Recent KBM Podcasts
- Homemade Gods (37:08)
The only lasting cure for idolatry is a fervent love for God. The hardest step is seeing our idols in the first place.
- Empty on the Inside (38:18)
If you don’t know God, it’s not God’s fault. God has already done everything necessary for you to have a relationship with him. - He Doesn’t Need Your Help (35:53)
The gospel begins with God. It doesn’t begin with Jesus or with us. The divine plan of salvation begins with the God who designed it.
Search Keepbelieving.com Topics
- Abortion
- Alcohol
- Angels
- Apologetics
- Attributes of God
- Baptism
- Bible
- Bible Prophecy
- Birth of Christ
- Children
- Church History
- Compassion
- Conversion
- Courage
- Creation/Evolution
- Creeds
- Depression
- Disappointment
- Doubt
- Encouragement
- Ethics
- Failure
- Family
- Fear
- Fellowship
- Gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Giving
- God's Existence
Search Keepbelieving.com Sermons by Scripture
Sign up for the Weekly Sermon!
Authors
Popular Topics
- Bible Study
- China
- Churches
- Current Events
- Devotional
- Dudley
- Keep Believing Ministries
- Pastors
- Personal
- Preaching
- Sermons
- Travel
- Tupelo
- Video
Blogroll
Blog entries for the category Church Trends
A Rudder, Not An Anchor
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, August 21, 2011
“May the past be a rudder, not an anchor."That’s what Joe Jordan said to Don Lough, Jr. as Don became the new Executive Director of Word of Life last Friday night.It was an apt metaphor.Leaders in every organization struggle to find the right balance between holding on to the past while moving into the future.Not long ago I heard ...
No comments
Don’t Change Your Vote
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, August 26, 2010
A note arrived from a pastor asking an unusual question. When the leaders of a particular ministry met, they were evenly divided on whether or not to dismiss a staff member. Because the vote was deadlocked, the pastor cast the deciding vote in favor of termination. When word leaked out, certain people were very upset, including some who threatened ...
New sermon video – “Are We All Hindus Now?”
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, August 20, 2010
Though the vast majority of Americans identify with the Christian faith, we are becoming more like the Hindus who believe there are many paths to God.
What Should I Preach Before We Break Ground?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, May 28, 2010
A few days ago I received a note from a young pastor whose congregation has been waiting many years to begin a building program. Now at long last the day is fast approaching when they break ground on their first building. They will break ground in just a few weeks. The pastor wanted to know what he should preach on to build enthusiasm as the happy ...
No comments
Moving the Elephant
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, January 8, 2010
I had breakfast with a friend who told me that working in the church is like “moving the elephant.” He explained that moving an elephant can be quite difficult, especially if the elephant doesn’t want to be moved. You can get in front and pull on the trunk or you can stand behind and push with all your might. Eventually if you pul...
No comments
The Ten-Year Century
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, August 12, 2009
In a fascinating article published this week, Tom Hayes and Michael S. Malone argue that we have entered the era of the “ten-year century,” by which they mean that the pace of life has so rapidly accelerated that what used to happen in a century now happens in a decade. Changes that used to take generations—economic cycles, cultur...
Twenty Ways to Help Cafeteria Christians
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, December 21, 2008
A recent USA Today article told of new research regarding who goes to heaven. Most American religious believers, including most Christians, say eternal life is not exclusively for those who accept Christ as their savior, a new survey finds. Of the 65% of people who held this open view of heaven’s gates, 80% named at least one non-Christian g…
Don’t Go Public Too Soon
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, December 15, 2008
I was asked about church discipline for a young adult who has made some very bad moral and spiritual choices. The question was, “When does 1 Corinthians 5 come into play?” That answer is, it comes into play at the end of the process, not at the beginning. Evidently the sordid situation inside the church at Corinth had been festering for a long time a...
