Current Sermon Series
2005 Articles by Ray Pritchard
What Money Can't Buy (Jan 02, 2005)
WHAT MONEY CAN’T BUY by Ray Pritchard “A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything” (Ecclesiastes 10:19). Commentators differ on the meaning of the last phras”“money is the answer for everything.” Is this an ironic jab at those who …
Oak Park & The Future of Our Church (Jan 09, 2005)
OAK PARK & THE FUTURE OF OUR CHURCH by Ray Pritchard The Village of Oak Park published an article discussing the results of a recent community survey that polled residents on a wide variety of issues. Three factors struck me immediately: Over 50% of the respondents have lived here less than 10 years. Over 33% of the respond…
True Freedom for China (Jan 30, 2005)
TRUE FREEDOM FOR CHINA by Ray Pritchard Someone asked us, “What surprised you about China?” That’s a hard question to answer because we hardly knew what to expect. Josh had told us on the phone, “There’s no way I can explain China to you. You’ve got to see it for yourself.” So we did, …
First We Pray (Feb 06, 2005)
A bright yellow banner we purchased in Beijing hangs in my office at the church. We found the banner at a Christian scroll shop tucked away in the “arts district”ย of Beijing. When we got there, the door was locked but we knocked and the owners let us in. The shop is so narrow that …
Will We Know Each Other in Heaven? (Feb 13, 2005)
WILL WE KNOW EACH OTHER IN HEAVEN? by Ray Pritchard Some time back I was asked some very personal questions about heaven. A young boy asked about a schoolmate who died. What if he lived a long time and then died. How would he recognize his friend when he got to heaven? The very next day the question was put the other way. A…
Knowing vs. Believing (Feb 20, 2005)
Knowing vs. Believing by Ray Pritchard I received a prayer letter from a friend in the ministry who has known great sorrow in his life. Several years ago, one of his children died in an automobile accident. You sometimes hear it said that there is no pain like the pain of losing a child. I am sure my friend would agree. As …
William Kelly's Advice to Budding Preachers (Feb 27, 2005)
William Kelly’s Advice to Budding Preachers by Ray Pritchard Recently a publisher in England sent me a brand-new book called The Irish Saint and Scholar: A Biography of William Kelly by Edwin Cross. I know next to nothing about William Kelly except that he was one of the influential early leaders of the Brethren moveme…
God Is a Better Parent than We Are (Mar 13, 2005)
GOD IS A BETTER PARENT THAN WE ARE by Ray Pritchard During my week at Word of Life Florida, I preached a series called “Samson: A Thoroughly Modern Man.” On Friday morning I wrapped up my final sermon by talking about how Samson came back to God just before he pushed the pillars apart and killed more than 3,000 …
You Can't Rush the River (Mar 20, 2005)
You Can’t Rush the River by Ray Pritchard Several friends are about to make job changes and major career moves. In more than one case it means leaving this area for another part of the country; sometimes it means leaving a job with no certainty about a future paycheck. Since I've been in both situations myself, I know …
Death is Not Natural (Mar 27, 2005)
Death is Not Natural by Ray Pritchard Joe Carter of The Evangelical Outpost has written a fine article called Still in the World: A Pro-Life View of Death and Dying. While discussing his mother's death, he comes to this bottom line: Until the cancer made her unable to work, my mother had been a hospice nurse. She had been w…
"Lord, Do Things I'm Not Used To" (Apr 03, 2005)
“LORD, DO THINGS I’M NOT USED TO” by Ray Pritchard Shortly after the tsunami disaster in late December, I received an email from Ramesh Richard, a professor at Dallas Seminary. He said that he had been praying what he called a “frightening” prayer: “Lord, do things I’m not used to.…
90 Years Young — And Lookin' Good! (Apr 10, 2005)
90 YEARS YOUNG AND LOOKIN’ GOOD! by Ray Pritchard This is just a reminder for those who may have forgotten. Or maybe you never heard the news. Someone you know and love has just turned 90. Her official birthday was several weeks ago, and her official party won’t happen until November, but I don’t thi…
Pressing Needs (Apr 17, 2005)
Pressing Needs by Ray Pritchard A few days ago I ran across this quote from Martin Luther on how we should pray: We should pray by fixing our mind upon some pressing need, desiring it with all earnestness, and then exercise faith and confidence toward God in the matter, never doubting that we have been heard. St. Bernard sa…
A Silly Bunch of Dreamers and Children (Apr 24, 2005)
