Kevin Stilley

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January 5, 2017 by kevinstilley

Define your terms, please.

Allow me to share with you the story of an old fashioned lady, quite delicate and elegant, especially in her language.

She and her husband were planning a vacation so she wrote to a campground for reservations. She wanted to make sure it was fully equipped, but didn’t know how to ask about the toilet facilities. She didn’t want to write ‘toilet’ in her letter. After much deliberation she though of the old fashioned term ‘bathroom commode’ but when she read the letter she had written she was still uncomfortable with the straightforward language. So she rewrote the letter and abbreviated bathroom commode to B.C. “Does the campground have it’s own B.C.?” she wrote.

Well, the campground owner wasn’t old fashioned at all and when he got the letter he couldn’t figure out what she was talking about. The B.C. business really stumped him. After worrying about it for awhile he showed the letter to some of the campers. Many of the campers were Baptists, and they were certain that the lady must be inquiring about the location of the local Baptist Church. So, the campground owner sat down and wrote the following reply.

Dear Madam,

I regret very much the delay in answering your letter, but I now take the pleasure of informing you that the B.C. is located six miles north of the campground. It is capable of seating 250 people at one time. I will admit that it is quite a distance away, if your in the habit of going regularly. But no doubt you will be pleased to know that a great number of people take their lunches and make a day of it.
They usually arrive early and stay late. The last time my wife and I went was 6 years ago, and it was so crowded that we had to stand up the whole time. Right now there is a supper planned to raise money for more seats. It will be held in the basement of the B.C. I would like to say tht it pains me that I am not able to attend regularly, but it is not for the lack of desire on my part. As we grow older, it seems to be more of an effort, particularly in cold weather.
If you decide to come down to the campgrounds, perhaps I could go with you the first time, sit with you, and introduce you to all the folks.
Remember that this is a friendly community.

If two parties are using the same terms in different ways what do you have? Confusion.

Medieval scholastics had a Latin phrase that was almost a motto for them. “When there is confusion, make a distinction.”

How many of you have read the dialogues of Plato? What is the first thing that Socrates always did in his effort to arrive at understanding?  – He forced those involved in the discussion to define their terms.  “What is justice?  Don’t give me examples of justice, define it.”

How many of you have been involved in dialogue with other faiths?  Do they use the same theological vocabulary as you? Yes. Does it mean the same thing? Probably not.

As a religious leader, guarding your flock, you must make sure that you have defined your faith for them and that your flock understands the language games that are played in the theological marketplace of ideas.

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ?  Really?  What does that mean?

Filed Under: Blog, Communication, Front Page, Preaching / Teaching, Wordplay Tagged With: Communication, Heresy, preacher, Theology

May 4, 2014 by kevinstilley

Recommended books on Pastoral Duties

Danny Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has recommended the following books on Pastoral Duties. What do you think of the books on his list?  What books would you add to this list?

Anderson, Robert C. The Effective Pastor: A Practical Guide to the Ministry. Chicago: Moody, 1985.

Baxter, Richard. The Reformed Pastor. Edinburg: Banner of Truth, 1981.

Cedar, Paul, Kent Hughes, and Ben Patterson. Mastering the Pastoral Role. Portland: Multnomah, 1991.

*Criswell, W.A. Criswell’s Guidebook for Pastors. Nashville: Broadman, 1980.

Graham, Larry Kent. Care of Persons, Care of Worlds. Nashville: Abingdon, 1992.

*MacArthur, John., Jr., ed. Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry: Shaping Contemporary Ministry with Biblical Mandates. Dallas: Word, 1995.

Oden, Thomas. Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry. San Francisco: Harper, 1983.

Piper, John. Brothers, We are Not Professionals. Nashville: Broadman, 2002.

Tidball, Derek. Skilful Shepherds: Explorations in Pastoral Theology. Leicester: Apollos, 1986.

Filed Under: Blog, Books, Church Leadership, Pastoral Care, Preaching / Teaching Tagged With: Administrator, bibliography, Book Recommendation, Daniel Akin, pastor, preacher, reading list, SEBTS

October 15, 2009 by kevinstilley

Prestigious Job?

How much prestige is associated with your job?  If you are a Firefighter you are greatly respected.  If you are a preacher . . . , not so much.

