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What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

Larry Wessels, director of Christian Answers of Austin, Texas / Christian Debater (YouTube channel CANSWERSTV; websites: BIBLEQUERY.ORG, HISTORYCART.COM & MUSLIMHOPE.COM) presents this video on the subject of Roman Catholicism. Currently this

Larry Wessels, director of Christian Answers of Austin, Texas/ Christian Debater (websites: BIBLEQUERY ORG, HISTORYCART COM & MUSLIMHOPE COM; also recommended on the subject of Roman Catholicism is former priest Richard Bennett's BEREANBEACON ORG)

Larry Wessels, director of Christian Answers of Austin, Texas/ Christian Debater (websites: BIBLEQUERY ORG, HISTORYCART COM & MUSLIMHOPE COM; see also Richard Bennett's website, BEREANBEACON ORG) presents this debate between a former Roman

“Many Christians had hoped that voters would not grant him a second term as prime minister of the world's largest democracy,” Thonhauser wrote in a recent issue of the Catholic Herald. “While Modi won his first elections primarily on economic and reform-oriented ideas, this time his party focused on Indian identity and the Hindu nation.”

I’m excited to announce The Erwins will be our musical guests for the 2020 Todd Starnes Fall Getaway! The Erwins are one of the top bands in Southern Gospel music — and they are also from Texas! They are going to bless our hearts with some incredible music and testimony! I hope you will join […]The post The Erwins To Perform at 2020 Todd Starnes Fall Getaway appeared first on Todd Starnes.

This week, Terrie and I celebrate thirty-three years of ministry at Lancaster Baptist Church with the Anniversary Sunday and host the Spiritual Leadership Conference. (And I hope you're planning to join us!)Before guests arrive for the conference, however, I wanted to share with our church family some convictions regarding ministry that I am as convinced of today as I was in 1986. Last week, I preached a message titled “This I Believe” in which I shared four such convictions.Whether you are just starting out in the ministry or have been preaching the gospel for decades, remembering and holding to these truths from God's Word will keep you going during seasons of challenge and difficulty.These convictions aren't helpful because you believe them, but they are truths that help you when you believe.1. The Power of the GospelFor I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.—Romans 1:16Following Romans 1:16, one of the great declarations of the power of the gospel, the Apostle Paul describes the darkened, hardened hearts of a culture in need of the gospel. We see many of these marks of depravity in our culture today.Thankfully, at Lancaster Baptist Church, we've also seen the power of the gospel to change lives—one person at a time.The fact is that the gospel is more powerful than the dark hearts, false worship, vile affections, and reprobate minds described in Romans 1.If you don't believe in the power of the gospel, you will become discouraged or jaded in ministry. But when you believe that the gospel is the “power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth,” you want to continue to preach it. You rejoice in every life it changes. And you never lose hope for those who still need salvation.2. The Potential of ChildrenBut Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.—Matthew 19:14One of the blessings of spending over three decades in one church is performing the weddings of those you prayed over on baby dedication Sundays. It is watching the spiritual fruit in the lives of young families who were once children attending Sunday school. It is seeing God shape new generations of biblically-committed, Spirit-filled, Christ-centered Christians in this world.But whether or not you've had the privilege of being in once place for a long period of time, the reality of potential in children is there. This is why a Christ-centered church must be a child-inclusive church that nurtures and disciples hearts for God.We must continue to bring children to church—by discipling parents who already come and by sharing the love of Christ with children whose parents are not yet saved.We must also teach children. Paul affirmed to Timothy, “that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Children face unrelenting indoctrination from a corrupt culture. We must point their hearts to Christ and equip their minds with the truth.3. The Priority of the Church But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.—1 Timothy 3:15The local church is a body of believers that is supposed to function as a place of teaching and building up (Ephesians 4:11–16), encouraging and loving (Acts 2:46), and holding sound doctrine (1 Timothy 3:15, Titus 1:9).As a family, the local church has challenges. If it has real people, it has messy people. That's just the nature of life and the process of sanctification for all of us. But the church is to be a place where sin is confronted (1 Corinthians 5:1–5) and the fallen are restored (Galatians 6:1–2).The local church is God's plan for reaching the world with the gospel (Acts 1:8). Above all, it is the place where Christ is to be given preeminence (Colossians 1:18).Although there are certainly times when those of us who lead in local church ministry become weary, remembering the priority of the church—to Christ who loved it and gave Himself for it, to those within our church families who need the church to grow into Christlikeness, and to a lost world in need of the gospel—reminds us of the greatness of any ministry that is part of the local church.4. The Provision of God's GraceAnd he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.—2 Corinthians 12:9God's grace is sufficient.It is sufficient for your family. It is sufficient for your financial challenges. It is sufficient for your trials. It is sufficient for your ministry. It is sufficient.When you face challenges in your life or ministry and consider if you can continue, the answer is always yes. Yes, you can.Because of God's grace.Because of the priority of the church.Because of the potential of children.Because of the power of the gospel.

