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Top “Leading Ideas Talks” Podcast Episodes of 2023

How to Keep Preaching Fresh How can preachers keep their preaching fresh? Teresa Fry Brown, professor of preaching at Candler School of Theology, shares strategies for preaching familiar texts for different generations, preaching for in person and digital audiences, and sermon preparation for bivocational pastors. Listen, read, or watch now. Funding Forward: How Congregations Can Develop New Revenue Sources Is […]

The post Top “Leading Ideas Talks” Podcast Episodes of 2023 first appeared on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

The post Top “Leading Ideas Talks” Podcast Episodes of 2023 appeared first on Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas, Pt 3: Genesis 17:19 :: By Paul J. Scharf

The Messiah was a descendant of Abraham. More than that, we considered last time how He was, in fact, promised within the covenant that God made with Abram (Gen. 12:1-3). According to the Apostle Paul in Gal. 3:16 and 19, He is the ultimate recipient o…

Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas, Pt 2: Genesis 12:7 :: By Paul J. Scharf

Last time, we saw how the very first promise of the Messiah proclaimed Him to be the “Seed” of the woman (Gen. 3:15). But before we can go any further into understanding the characteristics of this coming Savior, we certainly must realize that He was a…

The Signs of the Times: Part 1 – Assessing the Signs :: By Paul J. Scharf

If you work in a retail environment, you’ve already seen them—maybe as early as July, but certainly in August. Yes, you’ve seen the signs! I am referring, of course, to the signs of Christmas. [i] They’re all around you by now. It started with the arri…

The Signs of the Times: Part 1 – Assessing the Signs :: By Paul J. Scharf

Why did Rachel weep for her children?

We all know the famous, dark side of Christmas:

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in acco…

The Greatest Gift You Can Give Your Pastor

I know. It’s Christmas day already. You’ve likely given all of the gifts you planned to give. You might have received a few gifts yourself. Still, this gift idea for your pastor is worthy of being a bit late. I can almost promise you that pastors will be thrilled when you present the gift to…

The post The Greatest Gift You Can Give Your Pastor appeared first on Church Answers.

The Reason Christ Was Born :: By Nathele Graham

Much of the world is preparing to celebrate. The question is, what’s being celebrated? Children anticipate Santa Claus leaving gifts under a tree, while adults decorate homes with lights, tinsel, and ornaments. We give gifts to people we care about, at…

Understanding Jesus’ apparent lie in John 7:8

John 7:8:

“…You go to the festival. I am not[a] going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.”

The all important footnote:

[a] John 7:8 Some manuscripts not yet

It seems strange that many manuscripts omit…

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan

My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were …