The Minister’s Fainting Fits

Posted by 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…

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I’m Glad Rick Warren Said Yes

Posted by on 12.20.08 in Christian News, Current Events, Marriage and the Family, Pastors, Prayer

All in all, I’m glad Barack Obama invited Rick Warren to lead the opening prayer at next month’s presidential inauguration. I say that even though I share some of the reservations raised by other evangelicals. But weighing everything, I’m glad that the president-elect asked him, and I’m glad Rick Warren said yes. Here’…

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Just Keep Putting Your Shoes On Every Day

Posted by on 12.19.08 in Devotional, Pastors

A good friend sent an encouraging note this week about KBM. After writing some very kind words, he added this piece of advice: “Ray…. just keep putting your shoes on everyday and go to work.” None of us knows the real impact we have on the lives of others. I tell pastors who struggle with discouragement, “You’re not in a g…

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Next Stop: Florida

Posted by on 11.17.08 in China, Pastors, Personal, Preaching, Travel

We are now halfway through our final big trip of the year. When we left on Thursday, we had four major events in front of us:KBM Open House — SaturdayChinese Bible Church of Oak Park— SundayWord of Life Bible Institute — Monday-FridayVisiting friends in Columbus, OH — Saturday-MondayIn terms of days we’re not yet at th…

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Keep Believing Northern Ireland

Posted by on 8.31.08 in Keep Believing Ministries, Missions, Pastors

Yesterday we received a note from a pastor in Northern Ireland. Here’s what he said:Greetings my dear brother from Belfast Northern Ireland. May I please thank you for your Bible sermons and studies. They have been a real blessing to me as a Pastor, who also needs feeding. Would you please give my greetings to your people and please…

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Two Things Pastors Should Learn From Barack Obama

Posted by on 6.1.08 in Current Events, Pastors

Yesterday Barack Obama bowed to inevitable reality and resigned his membership at Trinity United Church in Chicago. He did what he had to do given a) his desire to be president, and b) all the publicity swirling around the controversial statements of his former pastor, Dr. Jeremiah Wright, and last Sunday’s guest prea …

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First Tell Them What You Are For

Posted by on 5.19.08 in Current Events, Pastors

Before the week just past fades away, I want to make a comment on last Tuesday’s runoff special election in the Mississippi 1st Congressional District, won by a Democrat named Travis Childers. This is big news. I know it because the national commentators have been talking about it all week long. Let me put it this way …

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Oklahoma!

Posted by on 3.3.08 in Pastors, Travel

This morning I’m on my way to my first-ever speaking engagement in Oklahoma. About a year ago I received an email from Randy Wilson, pastor of Bethany Free Will Baptist Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (a suburb of Tulsa) asking if I would speak at the Oklahoma Free Will Baptist Pastors Conference. He became acquainte …

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Let the Rich Man Go

Posted by on 2.28.08 in Pastors, Preaching

A pastor told me the following story. It seems that in his congregation there was a very rich man who decided to leave the church because the pastor was preaching through Romans and the rich man thought the book was “too difficult.” He didn’t like the pastor preaching on such a “difficult book” and so he decided it wa …

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Do Pastors Exaggerate Attendance Figures?

Posted by on 2.12.07 in Churches, Pastors

A recent survey on One News Now asks, “Do Evangelical Pastors exaggerate attendance and conversion numbers?” According to 63% of those who responded to the online survey, the answer is yes, pastors do sometimes exaggerate attendance figures. The non-scientific survey was occasioned by an article called Body-Count Evangelism …

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