If you are a younger minister of the gospel, don't sleep on the soft skills that are required for influence. Yes, preaching, teaching, and theology are indispensable. But don't neglect things like:
Reading the room
Writing handwritten notes
Picking up on social cues
Eye contact
God has you just where he wants you. Sometimes it’s hard to face, but God really does determine exactly where you live, who you live with, the exact period of time in which you live, and the exact length of your life.
“You are going to hear a rumour one day that Voddie Bauckham is no more. Don't you believe it? Because though I die, I will rise with Christ. It will not be the end of me.”
PRAISE THE LORD!!!
After a lot of reflection, I still think Lewis’ “Lord, Liar, or Lunatic” argument works. The key is establishing that Jesus really did claim to be God—if you can eliminate the “legend” option, the logic flows naturally.
My favorite expression of this isn’t in Lewis’ apologetics, but in his fiction:
“Logic!” said the Professor half to himself. “Why don’t they teach logic at these schools? There are only three possibilities. Either your sister is telling lies, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth. You know she doesn’t tell lies and it is obvious that she is not mad. For the moment then and unless any further evidence turns up, we must assume that she is telling the truth.”
The trustworthiness of Lucy meant being open to magic wardrobes. The trustworthiness of Jesus means being open to a similarly enchanting reality.
The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to him as his child, is not to believe that he loves you.
Owen
3 Reasons the Gospel Gets Sweeter for the Believer Each Day.
1. We continue to sin and He continues to forgive. (Rom. 5:20)
2. He continues to change us by His grace as we look to Him. (2 Cor. 3:17)
3. We are moment by moment closer to seeing the One who saved us. (Rom. 13:11)
More people worshipped at our church last Sunday than ever before. I keep asking people in the US & UK & they say it was the same at theirs: more people for Easter this year than ever before.
If you're a church-goer, I'd be curious to know if it was true at your church too 👇
A sermon is not a lecture. It is not absorbing trivia. It is a heart-shaking assault on darkness and the very gates of hell, trumpeted forth so that sinners tremble and saints quake in wonder.