by Angela Sanders | Jan 25, 2017
I am not a pastor, so I don’t know what it’s like to try to write two or three sermons a week that inspire, challenge and get people talking, especially when you’re expected to teach from the same book week after week, month after month, year after year and decade after decade, the very same book, by the way, that your congregants hold in their Sunday school laps and keep on their bedside tables.
The pressure to keep things fresh must be great, the temptation to put a ‘new spin’ on old truth even greater, but before you give in to that temptation, let me give you five reasons to preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth of God’s Word, the Bible.
- There aren’t a lot of people doing it. Honestly, there are so many preachers, speakers and teachers out there putting their own spin on truth that people are getting dizzy…and maybe a little nauseous. Want to stand out? Preach the Bible. Stand firm. Hold fast. Dig deep. Deliver a clear, concise message from Its pages that people can hold onto while their eyes focus and their stomachs settle.
- The Bible touches hearts. “For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Want to stir things up? Want to make people squirm? Preach the Bible. God will take it from there.
- The Bible gets results. “As the rain and snow come down from Heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish…so is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isa 55:10-11). Want people to respond to what you say? Preach the Bible. You may not get to see the harvest with your own two eyes, but you can rest assured it’s coming.
- It will win you the respect of those who walk in step with the Spirit. “…By setting forth the truth plainly, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing” (2 Cor 4:2-3). Want to build a solid network of support? Preach the Bible. If you do, the Holy Spirit Who lives in the hearts of those who obey the Gospel and so belong to God will nod in agreement when you speak and point you out as being someone they can trust. The lost may not buy in at first—they may even balk—but they’ll come around once the seed takes root.
- It will spare you grief and punishment in the end. I testify to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of this prophetic book, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, written in this book” (Rev 22:18-19). Want to enjoy peace with God when all is said and done? Preach the Bible. Sure, you can get creative with your presentation, and you should be enthusiastic in your delivery, but whatever you do, don’t alter the content of the Book you’re teaching.
Listen, pastor, speaker, Bible teacher—and anyone else who claims to know a thing or two about the Bible—your job is not to inspire, challenge or even to get people talking. Your job is to handle accurately the Word of Truth and leave the rest up to the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 2:15). Just stick to the script.
by Angela Sanders | Jan 10, 2017
When my husband was a boy, he and his brother often opened Christmas gifts with their cousins. Giddy with excitement, they tore into boxes with their initials on them and, holding their take high, thanked the givers for what they’d gotten.
At least, that’s how it happened early on.
“Oh, wait!” an aunt or uncle would say. “That gift isn’t yours! That one was supposed to be for your brother (or cousin). It’s his. So sorry! I must have marked it wrong.”
Laughing if the gift was a sweater and holding a smile in place by sheer will if the gift was a toy, they’d turn it over to the rightful owner and move on to the next gift.
It didn’t take the boys long to learn that tags could not be trusted, and they began to open their gifts with a bit more caution, trying not to become emotionally invested until they knew for sure which gifts were theirs and which belonged to their cousins.
Wouldn’t you?
At the start of this new year, it seems that many have resolved to read their Bible more. With every drag of my finger, a new ‘Bible verse’ pops up on my feed, stylized and pretty, complete with seriffed font and a Bible reference bow to tie it up tight, each a gift from those posting to those scrolling.
While I appreciate the sentiment and motivation behind these posts, I can’t help but wonder whether some of them are at least partly to blame for the skepticism some feel toward Christianity, the Bible, and God Himself.
Many of these inspirational posts are not Bible verses at all, but homespun and incorrect interpretations and/or paraphrases of Scripture masquerading as truth, attached Bible references completing their disguise.
Some are actual Bible verses that have been taken out of context, context that is necessary for their correct interpretation and application.
Others are actual Bible verses, usually promises of some kind, intended for a very specific and limited audience and not for all of mankind.
Rather than leading the lost to salvation or the saved into deeper intimacy with God, posts like these can mislead, hinder, and confuse the work of the Holy Spirit Whose job it is to convict hearts of sin, reveal the Truth of the Gospel, and draw hearts to salvation through Jesus Christ and intimacy with the Father.
Let me explain.
When reading such posts, those who are numb to the Holy Spirit, for whatever reason, open what they are given, toss aside what they don’t like, and cling to what makes them feel better, in some cases, believing things that aren’t true and, in other cases, claiming promises that don’t belong to them, making it more difficult for the Holy Spirit to convict and direct.
Those who are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, whether they be lost seekers being drawn by the Spirit or believers, open what they are given, but, try as they might, are unable to find encouragement and joy in it. The Holy Spirit, Who testifies to the Gospel, helps us discern right from wrong, and guides us into all truth, won’t let them. These people know what they’ve been handed is not for them. Uneasy, they hesitate to trust and accept. Some grow skeptical of Scripture in general, the very tool by which the Holy Spirit would lead them to and deepen their faith.
Knowing how God feels about those who cause others to stumble (Luke 17:2), surely none of us would do so on purpose. So why? Why in the world do we twist, mutilate, and misuse God’s Word?
