10The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” . . . 36Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” Matthew 13:10,36 Jesus used an...
A few years ago when our church was meeting in the Shangri-La Mall, we had all kinds of drop-in visitors. They ranged from the famous to the infamous: celebrities, politicians, professional athletes, socialites, wannabes, and has-beens. We also had loads of “normal”...
Sometimes churches grow then get stuck. I have a friend whose church has been stuck at 700 members for five years. That is already a big church, but my friend has a vision to reach many more. I first visited the church when it had 100 members. It gradually grew to its...
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 3:7–8 Both John the Baptist and Jesus made...
(This article was written for the September–October 2005 issue of Evangelicals Today with the cover theme “Honoring Your Pastor.”) Growing up in a typical American sports-crazed family, I remember going to awards banquets at the end of every...
18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20At once they left...
