audience of One
As a preacher, I’m rightly concerned with the content of each of my Sunday sermons. I must confess, however, that I can fall into the trap of being overly concerned with what people think of my message—not whether or not the message is clearly understood or whether the people and the Lord Himself are blessed by what I say. I can become more concerned with the goal of having church members like what I say and approve of my message. Sometimes a furrowed brow in the congregation, especially from someone I know and respect spiritually, can seriously interrupt my flow and cause me no small amount of consternation.
people or God?
I n every realm and relationship I want people to think well of me. I’m tempted to please people, especially when they give me affirmation. I can often tell if I’ve met a person’s expectations by the look on his face or the tone of her voice. But, by God’s grace, I’ll stake my claim that I’m a former addict of man’s opinion, for I believe God is greater than any pull I might feel to please others.
cynical
I leafed through the book, Can’t Be Bought (not the real title). The book told the challenging story of a megachurch pastor who realized he had built his ministry on marketing strategies rather than on Christ’s call. He decided he would no longer cater to the crowd but instead preach the cost of discipleship and let the chips fall where they may. Sadly, the book isn’t good. And on the last page, the publisher—apparently hoping to cash-in on the success of the book—offered T-shirts emblazoned with that catch phrase, Can’t Be Bought.
theater for One
The book Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle tells the story of 10-year-old Phillip, a precocious youngster who constantly angles to get attention. One of the adult characters describes Phillip as “an obnoxious little show-off.” Phillip is loud and unruly and concocts elaborate (and gross) pranks. He acts particularly bad when guests are at his house, and he’s a terror at school.
Mrs.…
online attention
If you’re reading this devo online, in a few minutes you might move on to other websites. As you do, pay attention to what grabs your attention. What pics or words prompt you to pause for a second look? What links do you click on, and why?
When Jesus said the eye is the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22),…
you are loved
A counselor was conducting a family therapy session with the parents of a teenager who had been caught using drugs. The parents excused their daughter’s drug use, saying that it was no big deal and just a phase that most teenagers go through. After a while the counselor told the parents to leave the room and, turning to the daughter,…
i'm fine
In my country, it’s customary to say, “How are you doing?” when greeting someone. And then comes the inevitable reflexive response: “Fine, how are you doing?”—regardless of how the person actually feels. It’s simply a greeting.
My pastor is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, so he has a fresh take on this perfunctory part of my culture. Pastor Kizombo…
the wide arms of love
Donna Simpson weighs 600 pounds, but she’s working on gaining another 400. Intending to become the heaviest woman alive, Donna commenced a public campaign to market her intentions. She intends to eat healthy, but she plans to eat a lot. In her words, she eats “massive quantities of healthy food,” including more than 70 pieces of sushi and 20 chicken…