- Some of us are gullible. Either lost or immature in our faith, we lack or neglect to apply discernment. Believing anything and everything that sounds biblical or churchy or makes us feel something we interpret to be positive, we pass it on and, unwittingly, become a stumbling block.
- Some of us are lazy. We know that we should check everything against Scripture, evaluating not only content, but the importance of context and audience, especially before passing it on with a label that reads ‘To: Everyone,’ but that takes too long. If it sounds right or even pretty close to what we think we’ve heard or read before, we neglect our responsibility to rightly divide the Word of Truth and allow potentially damaging half-truth—which is falsehood—to slip through our fingers, underestimating the damage it could do.
- Some of us are arrogant. Overconfident in our ability to interpret and paraphrase Scripture or deciding in our own wisdom that a personal Word from the Lord specific to a particular circumstance or situation we are going through must be applicable and heard by the masses, we spit out half-chewed human wisdom for others to swallow, label it ‘From: God’ by adding a reference and leaving our own name off, and so join the ranks of the Serpent.
- Some of us know exactly what we’re doing, but lack faith in the Holy Sprit’s ability to do His job. We dilute and decorate the Truth in an effort to make the Gospel, God, Jesus, and the Bible more accessible and attractive to others and inadvertently put ourselves square in the way of those who need to find Jesus.
So, should we just stop posting?
Not at all!
We just have to make sure that what we post is, in fact, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
How?
- Before posting or reposting anything, check it against Scripture. Don’t rely on memory or trust others to do it for you.
- Don’t post anything that doesn’t match up with Scripture exactly, and call others on it when they do.
- When context is crucial to accurate interpretation and application of a particular verse, either include that context or don’t post at all.
- When quoting Scripture directly, use quotation marks. When paraphrasing, say so!
- When posting Scripture intended for a specific audience, such as obedient Christ-followers only, indicate that audience so others don’t walk away thinking they own something they don’t.
Brothers and sisters, God’s Word is a gift worth giving, a gift you must give. Just be sure to check the content and get your labels right before passing it out so what’s yours and mine may one day be theirs!
by Angela Sanders | Dec 19, 2016
“What do you want for Christmas?!?!” A text from my son, about three weeks ago.
My response?
“Undivided attention and LOTS of hugs!!!! <3”
I don’t think he believed me, but I was completely serious.
At this stage in my life, I can, for the most part, buy what I want for myself, not that I don’t enjoy a thoughtful gift bought with someone else’s hard-earned money and appreciate the sacrifice involved in the giving of that gift.
I do!
It’s just that I want the things that can’t be bought so much more, and the opportunities I have to enjoy them from and with my children are growing fewer and farther between.
I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. I checked!
A random poll of my Facebook friends—this is all very scientific, of course—revealed that my other friends with college kids want, in some form or another, the same three things from their kids this Christmas that I want from mine.
Curious? Here they are, in no particular order. Note that quotes taken from the FB poll are in quotation marks.
- Time. We know you’ve got places to go and people to see, but, we guarantee you, none of those people will appreciate face time with you more than we would, and you’ll find no warmer welcome than the one we would offer anywhere else you might roam. Settle in. Stick around long enough for meaningful conversations to develop and for new memories to be made. Let us know that for X amount of time, you are ours and ours alone, so that we can relax and enjoy you instead of feeling like we have to compete with the unexpected social invitations that keep your phone buzzing and keep us hopping back and forth between “grateful and content” and “graceful loser” mode.
- Attention. Speaking of phones, could we just turn them off for a while? Please? Like, maybe for a whole day or group of days or, if that’s too much to ask, a solid chunk of predictable time, like mornings or afternoons or evenings? You may not be texting, but if you’re picking up your phone to check social media, you’re still splitting time. In fact, the time you spend on social media is probably more damaging to the quality of the time we get to spend with you than texting. At least when you’re texting, you’re focused on a single, intentional conversational thread. When you open up social media, you open wide an unfiltered portal to the outside world, say, “Tell me what to think about right now,” and split the time we do have with you grossly in the world’s favor, letting it affect the tone, mood, momentum, and focus of any special moment we might be enjoying or memory we might be in the middle of making. Just as you wouldn’t leave the front door open, let strangers wander through and guide thought and conversation, please don’t check your phone constantly. Instead, talk to us. Listen to us. “Let us tell you how much we love you and how proud we are of you.” Let conversation develop. “Play games.” Help with holiday preparations. Maintain eye contact. “Smile, laugh,” and give us a chance to love on you like we did when you were little. As one friend put it, “I’d love a hug or some couch time with a head on my shoulder!”
- Peace. For you and for us. Please don’t bring the chaos and controversy of college life and conversation home with you. Instead, let us provide a haven for you from those things. Quiet your mind. Calm your spirit. “Rest and recharge.” Give your body the rest that it needs, and those of us who not only love you, but yearn and feel with you, those of us whose hearts are literally tethered to yours for all eternity will be able to do the same. Remember how to play and give us a glimpse of the child you were, the child you still are on the inside no matter how grown up the world says you should be by now. “Hang out. Have fun!” “Quote movies. Play guitar.” “Sing.”
