God is Love

theyeartheworldendedOur newest book is coming out in a month, entitled “The Year the World Ended.” It is a love story and a story of my life in UBF for 29 years as a Bible student, Shepherd, and Director of UBF near the Northern Kentucky University Campus. It a story of how God led me out of a cage into the glorious freedom of love and grace in Christ. This book is not to bash UBF but to share the true story of how I came to find love and Christ in a deeper way near the Ohio river. If anyone would like a copy, please contact me at kentuckybigbear49 @ yahoo.com. The book is being put together now by our publisher.
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Critique My Deuteronomy Sermon

critiquePlease critique my sermon for this Sun (Jan 12, 2014) entitled Sin (Dt 1:1-46). [Don’t follow the picture’s advice. I am thick skinned enough, I think.] Since I preach extemporaneously, I do not read my sermon but preach freely by following the three part outline based on my preperation. When I recently studied this lesson with others, a group at West Loop liked the Bible study, while another group felt that my explanation of sin was simplistic and narrow. I learned much from the critique. Nonetheless, I thought that the theme of sin (Dt 1:41) was faithful to the text and not eisogesis. What do you think? I may incorporate your thoughts and comments if I am able to fit it in with the flow of the sermon on Sun. Thanks.

What if God loves Esau?

jDuring my arranged marriage process, someone asked my wife, “Do you want to marry a man like Jacob or like Esau?” My wife said Jacob, of course. And so I was deemed her “Jacob”. I suppose my wife didn’t realize I am probably more like Esau than Jacob, but that’s a story for another article. Last year I began reading some of the classic books by authors who have contributed much to the kingdom of God, due to my participation in two different cohort study groups. I am reading a range of authors from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Brother Lawrence to John H. Armstrong, Lesslie Newbiggin and Henri Nouwen. I’ve also read numerous un-fundamentalist bloggers, such as Benjamin Corey and Rachel Held Evans. These authors challenged me to expand and refine my notion of “church”, the love of God and the grace of God. Through all of this reading, the Holy Spirit impressed various words on me, and guided me through hundreds of Scriptures.
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Read the Bible – Trying and Doing

yoda1Do you read the Bible daily? I believe that all Christ followers know that we should read the Bible regularly, consistently and faithfully, if not daily. Do you? For a decade in the 80s and 90s, I read the entire Bible once a year. But I only read the Bible and nothing else. Over the last few years, I began reading Bible commentaries and books to help me understand the Bible. But I stopped reading the Bible alone. My Bible reading was to read books explaining the Bible. I read books to help me prepare for sermons, Bible studies and blogging. I felt guilty that I stopped reading the Bible out of love and devotion to Christ, but as a means to preaching, teaching and blogging.

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Francis Chan’s Anointed Sermon

francis-chan-preachingFrancis Chan preached in Kansas City at the One Thing 2013 IHOP conference on Dec 30, 2013. A friend who attended sent me the link to Chan’s sermon. I was moved to tears by Chan’s passion. This is my recollection and my brief reflections of his sermon after watching it once. Continue reading →