Tyler Braun's Blog, page 25

Looking Over the Edge of a Cliff (or the time I preached on God’s wrath on the disobedient)

Following my last post on two different ways to communicate for change, I thought I’d provide a real life example of speaking on a Biblical text that tries to change us by increasing the tension from the negative perspective.

I hate heights. My hands get cold and wet. My heart beat races away. I never go to the edge of a cliff.

I’ve known for over two months that I was scheduled to preach at our church on Ephesians 5:1-20. By and large, Ephesians is an encouraging letter to the church at Ephesu...

The 2 Ways to Produce Change in Others

As a pastor I do a lot of studying on communication, and how to be most effective with the Sunday morning sermon during our weekly worship gatherings. Thousands of books have been written on how to form a sermon, how to deliver a sermon, how to produce change in others, etc.

Clearly the role of a Sunday morning passage is to present a Biblical text, but beyond that, the goal is for the text to form within the hearers of the message. In his book on the social dynamics of producing change in oth...

3 Reasons You Should Stop Reading the Bible on a Screen

The YouVersion Bible app has been downloaded over 100 million times between various mobile operating systems, and the app is available in over 400 languages. It’s an inexpensive way to expand Bible reading for overseas missionaries, and it’s an easy way to always have the Bible with you.

When I lead a small group and I ask people to turn to a specific book and chapter, over half of the people pull out their phones. Saying “make sure you bring your Bible” to the group or a church in general doe...

Lessons from Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Work Never Ends

Bonhoeffer Series: Part One || “A Story About Coming Home”

Part Two || “Disembodied Christianity”

Part Three || “A Foundation in the Word”

(Today’s post is the last in this series, though I have no doubt we will revisit the ministry of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in the future.)

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In 1943, after a failed assassination attempt on Hitler by a group Dietrich Bonhoeffer was associated with, the Gestapo began an intense purging of anyone connected to the attempt. Those associated with this attempt, as well as...

Lessons from Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Foundation in the Word

Bonhoeffer Series: Part One || “A Story About Coming Home”

Part Two || “Disembodied Christianity”

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As quickly as the Third Reich began its rule of Germany the Jews were put on notice. And immediately the German Church was thrust into the spotlight. Would the church follow the state, or would it choose to honor God’s Word? The German Christians chose to honor The Führer(meaning “leader” in German, a term used for Adolf Hitler) first, rather than the True Führer. They twisted the Bible to support...

Lessons from Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Disembodied Christianity

Bonhoeffer Series: Part One

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In the last post we looked at Dietrich’s decision to forgo an opportunity for safety in the US, opting to return to Nazi Germany where his safety would be greatly endangered.

Yesterday marked the 69 year anniversary of his death in a concentration camp, so it seems fitting to look at what led him to abandon the opportunity for safety. In looking at his life as a whole, the decision is so completely unsurprising, because it reflected a deep-seated belief he had about...

Lessons from Dietrich Bonhoeffer

On our vacation not long ago I read the biography entitledBonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. It’s by far the longest book I’ve read (around 550 pages depending on the format you read it in). I’ve never been a big biography reader, but to say this book left its mark on me would be a profound understatement (not really the book actually, but the legacy of Bonhoeffer’s life).

(On a side note, I highly recommend the practice of reading at least one book on vacation. Make it a type of book y...

What I’m Feasting On

Back when I first started blogging I shared my favorite links each week in a post titled Fortuitous Bouncing. How many of you remember those days? Life has gotten busier and I don’t have the time to put together a great list each week, but every few months I’ll put together a post highlighting what I’ve been reading, watching, and listening to (here’s the last one from December).

Books

Facing Leviathan : I had the privilege of reading and endorsing this book at the end of last year. It released...

Jesus is Better Than You Imagined (a book review)

Cut any true Christian to their core and they bleed grace. I think this is exactly what Paul had in mind when he described that which is “of first importance” (1st Cor. 15:3). In Jonathan Merritt’s bookJesus is Better Than You Imagineditis grace that shines through his memoir-like work.

Jonathan’s background is quite similar to my own. We both grew up as PKs at baptist affiliated churches. Following college we both pursued graduate degrees in seminary. We both have church ministry as a vocatio...

Unity in Divisive Times

If you’ve spent any amount of time online this week you’ve heard the news about World Vision choosing to now hire gay individuals who are in same-sex marriages, and then reversing their decision two days later. From bloggers from all perspectives, a vast amount of online ink has been spilled voicing opinions (if you’re trying to figure out what the picture has to do with unity, you’ll have to listen to the message, or study Psalm 133).

It’s been an incredibly divisive week. Over the top rhetor...