Today I was able to worship with and preach at one of our new start churches. Pastor Mark and Kelli Ramsey are the pastors of our Cross-Way church in Beech Grove. My assessment of this congregation: Four years ago this church did not exist. There were infants all the way to Senior adults in attendance. There were young adults in attendance Cross-Way is a genuinely…
Read MoreThe Hope Business!
A few years ago I served in a position at the global ministry center for the Church of the Nazarene. One day a consultant visited our department. He asked us as a group, what business are you in? Most of us bristled at the question, we are not in business, we are ministers of the Gospel, we are not in business! He stated emphatically, You’re…
Read MoreThe Day a Church Closed!
Today I got to fulfill one of my more challenging responsibilities. This part of my responsibility goes by several names: the closer, the heavy, the undertaker and to some just that mean man in a suit. Today it was my responsibility to go to a small church pray the morning prayer, receive the offering and preach the message. Then at the end of the service I had…
Read MoreAddition by Subtraction?
Each of these symbols hold meaning beyond the field of mathematics. Early in our education we learned addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Just the picture reminds us of a long-ago learned process that now is automatic. In 1981 biblical lessons that can also be illustrated by these symbols came home to me when I became a pastor. Jesus told a parable in the 15th chapter of Luke about a shepherd…
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