Posts by Preaching Magazine
Finding the Next Generation
A recent report from the Barna Group opened the lid to a scary prospect: the aging of America’s pastors. I quickly sat up, adjusted my bifocals, and read on. The news bothered me, but not the way Barna intended. You see, I don’t think aging is a bad thing. After all, there are perks galore.…
Read MoreThe Cross
During the days of the British Empire, it was said the sun never set on the Union Jack. Because the Union Jack consists of three crosses superimposed one on top of the other, it could be said the sun never set on the cross. It is still true today. The day begins on the Island…
Read MoreHave No Fear!
We all have our fears of one kind or another. Some are well-known, while others are locked away in personal vaults. Some are irrational. Phobias, they’re called, a kind of anxiety disorder, are the most common mental disorder in America. Phobias can range from the sublime to the ridiculous, such as coulrophobia (the fear of…
Read MoreSecond Chances
A.J. McCarron, now a backup quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, had a spectacular college football career, leading Alabama Crimson Tide football to two national titles. It is quite amazing that he is able to play sports at all—or is even alive. When he was 5, he was badly hurt in a jet ski accident. It…
Read MoreLooking for my Jabez
I learned recently that Bruce Wilkinson has moved to our city, which brought to mind the phenomenon that was his book The Prayer of Jabez. For Gen Zers and others too young to recall, The Prayer of Jabez was a little book published in 2000 that took the world by storm. It was based on…
Read MoreSacrifice in Small Packages
On a March 2015 flight bound for Denver from Washington’s Dulles Airport, an unruly and psychotic passenger disregarded crew instructions and charged the cockpit in mid-flight. Another passenger, an ordinary guy sitting in seat 3E, responded like a lightning bolt and, with no thought for himself, jumped out of his seat and tackled the threat…
Read MoreBetween a Rock and a Hard Place
Eight seconds doesn’t seem like a long time, unless you’re a professional bull rider, but according to a study done by Microsoft, eight seconds is now the length of the attention span of the average person. In eight seconds, a person will decide to click on a website or move on from it. That means…
Read MoreIt’s like, Well, You Know… Right?
People of a certain age will remember David Spade’s comedic role of Dick Clark’s receptionist on a repeated Saturday Night Live skit. The premise was that famous people, usually including that week’s guest host, would stop in to see the legendary producer, only to discover that the pretentious person behind the desk was an uncooperative…
Read MoreA Holy Conviction Upon Hearing the Word
Nehemiah 8:9-10 Somewhere between Ezra’s first word and his last, something unusual happened. The people began to weep. This is so like God to break in upon His people when they have a hunger for His Word. When all pretense melts away, and open hearts precede open mouths, God can then proceed to open the…
Read MoreWhat We Are to Be About
Tony Evans Even when we believe that God is at work in the world, it can sometimes be hard to figure out what He is up to. Understanding the ways He chooses to work in the lives of His people is important for understanding how His purposes are being worked out. He has had distinctive…
Read MoreReconciliation
In 1880, former president Ulysses S. Grant was hoping for an unprecedented third term. The Republican convention was divided over the prospect, and a compromise candidate was nominated. His name was James Garfield. From that moment on, there was significant tension between Grant and Garfield. Grant thought Garfield should give him more input, and he…
Read MoreWe Need Revival!
By Leslie Holmes The last half-century of my life has been spent in these “United States” of America. I place those quotation marks around the words United States because, as I see it, we have never been more divided—in politics, church, and society—than we are right now. Whether you lean toward BLM or the Proud…
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