Let’s Read the Bible in Church
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, December 9, 2008
On Sunday I encountered a most unusual evangelical church. From the outside CrossPoint Church of Trussville, Alabama has all the marks of a growing, dynamic, contemporary church. The spirit of the church is infectious and comes in large part from its pastor, Ryan Whitley. I could make a long list of the things I like about CrossPoint, but let me fo...
How to Leave a Church
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, November 12, 2008
An email came from someone asking for advice on how to leave a church. The details don’t matter except that both the husband and wife have concluded that after years of being in one particular congregation, the time has come for them to find another place of worship. Partly it involves their children and partly it involves a desire to be part...
How to Dress for Church
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, September 21, 2008
So how should we dress for church on Sunday morning? When I was growing up, the answer was easy.Women wore dresses.Men wore suits and ties.Children dressed neatly.Pretty simple. And it worked for a long time because the church reflected the norms of the surrounding culture.Now we have “business casual” and “dress-down Friday...
Blogspotting
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, August 14, 2008
Here are a handful of useful articles and blog entries:Joe McKeever writes about three things to look for when you trying to find a good church. Steve Furtick reminds us that good opportunities must be seized because they don’t last forever. John Piper offers wise words about the Lakeland “revival."Ron Ethridge reminds us why...
Put Marriage in Your Church Constitution
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, June 3, 2008
How should evangelical churches respond to the growing movement toward same-sex marriage? Here’s one answer. Put a statement about marriage in your church constitution.
God’s Unchanging Word
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, May 15, 2008
A friend sent me this comment yesteday . . .Do you know what I love about the Word of God? Well, one thing, anyway is that it is unchanging. It will be the same when I am 80 as it is today. Yet something tells me that I will not recognize the larger evangelical community when I am 80. I’m sure many faithful believers, ...
No comments
Should an Openly Homosexual Person be Baptized?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, May 14, 2008
This week’s Monday Morning Insight contained an article with the intriguing title Should An Openly Homosexual Person be Baptized? The article is worth reading mostly for the comments that follow it. The article itself is based on a blog entry by Pennsylvania pastor Brian Jones.Here is my take on the subject . . .1. Th ...
2009 Holy Land Tour Update
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Last month I announced that Marlene and I are planning to lead a tour to the Holy Land in 2009. I promised you that as as soon as I had any more information, I would let you know. After working with our tour company, it now appears that we will be going to the Holy Land in late October-early November 2009. We’re look ...
The Next Great Awakening
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Friday, January 4, 2008
Brian Bill passed along this quote from a summary of a book called Glocalization:The next Great Awakening, and perhaps the last, most likely will be global in scope since the world has gone global. The medium will likely be the Internet, not the preacher in the pulpit.Sounds right to me. Because the Internet levels the play ...
No comments
“Islam and the Bible” Radio Interview Friday Morning
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, January 3, 2008
Friday morning I’m doing an interview on “Islam and the Bible” on American Family Radio from 10-11 AM CDT. The exact topic is “What the Bible says/What Islam says.” I’ll be doing the interview with Marvin Sanders and Kerby Anderson. You can hear the broadcast by going to American Family Radio and then clicking o ...
No comments
“The husband of one wife” in 1 Timothy 3:2
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, December 17, 2007
Last Thursday night at the men’s Bible study, we had a lively discussion about the meaning of “the husband of one wife” in 1 Timothy 3:2. At one point, I was asked to explain my views regarding divorced men serving as elders and/or deacons in the local church. My answer was simply that I don’t think this phrase ...
A Sermon for “Poor Performers” and “Splendid Sinners”
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, December 16, 2007
After writing yesterday’s entry, I decided to expand it into my weekly sermon, Good News for Poor Performers and Splendid Sinners. Here’s an excerpt:The very first thing the angel says is, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard” (v. 14). What prayer has been heard? No doubt he means the prayer ...
