Talbot Davis's Blog, page 99

A Personal Relationship With . . .

. . . Jesus Christ. That’s how most of us in the evangelical world have grown accustomed to completing that sentence. In many ways, that phrase has become synonymous with modern American evangelical Christianity. (Though for a variety of reasons we use the phrase “living relationship” at Good Shepherd.  But that’s another post for another Read the full article...

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Life Groups: Planning For Success

It’s that time of year in church land when Life Groups gear back up.  They’ve taken the summer off (unless, of course, they haven’t), they’re busy re-assembling existing members and inviting new ones, and, critically, researching & selecting material to study. In locating good material for a small group to study together, it’s helpful to Read the full article...

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Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Things I Pray The Lord Stops Me Before I Ever Do Them

Yep, they’re out there. Things that as a preacher I am tempted to do but have to pray that the Lord will prevent me from ever doing. That’s in that prayer Jesus prayed, isn’t it? Here they are:  the Top Five Things I Pray The Lord Stops Me Before I Ever Do Them. 1.  Take Read the full article...

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Wake Up Call, Week 1 — “De-Weirding The Holy Spirit”

Sunday’s sermon was less about the sermon and more about the Ministry Fair that followed it. I wanted to connect the church’s “need” to fill ministry openings with Scripture’s truth that ministry stems from the Holy Spirit’s power. Really, I wanted the church to see the difference between John the Baptist’s baptism of NO (“Stop Read the full article...

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Wake Up Call Launch — “De-Weirding”

One of Good Shepherd’s core values is that we as a church are awake to the Holy Spirit. But are we? We sing songs about the Holy Spirit, we read Scriptures which reference him, and sometimes we even pray for his power. But are we really awake to the power of Jesus available in, among, Read the full article...

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When Grace Does More Than Save

I typically think of Grace (God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense) as that which saves us. We don’t deserve to spend eternity in heaven, but because of grace, God sees Jesus when he looks at us instead of seeing our sin, and welcomes us into his kingdom. So far, so good. Yet if our understanding of Read the full article...

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Preacher On A Plane!

I never, never, NEVER tell “what-happened-to-the-preacher-on-the-plane” stories.    Just the fact that we’re able to jet off to conferences & preaching engagements seems so . . . pretentious.  And some of my clergy brethren and sistren (what did you want, cistern?) are oh-so-cavalier about tossing in a “while I was on a plane” anecdote. Except I Read the full article...

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An Airplane Story

I never, never, NEVER tell “what-happened-to-the-preacher-on-the-plane” stories.    Just the fact that we’re able to jet off to conferences & preaching engagements seems so . . . pretentious.  And some of my clergy brethren and sistren (what did you want, cistern?) are oh-s0-cavalier about tossing in a “while I was on a plane” anecdote. Except I Read the full article...

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Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Southern Novels

Have you noticed it has been hot this summer in the Carolinas? This year’s heat reminds me of my very first summer in Monroe, NC — 1990, that was — and of the times I’d look out my small office window and see red clay patches in the parsonage lawn. And when the heat & Read the full article...

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Crash Test Dummies Finale: The “Gap Years” Sermon Rewind

When I was a little boy, we had some Arch Bible Books around our house. The one I remember most vividly was called Samson’s Secret. What is interesting to me now as an adult and as a pastor is the enormous gap between the Samson of Samson’s Secret and the Samson of the book of Read the full article...

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