Matthew | December 31, 2012
Well, this is the last day of 2012. The end of the world prediction was wrong AGAIN. So here I go, these are a few reflections from the last year. It is hard thinking through the year as I get older it seems that time blends more. Odd. 1. I took my last class in [...]
Matthew | December 27, 2012
Over the last week, I have been on vacation. Though this did not stop me from teaching, preaching, and all of the other activities that I normally do during the week. But it was mostly just the basics of ministry. I did get to spend a ton of time with the family over the Holiday [...]
Matthew | December 19, 2012
For four years, I have been working on the dissertation project. This is larger than a huge research project, it was a field test within a congregation. It involved working with a team within the congregation, fulfilling the desires of the elders, and partnering with the church to accomplish a work for the Lord. All [...]
Matthew | December 18, 2012
But if the church can unite, it can change this world for good. It can help stop the rampant sickness in this society. It can help change lives, and stop the sick people from committing these sins. The power of the gospel can change lives and stop wickedness in this world. But the church has [...]
Matthew | December 17, 2012
As a young preacher in a small town, Phil Sanders was one of those “larger than life” preachers. He was a well-known speaker across the nation. He preached for one of the largest congregations in the Nashville area, and he was a man that I looked up to as a model for a minister. And I [...]
Matthew | December 13, 2012
The Old Testament tells the story of the people of God dealing with the pagan Gods. The Lord of Lords, is God, and above all idols, or so called gods. Throughout the O.T. text, God jealously guards against his people following after the gods of the pagans. The New Testament tells a similar story. Rome is [...]
Matthew | December 12, 2012
Here are a few reflections after about four years of working on missional transformation. ”How does a church become a presence in the community?” This is a great question, and there are numerous options available. I believe most congregations are only at the beginnings of this process. Fortunately, we have been doing this for a [...]
Matthew | December 10, 2012
Butch Jones is the new head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers. Earlier last week, I was opposed to this hiring. It did not seem big enough to make a statement on a national level. It was no Jon Gurden, and Strong even turned down the job. Gurden never wanted the job in the first place, [...]
Matthew | December 6, 2012
Church seeks the easy answers. It is natural. We all do with difficult situations. Think about weight loss. Think about marriage problems. It is the first step in the pathway to a solution. Churches do this. A congregation could be in decline, and the members will blame the elders, preachers, or some segment of the group. [...]
Matthew | December 5, 2012
Matthew writes the birth narrative as a missional text. It foreshadows the gentile mission that is throughout the pages. In Matthew 2, he contrasts the religious leaders with the wise men from the East. Typically, it is believed that these men were from Persia or Babylon. One thing that is agreed on is that these [...]
