I'm listening to a neat sermon by my pastor

[Colabomb]

Its a good one I thought everyone might be interested in.

You need itunes to get it.

I initially posted a link but its bad.l

If you are at all interested, go into the podcast section of Itunes and look up come and see by Father Ron Baird. The Sermon is called Worthy of the Call of Ministry?

[erin74]

Found it - will give it a listen.

[erin74]

Finished.

Warning - I am a bit of a critical thinker/listener. It's kind of how I think through things....

Not sure I agree with him about the numbers thing - but I am going to do some reading/thinking about that one.

Concerns - was this exegeting the passage, or a motivational speech with it's roots in the gospel. Some of his points were obviously biblical, but I would have liked him to show me that.

I also do not like guilt as a motivator - I don't think the bible uses guilt to motivate, and so have a guilt radar attached to me. I think he could have acheived the same thing with biblical motivation rather than guilt, and that it has more desirable long term effects. I worry that people who base their actions on guilt eventually either burn out or become jaded with the church. I think it is far better to motivate from the bible -there's plenty of motivation there.

But I am going to follow up on the numbers thing - he certainly made me think on that one. I also liked what he had to say on worthiness - it's so easy to get that the wrong way around as a christian.

Sorry if this is overly critical. I really don't set out to be critical, but when I listen to someone new I am always more critical.

[karen freeinchristman]

Finished.

Warning - I am a bit of a critical thinker/listener. It's kind of how I think through things....

Not sure I agree with him about the numbers thing - but I am going to do some reading/thinking about that one.

Concerns - was this exegeting the passage, or a motivational speech with it's roots in the gospel. Some of his points were obviously biblical, but I would have liked him to show me that.

I also do not like guilt as a motivator - I don't think the bible uses guilt to motivate, and so have a guilt radar attached to me. I think he could have acheived the same thing with biblical motivation rather than guilt, and that it has more desirable long term effects. I worry that people who base their actions on guilt eventually either burn out or become jaded with the church. I think it is far better to motivate from the bible -there's plenty of motivation there.

But I am going to follow up on the numbers thing - he certainly made me think on that one. I also liked what he had to say on worthiness - it's so easy to get that the wrong way around as a christian.

Sorry if this is overly critical. I really don't set out to be critical, but when I listen to someone new I am always more critical.
Not that it's any of my business (I haven't heard the sermon, either), but I think it's great to have healthy constructive criticism given if someone is going to post a sermon here. I found your criticism interesting. :)

I wouldn't think that all sermons have to be pure exegesis, but I did get a good tip once from a respected preacher that sermons should show that the ideas presented are not just the preacher's good ideas, but are God's good ideas, demonstrated with scripture back-up.

[erin74]

I agree - but it is also really important to have context. Afterall, otherwise you can make the bible say whatever you want it to.
That's why good exegesis is so important. What is it they say "a text without a context is a pretext to a prooftext", or the easier to remember "a text without a context is a con" - which doesn't really work but it sounds good! For that to work it would be a context without a text is a con, which makes no sense.... but hey if it helps to create good exegesis what does it matter!

[Colabomb]

I have no problem with constructive criticism :)