Why We Love the Local Church

Hey, it’s Michael.  That’s me in the white shirt and tie. In 1991, I walked down the aisle at First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida to surrender to full time Christian ministry. I didn’t really understand those terms, or the ramifications of that decision. But I remember a strong pull to abandon my desire to be…

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Why Stories Work Better than Bullet Points

Before there were books, movies and YouTube videos, there were stories.  Passed down from generation to generation, stories told us where we came from and who we are. If you want your congregation to remember the concepts you’re preaching, tell a story.  If you want your congregation to apply the Biblical principles you’re teaching, tell…

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So God Made A Preacher

And on the eighth day, God looked down on his beloved people and said, “I need someone to teach them.” So God made a preacher. God said, “I need someone willing to study the gospel, meditate on it for a while, then study it again and write a clear and persuasive message that accurately represents…

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The Seven Deadly Sins of Volunteer Ministry

Does your church depend on volunteers to accomplish the work of the ministry?  Wayne Corderio said this (and it’s really, really powerful): I’m convinced that the influence of a church has on its community will be determined in large part not by the personality of the pastor, the size of its building or how long…

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