Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context by Glen H. Stassen and David P. Gushee. InterVarsity Press, 2003. 491 pages. In Kingdom Ethics, Glen Stassen (Fuller Seminary) and David Gushee (McAfee School of Theology) provide a Christian ethic rooted in the idea of the Kingdom of God as defined by Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon [...]
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Archive | March, 2010
Palm Sunday Sermon: On The Road To Calvary
March 27, 2010
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On The Road To Calvary This Palm Sunday Sermon reminds us that the road to Jerusalem’s celebration was also the road to Calvary. Luke 19:28-40 28After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two [...]
Read moreThink Churches Can Feed America’s Poor?
March 22, 2010
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Churches are an important resource in caring for America’s poor, but the job is too big for churches alone. With all the talk about healthcare and the nation’s deficit, I’ve seen more than one blog suggest that churches take over the responsibility for caring for the nation’s poor. While that is a noble goal, moving [...]
Read moreYou’re Not That Special
March 21, 2010
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Those called to ministry are not that special, but we do serve a God who is. Tiger Woods will return to golf at the Master’s in Augusta next month. Today he did a couple of quick interviews with ESPN and the Golf Channel. Among other things Woods said was that he felt “entitled” as the [...]
Read moreWould Your Church Censor This Art?
March 20, 2010
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Ecclesia Church in Houston, Texas, whose website describes the church as a “holistic missional Christian community,” invited local artists to submit original artwork depicting each of the Stations of the Cross. Young 10-year old artist Jackson Potts II, who has been studying photography with his photographer father for several years, was given the commission to [...]
Read moreSermon: The Right Thing at the Right Time
March 20, 2010
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Jesus calls us to do the right thing at the right time as we seek to honor him with our lives. The Right Thing At The Right Time John 12:1-8 NIV 1Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2Here a dinner was given in [...]
Read moreVote for this blog during SBC Blog Madness
March 18, 2010
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Update: Well, we didn’t make the cut, but thanks for those of you who voted. It was, as they say, an honor to be nominated. Over at SBC Voices, the annual “SBC Blog Madness” coincides every year with basketball’s March Madness. You have the chance to vote for Confessions of a Small-Church Pastor, and keep [...]
Read moreBored? You’re Probably Good At What You Do
March 17, 2010
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Do you ever get bored with ministry? Doing the same stuff, making the same hospital visits, and preaching a sermon or two each week can blur into a kind of sleepwalking routine. But, have you ever thought of boredom as the shadowside of competence? By that I mean, if you get bored with what you’re [...]
Read moreWe’re Ranked #105 in the Top 130 Church Blogs
March 16, 2010
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ChurchRelevance.com ranked Confessions of a Small Church Pastor as #105 in the annual Top 100 Church Blogs rankings. Of course this year they threw in 30 more blogs, so we made the cut in the Top 130! Am I wrong, or is this the only small church blog that made the list? Give yourself a [...]
Read moreTwo Churches Die, One Emerges To Reach Out
March 15, 2010
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“I’m the most unsuccessful pastor in Pacifica,” Jonathan Markham observed four years ago. Markham’s church in affluent San Mateo county southwest of San Francisco was growing spiritually he thought, but not numerically. Church attendance hovered around 15-20 each week with few visitors attending. Located near the Bay area, the coastal town of Pacifica boasts an [...]
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