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Tips for concluding your sermons
by Rick Warren
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A sermon without a good conclusion is a message without a purpose. Over the years I’ve learned that changed lives often come from great conclusions. That’s when you challenge your church to apply the message. This week we’ll look at some practical ways to make your conclusions more effective. [more]
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Designing your own pictures of commitment
by Tom Holladay
Commitment is the engine that makes spiritual growth happen. It’s also a key part of the Purpose Driven paradigm. At Saddleback we use the metaphor of a baseball diamond to help people visualize their spiritual commitments. In this issue, Tom Holladay offers tips for developing a picture of commitment at your church.
[more]
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| Creating the Better Hour: Lessons from William Wilberforce |
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| Chuck Stetson |
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We’re approaching the 200th anniversary of William Wilberforce’s historic part in ending the British slave trade in 1808. This book takes readers through some of the most important, biblical lessons we can learn from Wilberforce’s life – like fighting against current slavery, reforming manners in society, and helping those who can’t help themselves. Each chapter, written by a different author, has a Bible study for small group use. Pastor Rick liked the book so much he wrote the foreword!
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"Too many pastors go fishing without ever reeling in the line or drawing up the net." - Rick Warren
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"People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."
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Matthew 4:4 (NLT)
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Ethnologue - This is a nice missions site. You can find information on just about every language on the planet here.
Sermon illustrations - Some of these illustrations are overdone, but with so many available on this site, you’re bound to find some that are helpful.
The pastor as coach - A pastor-turned-coach gives insights on the similarities between pastoring and coaching. He includes some good resources you can find that’ll help make you a more effective coach or pastor.
E-curb appeal - What does your website say about your church? This article provides some tips for making your website better.
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The case for the real Jesus, Part Four: The Gnostic Jesus
- Lee Strobel
Motel outreach offers low-cost, high-impact ministry
- Manda Gibson
What I learned in my first four months of pastoring
- Jon Andrews
How to build the right P.E.A.C.E. team
- Sam Simmons
In surprising study, Willow Creek learns personal spiritual practices are key to growth
- Manda Gibson
A parent’s sacrifice
- Mary Southerland
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Christmas is a time when you get homesick – even when you’re home.
- Carol Nelson
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 446,996 acres of Christmas trees were planted in the United States last year.
- National Christmas Tree Association
It might be easy to run away to a monastery, away from the commercialization, the hectic hustle, the demanding family responsibilities of Christmas-time. Then we would have a holy Christmas. But we would forget the lesson of the Incarnation, of the enfleshing of God – the lesson that we who are followers of Jesus do not run from the secular; rather we try to transform it. It is our mission to make holy the secular aspects of Christmas just as the early Christians baptized the Christmas tree. And we do this by being holy people – kind, patient, generous, loving, laughing people – no matter how maddening is the Christmas rush…
- Fr. Andrew Greeley
Man is the only creature endowed with the power of laughter.
- Fulke Greville, found in Best Quotations for All Occasions (Fawcett, 1986)
Every person is responsible for all the good within the scope of his abilities, and for no more.
- Gail Hamilton
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