February 11, 2010 – 10:58 am
C. S. Lewis may have been the first to tell about the little boy who was asked what God is like. The boy responds in words like these: “God’s the sort of fellow who goes around looking for someone who’s having fun—and tries to stop ’em.”
This picture of God, mistaken though it is, nonetheless captures [...]
By Jane Fryar
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Posted in Devotions, Easter, Free Resources, Lent/Preparing for Easter, Ministry, Sermon Ideas
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Tagged Care and Comfort, devotion, Easter, Encouragement, Fat Tuesday, Lent, Pastor, Pastoral Ministry, Sermon Ideas|
February 3, 2010 – 11:31 am
It’s a truism in marketing. Customers must see an ad 5–7 times before it has any potential for changing their behavior. That’s why Nike puts its “swoosh” everywhere, positioning it prominently in televised sports and other athletic venues.
It’s also why more and more churches have begun to look for ways to “theme” major celebrations—like the [...]
By Jane Fryar
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Posted in Devotions, Easter, Free Resources, Lent/Preparing for Easter, Ministry, Pastor, Sermon Ideas
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Tagged children's Easter ideas, Easter, Easter preparation, Lent, Lent theme, Lenten theme, Pastor, sermon helps, Sermon Ideas|
February 1, 2010 – 12:35 am
As regular readers know, I serve on the faculty of a Christian preschool. As I teach, I love taking students into our church on sunny days. Among other things, they enjoy seeing the way the light shining through the stained glass windows casts a colorful shadow on the walls and floor. The children love seeing [...]
By Debra Kreienkamp
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Posted in Christian Worker, Church Volunteers, Devotions, Encouraging Volunteers, Epiphany, Men's Ministry, Pastor, Women's Ministry
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Tagged Christian, devotion, Encouragement, men's ministry, Pastor, Women's Ministry|
November 17, 2009 – 9:00 am
Lanterns swung in the lower decks of the ship as 102 seasick men, women, and children tossed about in a cramped space the size of a volleyball court. All hatches were battened due to severe storms, stealing any hope of fresh air or light. The passengers survived on small rations of dried pork, beans, and [...]
November 10, 2009 – 7:07 am
One night on his way home the great Bible commentator Matthew Henry was robbed. After this unfortunate incident he recorded this prayer in his journal:
“I thank Thee that I have never been robbed before. I thank Thee that even though they took my purse, they did not take my life. I thank Thee that though [...]
September 15, 2009 – 2:03 pm
Just recently, as I was reading Acts 4, a phrase jumped out at me. I had never really taken time to consider it before.
To get the full picture, remember that in Acts 3, Peter and John were walking into the temple when a lame man asked for money. Instead of silver or gold, Peter and John [...]
Most of the time, TV commercials are dull. Sometimes, you see something witty or clever that catches your attention, but not normally.
However, one recent TV ad has stuck with me. I think it about it when I consider the blessings of fatherhood. The catch phrase of the commercial was, “It takes a man to be [...]
If you are preparing your Father’s Day sermon, you might want to review CTA’s extensive collection of useful and inspiring Father’s Day articles and free resources listed in my previous post.
We’d also like to let you know that it’s not too late to order Father’s Day gifts to present to the men of your [...]
Graduation is barely over. VBS is about to begin. Everyone on your ministry team is scrambling to implement the great ideas you’ve been collecting for Summer Sunday school or the youth mission trip in July.
I know you’re not ready to think about Fall just yet or about welcoming new workers to the paid staff or [...]
Free Resources that Encourage the Body of Christ
CTA’s mission is to glorify God by providing purposeful products that lift up and encourage the body of Christ. Our vision is to see Christian ministries become highly effective, so that Christ’s Kingdom is strengthened and expanded. One way we carry these out is by offering high quality and practical Free Resources that:
Match the [...]