Started a new message series going through Mark last week after spending about 4 months sharing a topical series on prayer. A note dropped in the offering box said: “So happy we are going through a Bible book word for word.” Why is it some people think that going through a Bible book is the only way for God to use preaching? The things we worship…
I think some people like vets by verse because it helps them get a better idea of how the Bible operates as a whole. We usually read books cover to cover and don’t just choose verses out of them to support a point. I like both verse by verse and topical, but Ivreally like the two styles combined.
Although I no longer attend a Calvary, one thing I appreciated about the last one I was at was that, although we mostly did vs by vs, there were often detours into topical messages or even short series. They seemed very timely, almost as if the pastors were paying attention to what many in the congregation were going through and/or needed to hear. Imagine that!
Our prayer series was awesome and intense. Super thorough, covering some key angles. But my hunch is that some of our church people got tired hearing about something they weren’t that interested in doing. I love going through a Bible book, but a focused series on a key spiritual practice is just as important.
When I say “Our prayer series…” it’s because all of our pastors took turns sharing messages. We have one pastor who is especially dialed into prayer, and he pretty much designed the entire series.
Pineapple Head wrote:
“Why is it some people think that going through a Bible book is the only way for God to use preaching? The things we worship…”
The Bible is a great and wonderful thing, no question, there is no other Holy Book like it.
But I also think it suffers from two great ills.
Not giving it the credence it deserves at one extreme, and making way too much of it at the other.
I have a friend who has recently moved to Newcastle, UK, and I’ve been helping to look at churches in the area. I found the following on one church’s website and was impressed by it.
We will ensure and commit to nurturing, protecting and safeguarding all our congregation members, particularly children, young people and vulnerable adults.
We believe safeguarding is the responsibility of the whole church.
We undertake to exercise proper care in the selection, appointment, training and support of those working with children and vulnerable adults.
We have an up-to-date and live DBS system to ensure all our children’s volunteers have an up-to-date DBS.
We will respond robustly and without delay to any concerns or allegations that a child or vulnerable adult may have been harmed or at risk of harm; seeking advice when needed from our partner Christian Safeguarding Services (CSS) and referring this to the relevant authorities.
We will challenge any abuse of power by anyone in a position of trust and seek to offer pastoral care to anyone who has suffered abuse.
We are committed to reviewing our Safeguarding Policy and Best Practice Guidance Document every year.
CK – that’s pretty standard for the UK. Of course, there are failures and abuse happens, but the risk is greatly reduced. Our little Baptist church has a full (and similar) policy, and there is regular training for all leaders across the denomination. We do manage to have autonomy but that includes some denominational responsibility in areas such as safeguarding.
It’s all yours today…
Started a new message series going through Mark last week after spending about 4 months sharing a topical series on prayer. A note dropped in the offering box said: “So happy we are going through a Bible book word for word.” Why is it some people think that going through a Bible book is the only way for God to use preaching? The things we worship…
Interesting analysis of Christian nationalism, which is a problem here but
not just here (see Putin and the Russ. Orthodox Church).
It will also be interesting to see how much evangelicals will continue to wet themselves in public between now and 2024.
I’m not optimistic.
An ‘imposter Christianity’ is threatening American democracy
https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/24/us/white-christian-nationalism-blake-cec/index.html
PH,
It’s burned into peoples heads that that is the only way to teach…I feel weird when I do a topical…but I’m getting over it…
I think some people like vets by verse because it helps them get a better idea of how the Bible operates as a whole. We usually read books cover to cover and don’t just choose verses out of them to support a point. I like both verse by verse and topical, but Ivreally like the two styles combined.
Although I no longer attend a Calvary, one thing I appreciated about the last one I was at was that, although we mostly did vs by vs, there were often detours into topical messages or even short series. They seemed very timely, almost as if the pastors were paying attention to what many in the congregation were going through and/or needed to hear. Imagine that!
Our prayer series was awesome and intense. Super thorough, covering some key angles. But my hunch is that some of our church people got tired hearing about something they weren’t that interested in doing. I love going through a Bible book, but a focused series on a key spiritual practice is just as important.
When I say “Our prayer series…” it’s because all of our pastors took turns sharing messages. We have one pastor who is especially dialed into prayer, and he pretty much designed the entire series.
Pineapple Head wrote:
“Why is it some people think that going through a Bible book is the only way for God to use preaching? The things we worship…”
The Bible is a great and wonderful thing, no question, there is no other Holy Book like it.
But I also think it suffers from two great ills.
Not giving it the credence it deserves at one extreme, and making way too much of it at the other.
I have a friend who has recently moved to Newcastle, UK, and I’ve been helping to look at churches in the area. I found the following on one church’s website and was impressed by it.
We will ensure and commit to nurturing, protecting and safeguarding all our congregation members, particularly children, young people and vulnerable adults.
We believe safeguarding is the responsibility of the whole church.
We undertake to exercise proper care in the selection, appointment, training and support of those working with children and vulnerable adults.
We have an up-to-date and live DBS system to ensure all our children’s volunteers have an up-to-date DBS.
We will respond robustly and without delay to any concerns or allegations that a child or vulnerable adult may have been harmed or at risk of harm; seeking advice when needed from our partner Christian Safeguarding Services (CSS) and referring this to the relevant authorities.
We will challenge any abuse of power by anyone in a position of trust and seek to offer pastoral care to anyone who has suffered abuse.
We are committed to reviewing our Safeguarding Policy and Best Practice Guidance Document every year.
CK – that’s pretty standard for the UK. Of course, there are failures and abuse happens, but the risk is greatly reduced. Our little Baptist church has a full (and similar) policy, and there is regular training for all leaders across the denomination. We do manage to have autonomy but that includes some denominational responsibility in areas such as safeguarding.
Jon, that’s wonderful! We desperately need this in the states.