A Silly Bunch of Dreamers and Children by Ray Pritchard In a recent sermon, Brian Bill used the following quote from a blogger who calls himself Real Live Preacher: I keep getting emails from people who say, “Your church sounds nice. I wish I could find one like that.โ Listen to how he responds: “Let me gueโฆ
Consider the Hostas (May 01, 2005)
CONSIDER THE HOSTAS by Ray Pritchard Several weeks ago I noticed the hostas were starting to come up out of the ground. We have a long row of them by the sidewalk in front of our house. They were there when we moved in 11 years ago, and with very little attention from us, it happens the same way every year. They disappear i…
Twenty-five Affirmations about God's Will (May 08, 2005)
TWENTY-FIVE AFFIRMATIONS ABOUT GOD’S WILL by Ray Pritchard Like most pastors I spend a fair amount of time talking with people who are trying to discover God's will for their lives. It's been my experience that most people I talk to are sincere and truly want to do God's will if only they could figure out what it is. A…
Harder, Smarter, Faster (May 15, 2005)
Harder, Smarter, Faster by Ray Pritchard The Chicago Tribune recently published an article called “6 Ways TV is Changing Your Life.” It all boils down to this. In the future, consumers will be able to create their own personal networks because virtually everything will be available on-demand, all the time. Today…
Unspeakable Evil and the Goodness of God (May 22, 2005)
Unspeakable Evil and the Goodness of God by Ray Pritchard The story filled us with horror. How could a father murder his own daughter and her best friend? It happened in Zion, Illinois, a quiet community north of Chicago, not far from the Wisconsin border. It doesn’t really help to ask why because there is no answer that wo…
Happy Missionaries (May 29, 2005)
HAPPY MISSIONARIES by Ray Pritchard Last Sunday night we had a farewell reception for two missionary couples that will soon be leaving the U.S. to return to the field. Tim and Deb Carpenter will go to Uganda where Tim will serve as a missionary pilot with Africa Inland Mission. Tim will be flying out of Entebbe airport, a s…
Anchor Books for China (Jun 05, 2005)
ANCHOR BOOKS FOR CHINA by Ray Pritchard During our trip to China in January, God arranged the circumstances so that we met a man who has a license to legally publish Christian books in China. That in itself is unusual since China is still officially atheistic. But things are changing and long-closed doors are now opening. A…
No Internet for a Month! Are You Nuts? (Jun 12, 2005)
NO INTERNET FOR A MONTH! ARE YOU NUTS? by Ray Pritchard Maybe I am. After thinking about it, and after a few nudges from my loved ones, I’ve decided to go Internet-free for the next month. Believe me, this isn’t an easy thing to do. I’m an Internet junkie. Next to riding my bike, surfing the Net is the best p…
A Father Who Did It Right (Jun 19, 2005)
A Father Who Did It Right by Ray Pritchard The assignment seemed simple. Find a biblical father who did it right. Sounds simple but it isn’t because the Bible doesn’t tell us everything we’d like to know. For most of the men of the Bible we’d have to say, “We don’t know whether they were good f…
Harry Bollback’s Advice (Sep 04, 2005)
One night in early August, after I finished preaching at the Word of Life Campground in New York, Harry and Millie Bollback invited me over to their home for a late-evening snack. Other friends from Ohio and Texas were there also. Just before I left, Harry told me stories about his days as a missionary to the Indian tribes …
That’s Crazy! (Sep 11, 2005)
A friend called me to talk about a sermon he had heard that tremendously upset him. In the course of the sermon, the preacher illustrated his remarks with a story about his decision to go to seminary. He was older than the normal age and had already built a thriving business. After sending in his application, he decided to …
Unfinished Business (Sep 18, 2005)
We all know what it’s like, don’t we? All of us have unfinished things cluttering up the highway of life: the half-mowed lawn the half-read book the letter started but never sent the abandoned diet the degree we never finished the phone calls never returned But it can be much more serious than that: the abandoned …
The G Master (Sep 25, 2005)
On my first day at Calvary 16 years ago, I was given a very special privilege. George Ahlenius entrusted me with a master key that would open every door in the church. If I recall correctly, Paul Lavenau had to talk him into it because George didn't like to part with master keys. He was right to be careful about it because …