Great preaching with powerful life changing points on which to hang your life. Here are some of my sermon outlines along with notes from sermons I have heard from others that have changed my life. Some of these will be fresh ones I am presently preaching and others will be time tested and faithful points.
Feb 5, 2025 Radically Christian Podcast = This episode of the Radically Christian Bible Study Podcast continues the series on becoming a better Bible student. The conversation centers on how to ask better questions of Scripture and how cultural and generational trends affect biblical interpretation.
The discussion highlights the importance of moving beyond a "what's in it for me?" mindset when reading Scripture. Garrett Best encourages humility in reading Scripture and emphasizes group Bible study for broader perspectives. Key concepts include the value of questioning, wrestling with the text, and seeking transformation rather than simply acquiring knowledge.
Garrett Best, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Bible and Ministry and the Chair of the Department of Bible and Ministry at York University. Garrett has degrees from Freed-Hardeman University, Harding School of Theology (MDiv), and Asbury Theological Seminary (PhD Biblical Studies). He is passionate about helping students discover the depth and beauty of Scripture while fostering transformative learning experiences.
Jan 29, 2025 Radically Christian Podcast = This episode of the Radically Christian Bible Study Podcast is part of our, “How to Be a Better Bible Student” series. Today’s episode addresses the issue of proof-texting. What is proof-texting is? Why is it problematic? And how can we all approach Scripture with greater humility and accuracy.
The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding Scripture within its original context—recognizing historical, cultural, and literary factors. The conversation also touches on the need for humility when interpreting and teaching the Bible. Examples like Philippians 4:13, Jeremiah 29:11, and Hebrews 10:25 highlight how verses are often misused. The episode encourages readers to move beyond shallow interpretations and engage deeply with the broader biblical narrative.
The guest, Boo Scott, preaches for the National Park Church of Christ in Hot Springs, Arkansas. With over a decade of ministry experience in youth and campus ministry, Boo brings a deep passion for preaching and teaching the Word of God. He emphasizes equipping others to be better Bible students and approaches ministry with humility and authenticity.
Does the Bible Mean More than the Authors Intended? with Jared Saltz
Feb 19, 2025 Radically Christian Podcast = In this episode, Wes McAdams and Jared Saltz explore the significance of authorial intent in biblical interpretation. They discuss whether the meaning of a biblical passage is limited to what the human author originally intended or if the Holy Spirit inspired meanings beyond the author’s understanding. They also consider how modern readers can responsibly interpret Scripture without imposing personal biases.
The conversation highlights the balance between respecting an author's intent and recognizing the fuller meaning that is the result of divine inspiration. They examine scriptural examples where biblical authors, prophets, and apostles interpreted past writings in ways that pointed to Jesus. They emphasize that while context and historical understanding are crucial, Scripture’s ultimate meaning unfolds through Christ and the broader story of God’s covenant people.
Jared Saltz is the preacher at the Smoky Hill Church of Christ in Denver, Colorado. Previously, he was a bi-vocational minister and a Bible teacher at a Christian college. Jared has the unique ability to approach biblical studies from the perspective of an academic and a minister, making biblical interpretation accessible to everyday believers.
Our thanks to Phil Eichman for sharing the following article with us on the problem of suffering. Dr. Eichman teaches at SouthArk Community College and is one of my good deacons. Thanks, Phil, for sharing this “good stuff” with us! Dan Williams PREACHER STUFF RESOURCE EXCHANGE College Avenue church of Christ 1817 North College Avenue El Dorado, Arkansas 71730 www.cacoc.org
HOW COULD A LOVING GOD…?
When we ourselves are hurting, when we see the pain and suffering of others, or when we hear of some type of tragedy, we are often left with questions. Often these questions are directed at God. We may, for example, hear people say: “Why did God allow this to happen?” or “Where was God when this happened?”
Left unanswered, such questions can seriously affect a person’s faith. J. B. Phillips has pointed out that the “problem of evil” and the “problem of pain” are “the most serious problems which face anyone of intelligence and sensibility.” He further points out that when faced with suffering or tragedy, people may ask: “If there is a God of Love...how can he allow so much suffering in his creation, how can he permit natural disasters such as earthquakes, and how can we possibly reconcile the existence of evil with the idea of an all-wise, all-powerful, all-loving God?” (God Our Contemporary, Macmillan, 1960).
