy Spirit and Providence, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Holy Spirit: The Synoptic Gospels, Summary

The synoptic Gospels, especially Matthew, begin and end with the Spirit. They are centered on Jesus, but the Spirit nonetheless permeates their narratives. The Spirit conceives Jesus. The Spirit inspires prophets to glorify God in announcing the birth of the … Continue reading

Posted in Holy Spirit and Providence, Uncategorized | Tagged | Comments Off on The Holy Spirit: The Synoptic Gospels, Summary