Are churches a spiritual sitcom? A sitcom presents a problem, some humour and ends in thirty minutes with a solution. Sermons can go the same way, A great illustration that brings a smile, a problem addressed, and a simple solution is given all in thirty minutes. Walk away and have no more questions because I just gave you the answer. While I agree the Bible gives all we need for "life and godliness" there are time we wrestle with understanding what it means and how it applies. We can't explain eschatology in 30 minutes leaving no questions. We can't resolve election and freewill by a few wonderful verses that support our view. We can't explain why a nine year old boys life was ended when a toolbox fell crushing his head in a few simple lines. Do we allow people to wrestle with scripture? Do we let people know we garble with scripture because we don't have all the answers?
Some great thoughts taken from Lost and Found, by Ed Stetzer
"Here are a few practical 'take-aways' that will help cultivate depth in your ministry.
- Teach the entire Bible, even the difficult sections.
- Foster discussion in Bible Study and teaching.
- Address tough topics and answer difficult questions.
- Do no be afraid to say, 'I don't know'
- Empower everyone to look for answers.
- Place a priority on Scripture memorization.
- Distribute the responsibility of spiritual growth to both leaders and learners.
- Provide opportunities to learn about worldview and other regions.
- Make apologetics a priority.
- Provide exegetical Bible teaching.
- Sing theologically sound music.
- Promote life application to Scripture.
- Establish climates of honesty and openness.
- Provide multiple bible study options per week.
- Encourage examination.
- Pray
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