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Monthly Archives: March 2009

Preaching the Word – Entry One

10 Mar

Last Wednesday I began a course offered in our local church for preaching. I am taking this course to be equipped forteaching_preaching_church_teachers preaching and teaching prisoners, which is a ministry I am involved with. Through this course I will be studying expository preaching, which is preaching and teaching God’s word using a verse by verse format. I know there is more to it than that, and I will learn what it is. I plan to use this blog to post entries surrounding my equipping process. Lord willing I will be providing weekly posts. This course is being offered as part of the ongoing Institute for Biblical Studies (IBS) with my local church.

I have been part of a prison ministry for our local church, Omaha Bible Church, for two years now. The Lord has been directing me to me to not only look for family care opportunities with prisoner families but to go inside and participate in the monthly worship services our ministry does. As part of our ministry, we have a few men meeting regularly with prisoners who desire to be mentored and taught about Jesus Christ through God’s word. This is becoming a part of the ministry I desire to be a part of. God has been shaping my heart or desire for this after my first few visits for worship services inside the prison. I pray that God will use this course to strengthen me in proclaiming Jesus Christ through scriptures. As Paul wrote to Timothy:

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5 ESV)

I also pray that through this equipping, God will be sanctifying me for His service. I am already learning through my reading assignments what a weighty responsibility preachers and teachers have in teaching God’s word. Our first book is “Preaching: How To Preach Biblically” by John MacArthur and Master’s Seminary Faculty. I have a high respect for pastor John MacArthur and his knowledge for biblical preaching. I also have a high respect for our senior pastor Patrick Abendroth who is teaching us in the preaching class. Please pray for us all.

Soli Deo Gloria

 
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Posted by on March 10, 2009 in expository preaching, IBS, Jesus Christ, Omaha Bible Church, Preaching, The gospel

 

U2 – No Line on the Horizon

07 Mar

Would the names Paul Hewson, or Dave Evans be synonymous with rock stardom? How about Bono (Paul), or The u2-no-line-on-the-horizonEdge (Dave)? I remember the first time I heard a song by their rock band U2. It was 1983 and the song was “40”. The song is a modified version of Psalm 40 in the bible. The lyrics and Psalm begin:

I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay

This song and several others that had similar biblical content created a stir and hope among the Christian community that finally a well known band would be able to take their message to the masses. I think few people knew that early on the band had some serious reservations about their new found rock and roll lifestyle and how it would mix with their Christian faith. The crusade they did take up is pacifism and social-politico as evidenced in their album “War“, released in 1983. The album was their first commercially successful album. Many folks, including me, have wondered if the members have actually trusted in Christ. They are very serious about social causes but their frontman Bono has had some serious public profanity problems that has hurt his witness for Christ. But this posting is about their music.

Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on March 7, 2009 in Music Review, No Line on the Horizon, U2