Idea Scavenging I get questions fairly regularly. “Where do you get photos and artwork?” “What software do you use?” etc. There is one question I get asked more often than any other, “Where do you guys come up with those ideas?” It makes me smile because typically the person asking has some misguided hope that there is some single, magical source that contains great ideas. I can see in their eyes the hope that I will reveal to them this secret book, or well hidden website that is somehow supernaturally filled with ideas and inspiration. Well, sorry to disappoint, but there is no single, mystical, creative idea filled book, or website. No supernatural crystals applied to your forehead, glasses, or mouse to guarantee effective communication seed thoughts exist.The short and somewhat disappointing answer is that ideas take much time and work. Some designers may be extremely gifted, and have more ideas than they know what to do with, but not me. I really have to work for ideas, I have to scavenge for them. They typically do not “just come to me.” So here are some of techniques I use to scavenge for ideas. I hope they will be a help to you:PrayIt is not just spiritual talk. There is no more creative force in the universe than the One who created all that is, and He resides within you. So pray for ideas that will help communicate the truth.Define and applyWhether in print, web, or video one of the first steps for me in trying to come up with a creative idea is to really understand what I am trying to communicate. Not just what information, but what feelings, and context. Ask yourself, “Is this project supposed to be high-energy and exciting; is it supposed to be calm and reflective; should it feel feminine, or masculine, or childish?� Once you have defined what your project is supposed to feel like, you can apply that feeling to all of the design elements. If a project is supposed to feel high-energy and exciting, ask yourself what colors, typefaces, shapes, strokes, photos, and artwork express excitement, and use those elements.Study the work of othersI am not necessarily talking about a straight copy of someone else's design, but you can study the layout, the use of color or photos. It is better to look at a design and try to dissect the principles used to make it great than it is just to copy it. Ask yourself, “Why do I like this design?” But, in a pinch, just copying a design works too—don't look at me like that; we have all done it :-)Do somethingRarely do ideas come to me as I stare at a blank screen or sheet of paper. If nothing else is working you can start by just assembling the information that needs to go on the page or website. Ideas often come as you start laying out and moving around the pieces. Often ideas come from sheer accident. I know many times I have hit the wrong key command, but thought to myself, hey, that looks pretty good. As you exercise yourself to do something, one idea leads to another, which eventually might lead to a good one.� FocusWhen I really need some creative idea, I will often shut off my email and phone and clear off my desk. Thinking creatively is hard work and my brain is lazy, so if it has the opportunity to skip over and think about a menial email, or random paper on my desk, it will. Get back to work, brain!Start outside the boxSometimes if I am working at it but the creative juices are not flowing yet, I will put down my usual tools (layout program, keyboard, and mouse) and pick up a sheet of paper and a pencil. Thinking about a different way a piece can fold, or a different shape it could be can inspire some great ideasThese are some techniques that have helped me and I hope they are helpful to you as well. What are some of the things you do to come up with creative ideas?

3 Harmful Aspects of Public Schools The education of our children is a grave responsibility for every parent. For years, Anna and I have counseled Christian parents to either homeschool their children or to have them in a quality Christian school. I tell people that one of the primary reasons our children are serving the Lord today is because we kept them out of public school and gave them a Christian education.Our primary focus has been on protecting children from the many negative influences found in the public school system. Though there are many dedicated public school teachers who truly care about their students, the public school can be very damaging to the Christian student. Let me repeat, I do believe there are dedicated Christian schoolteachers in public schools; and I believe that the public school is a great mission field for these dedicated servants.However, the public school can be very hurtful to Christian young people for the following reasons:1. The Secular World ViewIn 1962, by Supreme Court decision, prayer was outlawed in our public schools. In 1963, the Supreme Court followed up by saying that Bible reading would be outlawed in our public schools. From that time, the quality of our education has decreased.� The Bible says that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. With the exclusion of God, our educational system could not do anything but decline. The humanistic philosophy of our present society has great influence in our public schools and will have a harmful negative effect on our Christian students.2. Teachers Who Are Anti-GodAs I said, many good, solid, Bible-believing Christian teachers are in our public schools. However, the vast majority of teachers in public schools are not Christians.� Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”God tells us that, as adults, we should not sit in the counsel of the ungodly. If God doesn't want us to sit there, then why would we send our children to be taught by men and women who deny the Lord Jesus Christ? It certainly isn't the wisest thing we could do.3. Negative Peer PressureBy far, the most negative thing about the public school system is the negative peer pressure that Christian children receive. There is a constant pressure to conform to the new fads of this world.I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind….—Romans 12:1–2Young people are continually pressured to be conformed to this world in their dress, in their music, in their lifestyle, and in their morality. When a child spends thirty to forty hours a week in school with friends who see nothing wrong with vulgar, inappropriate music, movies, language, and lifestyle, they will be pressured to conform to that immoral behavior.However, having said all that, I want to share with you an article that I recently read put out by the Council for American Private Education. In this article, a study is quoted that was published in issue three of volume eighty-seven of The Peabody Journal of Education. The study was done, not by a Christian organization, but by a senior fellow of the Witherspoon Institution in Princeton, New Jersey, and a professor at California State University, Long Beach. I think you will appreciate a portion of this article.Students in religious schools enjoy a significant academic advantage over their counterparts in traditional public schools and charter schools, according to the findings from a meta-analysis of 90 studies on the effects of schools conducted by William Jeynes, senior fellow at the Witherspoon Institute in Priceton, New Jersey, and a professor at California State University, Long Beach. The study was published in issue 3 of volume 87 of the Peabody Journal of Education.� “The results indicate that attending private religious schools is associated with the highest level of academic achievement among the three school types, even when sophisticated controls are used to adjust for socioeconomic status,” according to the report.“I was quite surprised that students from charter schools did no better than their counterparts in traditional public schools,” wrote Jeynes in an email message to CAPE. At the start of the study, he was expecting to see higher levels of performance from charters.� “To the extent that neither traditional public schools nor charter schools are succeeding on a broad scale, it appears that the best hope for American education is religious private schools,” said Jeynes. “Not only are they considerably more economically efficient, but their students obtain better results.” He said the nation should “rethink its strategy of espousing charter schools and overlooking the benefits of faith-based education.”1� Christian education is the choice of even secular educators today. I would encourage you to consider that as you prepare to enroll your child for the next school year.1Council for American Private Education (2013). Study Finds Advantages for Students in Faith-Based Schools. CAPE Outlook, 1.