Posted by Ray Pritchard on 5.18.09 in Devotional, Prayer
A friend wrote a note saying that she was copying this part of my sermon What If and taping it on her computer as a reminder to pray for others:
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 5.9.09 in Devotional, Personal
This afternoon Marlene and I talked to Nancy Magnusson on the telephone. She and Kent have been dear friends since we met them soon after moving to Oak Park 20 years ago. Over the years we got to know them in many different ways. Kent served on the board of Oak Park Christian Academy, and he and Nancy spent untold hours helping the school go forwar…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 5.8.09 in Devotional
I originally wrote this column in February 2007 and in the process of doing some research came across it this week. The message is timeless. Recently I spent time with someone involved in ministry to students. Occasionally he is faced with difficult disciplinary decisions when the young people break the rules of the group. “I’ve dealt w…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 5.7.09 in Current Events, Devotional
On this National Day of Prayer we need to remind ourselves that God works through history to accomplish his purposes. During the Civil War Abraham Lincoln often drew on his faith in God sometimes to comfort, sometimes to challenge his countrymen. During the early days of the war, at a moment when there was no news from the front and many feared the…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 5.7.09 in Current Events, Devotional
Did you know that America has a “National Hymn”? Most people don’t know that, but we do, and I’m not speaking about the National Anthem. I’m talking about the hymn God of Our Fathers. We don’t hear it or sing it very often nowadays, and that’s a pity because in many ways, it is an ideal marriage of tune and …
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 4.18.09 in Devotional
“I wouldn’t trust my best fifteen minutes to get me into heaven.”So said the preacher and I agree with him. In that one sentence he uttered a profound theological truth. I can think of five reasons why it must be true:1. Fifteen minutes isn’t long enough. 2. Fifteen of my “best” minutes can’t make up f…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 4.17.09 in Bible Bus, Devotional, Personal
It’s been over a month since my last Bible Bus update. In January I committed to reading the whole Bible book by book. I’m not following any particular plan, simply reading one book at a time from beginning to end. Since my last update I have read the following books: Leviticus, Joshua, Judges, Hosea, Psalms, Amos, 1 Corinthians, Coloss…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 4.16.09 in Devotional, Pastors
This morning I happened to pick up my well-worn copy of Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students, a book I have read and re-read over the years. It remains in the top handful of most useful books on the ministry I have ever read. And by chance (or I should say, by providence) I opened the book and read again Spurgeon’s famous chapter called T…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 4.13.09 in Devotional, Evangelism, Theology
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the S…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 4.12.09 in Devotional, Lent
Many years ago I was asked to perform a graveside service for a man I barely knew. I was young and inexperienced and wanted to say a few words of comfort. I fumbled my way through the ceremony and came to the closing prayer. When I got to the part about the resurrection of the dead, the words stuck in my throat. I could barely finish my prayer. I …
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