FM Radio Religion
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, December 13, 2007
So what’s happening in the “worship wars” these days? Terry Mattingly provides one answer in a column called FM Radio Reality in Church, which describes how one megachurch in California manages to put together three “radically different services” each week. Conventional wisdom suggests that nothing divides a church mo ...
World View Wednesday
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, December 12, 2007
This morning I spent an hour on the air with Nancy Turner on WMBI-FM in Chicago as part of their “World View Wednesday” broadcast. It turned out to be a unique and inspiring hour. Unique in that it wasn’t really an interview at all. We spent the hour praying with listeners about what’s going on in the news aroun ...
No comments
Should She Work Full Time While Her Husband Builds the Church?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, December 4, 2007
The email arrived from somewhere on the other side of the world. It came from a person I do not know and described a most unusual situation, asking for my advice. Here are the particulars. A few years ago, this couple felt called of God to start a new church to reach immigrants in a city in Asia. Both husband and wife worke ...
Portuguese Edition of “The Healing Power of Forgiveness”
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, December 3, 2007
The Portuguese edition of The Healing Power of Forgiveness has just just been released. You can obtain copies from the following address:Editora Mundo ChristaoRua Antonio Carlos Tacconi 7904810-020 Sao Paulo SPBrasil
No comments
What Are You Fanatical About?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, October 29, 2007
Before leaving Grand Ledge this morning, I had breakfast with Andrew, Brian and John—the three staff pastors at Grand Ledge Baptist Church. Andrew I have known for 17 years but I just met Brian and John this weekend. The church recently voted to go to a unique three-way co-pastor system in which the three pastors will toge ...
No comments
Grand Ledge Baptist Church
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, October 28, 2007
Tonight I preached my final message at Grand Ledge Baptist Church. This was the closing weekend of a month-long emphasis on missions. This evening we began with a live video interview via the Internet with a missionary couple serving in Bolivia. This is an example of how technology has made the world smaller. Not many years ...
No comments
Christopher Hitchens Has a Point
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The current issue of Vanity Fair carries a report by Christopher Hitchens on his book tour to promote his mega-bestseller God Is Not Great. As always, Hitchens has many provocative things to say, and those who are enjoy his sometimes acerbic comments on various religious leaders will not be disappointed. I found it fascinat ...
Anchor in a Texas Women’s Prison
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, August 27, 2007
Over the weekend we received this email from a volunter chaplain in Texas:I am a volunteer Chaplain at the Henley State Jail in Dayton, Texas. We house approximately 550 women. We received a box of your books, An Anchor for the Soul", a while back and our ladies have been requesting it constantly. We are totally out and we ...
No comments
Jim and Casper Go to Church
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, July 19, 2007
What would happen if a pastor and an atheist decided to visit some of America’s largest churches together? That simple question led to a book called Jim and Casper Go to Church. Over a period of several months in 2006, Jim Henderson (the pastor) and Matt Casper (the atheist) dropped in unannounced on Willowcreek, Sadd ...
Did you go to an “ecclesial community” last Sunday?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, July 18, 2007
A few days ago the Vatican issued a document that has stirred up a bit of theological controversy about an argument that has been around for 2000 years—Which church is the “real” church? Admittedly, in these days of ecumenical give-and-take, this is not a Politically Correct question. We aren’t supposed to think like ...
No comments
Cleaning House or Redecorating?
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, May 14, 2007
Recently I met someone who is a bit discouraged because his church has gone through several staff changes. Pastors who had been in that church for years have announced that they will soon be moving to other ministries. The person said, “I think God is cleaning house."To which I replied, “Perhaps he’s just redecorating ...
God’s Multicultural Church
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, May 13, 2007
We have just posted a new sermon called God’s Multicultural Church. Here’s an excerpt:We have some young friends in their early 20s who serve as pioneer missionaries to an unreached people group on the other side of the world. When I say “unreached,” I mean that in the literal sense. They are so far away from Am ...