Listen, kids—sorry, but you’ll always be kids to your parents!!—we know you’re broke. We know you’re stressed. We know that, with finals and papers and jobs/responsibilities on top of that, you haven’t had the time we might have had to think or do much about Christmas or gift giving at this point.
We’ve been there. We get it!
As the Scottish might say, “Don’t fash yourself!”
In other words, don’t fret!
If you feel you must put something under the tree—and this is actually a very thoughtful idea—write your intentions for giving time, attention, and peace this break, or even one day during break, in the form of a coupon or deck of redeemable tokens, wrap it, and put it under the tree for us to open so we know that the time and attention we’re receiving is a conscious gift from your heart to ours, but please don’t waste the time we could have together working extra hours to buy or running all over creation to find the perfect tangible gift.
All we want for Christmas is you!
by Angela Sanders | Dec 8, 2016
I’m not a runner, but I ran 10 miles last week. I’m not a fiction writer, but I’ve written more than 600 words of a Christmas short story in the last few days.
Why?
Someone challenged me.
They didn’t bowl me over with lofty ideals and hard-to-reach goals.
Quite the contrary.
Instead, they challenged me to one. One mile a day. One hundred words.
Easy.
So easy, in fact, that I didn’t think twice about starting.
So doable that I’ve passed these goals more often than not in the short amount of time I’ve been in motion—albeit slow-motion—toward doing. Toward producing.
And that got me thinking.
What if we Christians took the same approach to this walking the walk and talking the talk business that the members of my challenge groups and I are taking with one another as we push ourselves and one another to grow and progress?
What if, instead of focusing on we’re yet not and letting the Enemy beat us up, we were to focus on what we could do, what we could be?
Right now.
Today.
What if we challenged each other to baby steps?
What if we rose to the challenge?
What if, instead of harboring a spirit of competition and comparison in our hearts, we put a lid on the pride and arrogance, encouraged our brothers and sisters at all stages of spiritual development, and celebrated freely what God accomplished in and through us?
I think we would mature in our faith. All of us. Maybe not by leaps and bounds, but steadily, building brick by brick a solid foundation of practical experience and weaving strand by strand a network of familial support we could stand on, lean into, when needed.
I think we just might become what the Church was meant to be.
So how do we get there? I think it happens one step at a time.
One kind word spoken.
One good deed done.
One promised prayer prayed.
One phone call made.
One sincere smile offered.
One hug or handshake shared.
One minute you didn’t have to give given.
One killer come-back kept back.
One sacrificial gift presented.
One anything that costs us, honors the Father, and gives the Holy Spirit space to move.
So what do you say? Are you game? Let’s do and be more for His glory!
You are hereby challenged to one!
by Angela Sanders | Nov 23, 2016
While everyone is giving thanks and counting their blessings, I’d like to share one of mine.
I’m a minister’s wife, and I love it.
I do!
Sure, my family and I live in a fish bowl, go through ridiculously busy seasons, see the dark side of people, suffer separation, make less money than some folks our age, and deal with critics, but there are also plenty of perks that come with the job.
Here are my favorite five:
1. Bible study is part of my husband’s job. God’s Word doesn’t return to Him void (Isa. 55:11), and my husband gets a healthy, regular dose, which can only mean good things for the kids and for me.
2. My kids and I get to participate in his work. We may not always want to, but we get to whenever we do. As long as we respect professional boundaries, our presence is not only accepted, but encouraged and appreciated.
3. It gives me an ‘in’ to share the Gospel and minister to people. They just expect it from a minister’s wife, so there’s not a lot of awkwardness once they know my affiliation. I can jump right in, and they don’t even flinch.
4. We are held accountable. Someone’s always watching. When I don’t feel like making the right choice for myself and am tempted to give in and fall back on God’s mercy and grace, just knowing that my actions could trip others up always gives me the push I need to stay on track. In fact, I shudder to think where I might be without the watchers.
5. We get a front row seat to what God is doing. Not just in our lives, but in the lives of those around us and in the lives of those around them. The testimonies we hear of God’s faithfulness are more exciting than floor seats at a Thunder game, more encouraging than feel-good flicks, and more energizing than Arbonne fizz sticks, exponentially so!
Listen, celebrities and politicians live in a fish bowl. Public accountants and retail people go through ridiculously busy seasons. Doctors, counselors, and law enforcement agents see the dark side of people. Soldiers and pilots suffer separation from their families. Teachers hold their breath until payday sometimes, and every coach that’s ever lived has dealt with their share of critics.
But none of these vocations boast in completion the particular set of perks that my family enjoys.
Now, I won’t pretend there haven’t been moments when my husband and I seriously considered getting out, but I’m so glad now that we didn’t.
All things considered, I’d have to say that being a minister’s wife is a pretty great gig!