Little Peach Music, Inc.

Subjects Smart Pastors Avoid

Another title for this might be, "How To Empty A Church." These are the tough issues and controversial subjects that people don't want to hear, but are crucial to a healthy view of God. Avoid coercion and manipulation - - leave the convincing to the Holy Spirit! If your audience is largely unchurched, an explanation (not an apology!) might be in order.

Jump straight to a Topic:

The Final Authority: Giving the Bible its just due.

Sin: Establishing the basis for why we need a savior.

Judgement: Understanding a Holy God.

Hell: A no-holds-barred view of heaven's alternative.

One Way: Laying the foundation for the ultimate truth of Jesus Christ being the only path to God.

Feedback and questions can be directed to: Edward Craner, Little Peach Music, Inc. e-mail: ecraner@littlepeach.com

The Final Authority

It may seem to be a "given" to a seasoned Christian, but to the unchurched and many new believers, the Bible is only one of many sources of information that is available to guide us along life's journey. Its competitors include self-help books, chronicles from popular "gurus," new age spiritualism, and first-hand experiences from ordinary people (to name a few). Why should anyone believe that one book has all the answers? Establish the Bible's credibility instead of attacking its opponents.

PROGRAM IDEAS:

Come up with a list of the "New Top 10 Commandments." This would be a Letterman-style presentation of a "contemporary" and revised list of do's and don'ts that were situationally acceptable and comfortable.

A drama reference is "Nice To Have Around" by Zondervan. This mime is a poignant yet somewhat humorous look at what the Bible can be used for.

Sin

How good is good enough? Establishing the chasm that sin creates between man and God is essential. Refrain from shame-based illustrations - - instead concentrate on God's holiness. If God is accurately shown, then the sin of man is sure to come into view.

PROGRAM IDEAS:

Depending on the time of year, a video clip from "A Christmas Carol," using the scene where Ebeneezer Scrooge is in his vision "Christmas to Come." The segment provides an excellent illustration for where sin can take us.

Living a life of denial, building a facade of falsehood, eventually comes crumbling down. Concentrate on making the elements describe the futility of striving for perfection, then come to the realization of God's holiness and forgiveness.

Judgement

Judgement can be a real downer - - who wants to learn about what is due them. In light of this, try using an inverse approach. God's mercy - - God withholding from us the penalty thatt we deserve - - can be a humbling topic that encourages as well as convicts. Make sure and highlight that we are deservant of God's wrath as mankind as much as individuals.

PROGRAM IDEAS:

Use a clip from the movie, "Defending Your Life." The scene wherel Albert Brooks arrives in 'heaven' and is touring around in a bus, taking in the sights works well to set-up the message.

Hell

There are countless myths on how hell will be. Hollywood has created most of them, aided by other unbridled minds set out to put people's conscience and fears at ease. It is helpful to highlight the absurdities of these myths by mocking them with their own material. The folly can easily be seen when an objective view is taken. Be accurate but not sensational.

PROGRAM IDEAS:

In either a video or Powerpoint presentation, use the words "darkness," "separation," "terror," etc. between shots of news articles and pictures that deal with tragedy. This will visually set-up a feeling for hell. End the presentation with the phrase: "And this is just the beginning..."

One Way

This is the culmination of the series and is a natural place to ask for commitment based on the foundation that has been put into place by the preceding topics. Much like the objections to the Bible being God's word, people will struggle with Christ being the only access to God. The program will set-up the need for a decision and the idea that we are to come to God as we are, and He will accept us.

PROGRAM IDEAS:

Find a person who tried other options before deciding on Christ, ideally an individual that thought everyone was going to heaven, who used to be a "every religion is a spoke from the hub of God" type.

Play the Imperials song, "Buddha" for the offertory (live is best, especially if you present it tongue-in-cheek since it's such a dated song). It is a fun and easy song that will offer an upbeat precursor for the speaker.

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