No comments
What the Future Church May Look Like
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, April 5, 2007
Keith Drury teaches at Indiana Wesleyan University. Lately he has been studying his students to get some hints on what the next generation of church leaders might look like. He offers 25 prominent characteristics of the coming wave in the church. Here are a few that caught my eye.1. From larger churches, yet value smaller o ...
The Great Firewall of China
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, April 5, 2007
Is your favorite website banned in China? You can find out by going to the Great Firewall of China.
No comments
Christmas Eve Shout Out
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, December 24, 2006
It’s Christmas Eve in Gulf Shores and I can’t tell you where people are, but I can tell you where they aren’t. They aren’t anywhere near Gulf Shores. A teeming resort in the summer, the whole area is virtually deserted at the moment. Yesterday when I went shopping late in the afternoon, the mall was ...
Doing Fine
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, December 11, 2006
The colonoscopy went well today. The doctor removed a few polyps, which he said were almost certainly benign but will be sent off for examination to be sure. The doctor said that I’m doing fine and told me to have the test again in two years. Thanks to everyone who prayed. Onward.
It’s Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Chicago
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Thursday, December 7, 2006
After wrapping up the conference at Word of Life yesterday morning, we made our way to the Albany airport. From there we flew to New York and then on to Chicago. Our plane came in over Lake Michigan after sundown, giving us a spectacular view of the lights of downtown Chicago. The whole region is blanketed with six inches o ...
No comments
Uncommon Prayer—The Twelve Stations of Love
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, November 20, 2006
Phil Miglioratti of the National Pastors Prayer Network took last week’s sermon on The Agape Factor and turned it into a unique concept called Uncommon Prayer—The Twelve Stations of Love.. This is an excellent example of how preaching and corporate prayer can complement each other. By the way, recently Phil was inter ...
No comments
One Year Later
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Today is the one-year anniversary of our move from Oak Park to Tupelo. At this moment a year ago, I was sitting in the front seat of a rented truck with Craig Hammond and his son Cuyler as we tooled down I-57. Marlene and Megan drove behind us in our car. As I look back on that morning, I realize that I didn’t feel an ...
Interracial Marriage
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, September 5, 2006
The following email arrived this morning: “A couple asked me if there was any biblical teaching on interracial marriages (whether or not they were right or wrong). I recall verses about being unequally yoked but believe that applies to believers and unbelievers. Any thoughts you could offer would be appreciated."The whole ...
Waffle House
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Tuesday, June 27, 2006
I am writing these words about 2 PM on Tuesday afternoon. That means it is 3 AM Wednesday in Beijing, China, which means that Mark is in the air, on the first leg of his long trip home. He and his teammates fly to Los Angeles where they will say goodbye after spending a year teaching English in China. At some point tomorrow ...
The Love INC Messages
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, April 30, 2006
I welcome all the new visitors to the Keep Believing website. Marlene and I had a wonderful time at the Love INC conference this weekend. After the very moving concert and communion service last night, a woman came up and said, “You’re part of the family.” That’s exactly how we feel—like we’re part of the ...
Sweet Tea
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Sunday, April 2, 2006
It’s been hot in Mississippi the last few days. Yesterday the temperature on my bike odometer hit 88 degrees. This afternoon it cooled down to 85. And the humidity has been up in the 70-80% range. And of course it’s not really hot yet. Summers in the South are notoriously humid, so much so that you are covered w ...
No comments
Topics
- Abortion
- An Anchor for the Soul
- Apologetics
- Baseball
- Bible Bus
- Bible Study
- Bible Study Resources
- Biking
- Blogroll
- Books
- Chicago
- China
- Christian News
- Christmas
- Church Trends
- Churches
- Civil War
- Congregational Singing
- Creation-Evolution
- Current Events
- Devotional
- Dudley
- Ebooks
- Evangelism
- Fathers
- Foreign Language Translations
- Good Friday-Easter
- Homosexuality
