9 Principles Of Ministry

Did you know that if you are a Christ-follower then you are a minister? You’ve been given the work of ministry! In Luke 10:1-16 we find out what Jesus had to say to his disciples as he sent them out on a missions trip. Along the way we discover 9 guiding principles of ministry.

Follow along with the online sermon notes or download this PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.

Four Lessons From Frustration

If you find yourself frustrated, we have good news for you. Even Jesus was frustrated sometimes. Our take home message is that you don’t have to remain frustrated. We learn 4 lessons from Jesus’ frustrations in Luke 9:38-56. Then we discover 5 simple steps for handling our frustrations.

Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.

Both Feet In

Are you “both feet in” when it comes to your Christian faith? I explain that living to please God and still living in a way that doesn’t please God is a “double-minded” existence. We consider 5 heart checks of whether we’re all in with Jesus. Then we talk about 3 ways to make sure we’re both feet in with God.

Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.

#083: 3 More Ways To Deal With Difficult People

How do you handle the difficult crazy makers in your life? In this week's podcast, I explain the difference between forgiveness and trust. We consider 3 more Biblical responses. Refuse to play their game. Refuse to cave in. Always take the high ground.

We also catch you up on all the Church Requel news of the week, including a description of how the Christmas concert with Jeff Anderson came about. Lots going on these days at CR! Here's a link to Jeff's website. Here's a link to his Facebook page concert invitation.

This week's podcast music is "I Want Crazy" by Hunter Hayes.

#025: Football Is Back!

Football! The very word brings to mind cooler evening temperatures, the smell of grass, and the crunch of football pads. Catch up with me in this week's podcast as we talk about football, 40Days in the Word, the ethical issues of using someone else's sermons, and the CR weekend sermon, "Tackling Treachery."

[0:30] Intro - I talk about the surreal Saturday morning I had when I watched my grandson Grayden play tackle football. I review this past week and the changeover in sermon preparation.

[12:50] 40 Days In The Word - I discuss the new sermon series by Rick Warren and the work I've done this past week to get ready.  I then review the campaign coming up in another week at CR.  I hope everyone at CR and in our podcast audience will join us for the 40 Days of Devotionals. This is free!

[26:01] Preaching Someone Else's Sermon - What are the practical and ethical issues of preaching someone else's sermons.  I talk about 4 advantages of using someone else's sermons AND I review 4 considerations to make before doing this.

[40:02] What Does "Chief End" Mean? - This will wrap up our first question from the Westminster Confession of Faith Shorter Catechism: "What is the chief end of man?" You can pick up a copy of G. I. Williams' excellent book here.

[49:27] CR Sermon: "Tackling Treachery" - How do we respond when we are persecuted? What happens when the political winds shift away from us? Join me for 3 choices we must make consistently over our lifetimes if we want to be able to respond like Daniel did when he faced the den of lions.

[1:28:50] Wrap Up - Listen to my thoughts on this Sunday night following the Church Requel service tonight and the Pavilion service this morning.

Music for this week's podcast is "Drum Cadences (w/band vocals)" by The Ohio State University Marching Band 2002.

019: Sweet Sweet Smile

The smiles you see above are those of Mary Kay and me back in 1978 on one of our very first dates.  I'm hoping this podcast will bring a smile to your face as well. Here's what I have lined up for you this week.

[05:30] Three Good News Stories - Mary Kay and I loved watching the Olympics' opening ceremonies Friday night.  This morning I was reading The Week magazine and came across three good news stories.  (Sorry, I can't provide a link.)

[12:08] 10 Church Growth Tips From Mayberry - Artie Davis, pastor of Cornerstone Community Church, wrote an article for Pastors.com entitled, "7 Church Growth Tips from Mayberry."  I added 3 of my own to round it up to 10.  If you liked The Andy Griffith Show, you'll love this section of the podcast.

[25:52] Congrats to Len Edgerly / Jeff Bezos Interview - Len Edgerly celebrated 4 years this past week with his podcast, The Kindle Chronicles.  To help him celebrate this achievement, Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, gave Len an interview for his podcast.  He talks about everyone at Amazon thinking of themselves as a missionary.

[32:15] Quarterly EPS of Facebook, Amazon, & Apple - The Daily wrote a piece about companies Missing The Mark.  I followed up in this podcast with a discussion of the big week in earnings results this past week from Facebook, Amazon & Apple.  I share my thoughts about what makes each a great - or poor - investment choice. Here are the links I refer to in the podcast: (1)  New York Times Bits on Facebook's earnings; (2) WSJ's Marketwatch on Amazon; (3) Steven Windwalker's analysis on Amazon; (4) Mashable's Infographic comparing Walmart and Amazon; (5) Forbes' 7 positive trends in Apple's earnings.

[1:03:25] CR Sermon: "When Too Much Is Not Enough" - Our talk this weekend comes from Judges 7:2-8 about Gideon. We depend on too many things that often prove to be not enough.  Here are the YouVersion online sermon notes.

Music for this week's podcast is "Sweet, Sweet Smile" by the Carpenters from their 25th Anniversary album.

Strong and Courageous

Being strong and courageous usually happens when we feel weak and fearful. Here are three ways we can BE strong and courageous, despite how we FEEL. Join Pastor Mark as we study Joshua 1:5-8.

Guard Your Faith

In football two guards protect the quarterback. We Christians also have 2 guards. Join Pastor Mark of Church Requel as we talk about both guards AND the 3 steps we take to guard our faith. The Scripture comes from 2 Timothy 1:8-14.

Joy and God-O-Nomics

How do we remain joyful when Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street all take an economic plunge?  By knowing the differences of God-O-Nomics!  Join Pastor Mark Pierce of Church Requel in this timely teaching from James 1:9-11.

Many Rooms

Jesus is preparing many rooms for his followers. What does this tell us about heaven? Jesus said he is the way, the truth and the life. What does this mean about our journey to heaven? Join Pastor Mark Pierce in this study of John 14:1-6

ARISE: Doubt and Resurrection

There are many ways our future resurrection benefits us today. But to really enjoy the benefits, we have to really believe we will be resurrected. Pastor Mark shares 5 steps to help us T.R.U.S.T. in our own resurrection from Luke 24:36-49.

LOST: Wasted

What should a Christ follower learn from the younger son in Jesus' Prodigal parable? In "Wasted" we consider 5 versions of one key question we should ask ourselves every single day. Join Pastor Mark Pierce as we study Luke 15:11-16

Changing Life's Regrets

Sometimes past regrets can keep us from the future character that God desires How do we forget past regrets and live for God today so we can become the man or woman God wants us to be? Join Pastor Mark Pierce of Church Requel as we study John 21:9-19.

#161: Known By Their Fruit

We should have the right to examine our Christian leaders' lives to discover if their walk matches their talk. Join Pastor Mark Pierce as we study Matthew 7:15-20.

Sermon: "How to Bring Out the Best in Your Kids - Part 2"

We conclude our parenting series today by talking about trusting kids with responsibility, correcting them without condemning them, and loving them unconditionally. Join Pastor Mark Pierce of Church Requel as we consider how to be a great parent!

#153: Beyond Fashion

"I don't have a THING to wear!" Have those words ever come from your lips? Join Pastor Mark Pierce of Church Requel as we study Matthew 6:27-28.

#152: Anxiety Attack

If I give myself up completely to treasure the right treasure, who's going to treasure me? Join Pastor Mark Pierce of Church Requel as we study Matthew 6:25-26.