“For too long we have been tickling palates with fancy flavors, spicy relishes, and clever recipes borrowed from the world. Too many pulpits serve gourmet theology with menus from Hollywood and are trying to please the jaded appetites of the fed-up humanity. But what we really need is some old-fashioned salt. And if we do not start producing more of it in our churches, we shall be good for nothing.” - Vance HavnerTitle: "Out of the Saltshaker"Text: Matthew 5:13 Outline: I. IntroductionSodium Chloride - salt - gets a lot of bad press these days. It is blamed for everything from...

It struck me one day in a Christian bookstore that most of the "church growth" books I picked up in that store were not books on vision but on image. They hadn't been published to help me see the world in a particular way but to help the world see me - were I a megachurch pastor - in a particular way. They were books that enticed the pastor of limited self-image to be like somebody else the world admired. What a cul-de-sac of emotional poverty this is. These books were published to serve the idolatries of megapastor wannabes. -...

It was good to be back in my pulpit yesterday. I missed being with MSMBC last Sunday. And I was very eager to preach. A simple act of kindness - the gift of three cough drops before church - helped calm my anxieties about the day. It was a simple act through which God communicated that he was with me. I got more comments yesterday about what a blessing Pastor Elliot Ivey was to the congregation last Sunday. My constant response was, "I told you so." We had quite a few first and second time guests in our two services....

God willing, I will resume my study of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) this coming Lord's Day. On the first Sunday of July, I finished our mini-series on the beatitudes of Jesus. The next portion of Jesus' famous sermon is recorded in Matthew 5:13-16. In these verses, Jesus explains how we can maximize our impact and influence for the kingdom of heaven with two word pictures: salt and light. It is my plan to preach these two passages separately. This Sunday, I plan to preach on Matthew 5:13: "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt...

This morning, I had a conversation with a trusted mentor and cherished friend. I called him to seek his advice. Little did I know, he was planning to call me on an unrelated matter. As always, this friend's advice proved to be insightful, challenging, and encouraging. He listened. He spoke carefully about the subject, but freely about his view of me. It was just the kind of conversation I needed to have today. God is good! By the way - and I know this is absolutely none of my business - but I hope that you have godly, trustworthy people...

One of the discussion questions in our small group meeting tonight was, "What difference does prayer make in your life?" One sister answered, simply, "It's the difference between a good day and a bad day." She explained that prayer makes all the difference in her day, even though it may not change the details of the day. Prayer makes the difference in how I respond to the circumstances of my day, she said. This dear sister was absolutely right. Indeed, there are times when God responds to our prayers by direct, divine intervention that changes things in our lives in...

Yesterday, I preached at the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. This was my second time preaching at Shiloh. And, once again, the congregation received my ministry very warmly. I pray that the messages ministered to the congregation in a helpful way. May God grant the increase. I preached two messages - Job 1 at 8 AM; Genesis 50 at 10 AM. For some reason, I was much more relaxed in the second meeting. But I was able to say most of what I felt I should say in both services. I lost my voice in the middle of...

I am reading The Incredible Journey of Faith by Ray Pritchard. It is small work. But it is taking me some time to read it. It seems that every couple of pages, I stumble over some statement that I am forced to wrestle with before I can go on. It happened to me again last night, as I was reading a chapter that focuses on a petition of the model prayer: "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10b). Pritchard calls this petition that hardest prayer you will ever pray. And I agree with him....

A friend of mine called me last week to check on me. During the conversation, he affirmed that he was and is covering me with believing prayer. Specifically, he said that he was praying that I would be able to hear "the next word." Of course, I asked what that statement meant. He then referenced Genesis chapter 22. He went on to explain. But I already knew the point he was trying to make. I have another friend who has often used Genesis 22 to warn me not to kill Isaac prematurely or unnecessarily. Genesis 22 records the story in...

Jesus said to be happy when we’re persecuted. Persecution can be good because: (1) it takes our eyes off earthly rewards, (2) it strips away superficial believers, (3) it strengthens the faith of those who endure, and (4) it serves as an example to others who may follow us. We can be comforted to know that God’s greatest prophets were persecuted in the past (Elijah, Jeremiah, Daniel). Our persecution in the present means we have shown ourselves to be faithful. In the future God will reward the faithful by letting them enter his eternal kingdom where there is no more...

Yesterday was a great day of worship and fellowship at MSMBC. Communion Sunday is always a special time in the life of our congregation. Yesterday was no exception. The attendance was good yesterday, even though it was a holiday weekend. Some of our summer small-groups and Sunday school classes kicked-off yesterday. There are four or five groups that will meet at different places around the campus during our two worship services. My assistant, George Hurtt, made it home safely from his short-term missions trip to Haiti this past week. Praise the Lord for blessing his labors and bringing him safely...

But if Jesus died for the sins of the world, then those sins committed after his death are just as responsible for putting him on a cross as the sins committed before. This truth makes it impossible to love Jesus and knowingly transgress the law of God. It's like saying you love someone while you are twisting a knife in his back - the ultimate in mixed messages. Seeing the cause and effect between my present tense sin and Christ's past tense death might mean I will have to do something about sinning beyond casually accepting God's grace. - John...