What is suffering? Suffering could be described as any physical or emotional pain. Such a description, however, may be too simplistic. Some pain, such as that resulting from an illness or injury, may be very intense but only last a short time. Suffering would seem to indicate a more long-term process, resulting from something such as a serious or terminal illness, death of a loved one, a divorce, an accident, or a natural disaster, for example.
At one time or another we have all experienced pain and may have also experienced some type of suffering in our lives. Pain and suffering are universal. No one is exempt. All of us hurt from time to time, even Christians. Different people approach the problem of pain a suffering in various ways. The way in which a person approaches the problem will depend to a large extent to how he or she views God. Here are some examples of how people view the problem of pain and suffering. (Adapted from “Why Would a Loving God Allow Pain and Suffering?” by Jay Lynch, M.D., <http://www.leaderu.com/common/terror/lynch.html>.)
There is no God. This is the conclusion of scientism with its naturalistic explanations. It is also the result of reductionism that views everything within the universe as simply the result of chemical and physical processes and random events. Pain or suffering just happen and nothing can be done about it. It is more a result of “bad luck” than anything else. Individuals with this view would not necessarily blame God for pain and suffering in the world. They may, however, use pain and suffering as an argument against God’s existence.
There is a God but he is not good. This is not as common in Western culture, but is very common in cultures with animistic religions in which the world is seen as being filled with evil spirits. It is possible, however, for a person to be angry with God and question his goodness in a time of pain or suffering. Thus, this response is not as remote as it may seem at first.
I recall such an incident when I was a teenager. A young woman in our congregation was killed when her car was struck by a freight train. The following Sunday morning a man went to the front of the congregation to lead the closing prayer. He began the prayer, but stopped, turned and walked out the door. As far as I know he never returned. He indicated to those who talked to him that he was unable to believe in a God that would allow such a thing to happen. For him God was not good.
Pain and suffering are not real. This is a common response in Eastern religions that see the material world as a delusion. Thus, pain is seen as an illusion--something that is not real.
God is all-powerful and all loving, but he uses pain and suffering to punish us for wrongdoing. This is a common response to pain and suffering and is the main subject of the book of Job. Even today it is common for a person to say: “Why did this happen to me?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” This is the type of thinking that concludes that good things should happen to good people and bad things should happen to bad people.
God is good, but he is not all-powerful. This is the view expressed in the popular book When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Rabbi Harold Kushner. Although this leads to a rather weak view of God, this is probably more popular than we realize. For some people it is evidently easier to believe in a weak God who cannot prevent pain and suffering, than an all-powerful and good God who still allows pain and suffering to exist.
God is good, all-powerful, all knowing, and all loving and he will eventually make things right. The view expressed in the Bible is that God presently allows pain and suffering in our world, but there will come a time when he will bring an end to pain and suffering and make all things right.
This is not necessarily an easy answer to our questions about pain and suffering. It will, however, point us in the right direction. We will still often struggle with the existence of pain and suffering in our world, but as Christians we can do it with the hope that God will eventually make things right.
Mobilizing People For Prayer — God is a loving Father who listens at a moments notice and always answers as quickly. The field of prayer is so vast that it would be difficult to catalog all the varieties of prayer, the rules of prayer and the methods of prayer known to Christian people. But prayer works; we must believe that. Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline said, "We are working with God to determine the future. Certain things will happen in history if we pray rightly." Remember the scripture from James: Elijah prayed that it would not rain, and it didn't; then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. James' presumption is that history would have been different if Elijah had not prayed. So what does it take to help us as individuals have a superior lifestyle of prayer? Let me list four rules.
1. The first rule is praying with faith. "This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (1 John 5:14). The more certain we are that what we are praying for is God's will, the more faith we can have.
2. The second rule of prayer is praying with a pure heart. We must constantly be on guard that the motives behind our prayers are the right motives. "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:3).
3. The third rule of prayer is praying with power. All spiritual power we have comes through God's Word and the Holy Spirit. "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?" and then He immediately adds: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:9-11).
4. The fourth rule of prayer is praying with persistence. Praying about something just one time is not enough; we must pray for it again and again before we see the answer we are expecting. The persistent widow in Luke 18 is a great example of how each of us need to continue to pray persistently and fervently.
