As long as man lives in this world and in his present condition, there will be the struggle between the holy and the profane. We can no more rid ourselves of it than we can of heaven and hell, of God and men, or of sin and salvation. No sooner had God given the Law […]
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Author: Rick Shrader
The Purpose Driven Problem
President Theodore Roosevelt said, “Wisdom is nine-tenths a matter of being wise in time. Most of us are too often wise after the event.”1 However true this is of all of us, it is still better to be wise late about something than not wise at all. When I first read Rick Warren’s “Purpose” books […]
Seeker Sensitive or Sinner Sensitive? (p...
The last issue I presented what I believe to be the obvious short-comings of the Seeker Sensitive movement. It has been my observation that this movement, though beginning with good intentions, has strayed from the biblical model of evangelism. “Seekers” have become a market place and the gospel a commodity, the price of which has […]
Seeker Sensitive or Sinner Sensitive? (...
Maybe it’s just me but does it seem as if many are saying that no one has been “sensitive” to “seekers” until the end of the twentieth century? One gets the feeling from such writers that until recently most Christian evangelism was overly aggressive, mean-spirited, and did everything possible to turn sinners off to the […]
The Thesis or Antithesis? (part 3)
This is the third article in a series having to do with a comparison between conservative and contemporary churches. Labels are often unfortunate because contemporary churches may also call themselves fundamental or conservative in certain ways. They usually mean that they are conservative in their list of “doctrinal” beliefs although other beliefs about biblical practices […]
The Thesis or Antithesis? (part 2)
I began last month pointing out the increasing differences between the conservative and contemporary churches. I have tried to spend more time describing the conservative resurgence rather than the contemporary departure (but it has been difficult). This will be a continuation of those descriptions. I have titled these things with the words “Thesis” and “Antithesis” […]
The Thesis or Antithesis? (part 1)
The difference between the conservative and contemporary churches are becoming more evident. A recent pamphlet titled, “Is Your Church Going Purpose Driven?”1 lists 24 visible “signs” that begin to happen when a ministry is in the process of moving from traditional to contemporary. Many people I know who have experienced this kind of change readily […]
For Children and Students and Other Wear...
“There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We would be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering, through meditation on His Word, spiritual strength for labor in His service.”1 Charles Spurgeon A father finds many occasions to give advice to his […]
Can God Stop Evil?
Can God Stop Evil? By Rick Shrader rhaps the most frequently asked question by skeptics today is why God allows evil to exist. From the holocaust to Columbine to 9-11, it has become more common and even acceptable to question why a good God allows human beings to suffer. In 1965 Stewart Zabriskie wrote, […]
Worshippers Who Also Come To Church
I have often said to the people I pastor, “We do not come together to worship; we are worshipers who come together.” Though we use the vernacular “coming to worship” to mean “coming to church,” we must have a better understanding of where and how the real worship is taking place. We know these things, […]