In this year’s annual Harris Poll regarding the most prestigious jobs, Firefighters scored highest with 62% of respondents indicating that the position held “very great prestige”.  Priests/ministers/clergy was eighth on the list with 41% considering the position to be of “very great prestige.”  Oh well, it could be worse.  You could be a Member of Congress (28%) or a Union Leader (17%).

Here is their list of positions in order of prestige:

  1. Firefighter
  2. Scientist
  3. Doctor
  4. Nurse
  5. Military officer
  6. Teacher
  7. Police officer
  8. Priest/Minister/Clergy
  9. Engineer
  10. Farmer
  11. Architect
  12. Member of Congress
  13. Lawyer
  14. Business executive
  15. Athlete
  16. Journalist
  17. Union Leader
  18. Entertainer
  19. Banker
  20. Actor
  21. Stockbroker
  22. Accountant
  23. Real estate agent/broker

__________

Related Content

  • Preacher, or Husband/Father
  • Christian Leadership Absent the Bible
  • Women Preachers

__________

Book Cover

Filed Under: Blog, Church Leadership, Front Page Tagged With: career, Cultural Milieu, fame, Firefighter, Harris Poll, Pop Culture, preacher, Prestige, Respect

July 6, 2009 by kevinstilley

The Power of Simplicity

simplicity

We often make the mistake of assuming that navigating a complex world requires complex answers. As a result we end up with even more complexity … confusion … chaos. The absurd behavior of key players in the recent meltdown of the American economy is a macrocosm of the nonsense which results from such thinking and which is ubiquitous in today’s business and social organizations, including the Local Church.

Maybe the current crisis will provide the impetus we need to cut out the nonsense. In some ways it now seems that there is developing a cultural zeitgeist in which people are demanding more common sense in our institutions [perhaps everywhere except in politics and in our churches]. It is time to re-evaluate what we are doing and how we are doing it. It is time to cut through the nonsense and do things right.

So, I heartily recommend Jack Trout’s book The Power Of Simplicity: A Management Guide to Cutting Through the Nonsense and Doing Things Right.

Trout introduces his book to us with the following quote from John Scully, “Everything we have learned in the industrial age has tended to create more and more complication. I think that more and more people are learning that you have to simplify, not complicate. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

It that sense, Trout’s book is very sophisticated. He argues his thesis straightforwardly in clear language, short chapters and concrete action steps. This book organization is not only consistent with the premise but allowed me to conveniently imbibe bite-size portions. I read it a few minutes each day over the course of a couple of weeks.

The Power Of Simplicity is composed of twenty-three mini-chapters (206 pages) and is broken into four parts; The Basics of Simplicity, Management Issues, Leadership Issues, and People Issues. That sounds like pretty standard stuff, but do NOT expect the routine business book /self-help book mumbo jumbo. Trout is a contrarian in many ways.

– He believes mission statements add needless confusion
– He believes long-term planning is just wishful thinking
– He believes that goals sound nice but accomplish little
– He believes growth can be bad for your business

Sound intriguing? Maybe, … but Trout keeps it simple.

Tolle lege.

* * * * * *

And, here is a reading list which he shares in an appendix to the book.

The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle’s-Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions, by Scott Adams

Laugh out loud funny but dead on when it comes to management fads and other nonsense.

The Practice of Management, by Peter Drucker

The Effective Executive, by Peter Drucker

Managing in a Time of Great Change, by Peter Drucker

[Drucker is] The fountainhead of common sense and sound advice. Read any one of his dozens of books and you’ll be the wiser for it. These are three of our favorites.

How to Write, Speak and Think More Effectively, by Rudolph Flesch

The late Dr. Flesch staged a lifelong battle against muddy thinking and murky writing. This is one of his most significant books, packed with examples, exercises, and checklists.

The Witch Doctors: Making Sense of the Management Gurus, by John Micklethwait and Adrian Woodridge

Two staff editors of The Economist make sense of the management gurus and debunk a lot of loony thinking. Good sections on the prophets (Peter Drucker), the evangelists (Tom Peters), and the new age preachers (Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey).

Enterprise One to One, by Don Peppers

An overly complex but useful look at how to use technology to hang onto your customers.

Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It, by Al Ries

Our ex-partner, Al Ries, lays out the case in great detail for doing what a company does best.

Fad Surfing In The Boardroom: Managing In The Age Of Instant Answers, by Eileen Shapiro

Ms. Shapiro takes deadly aim at the fads that sweep through business like waves in the ocean. Just the “fad dictionary” is worth the price.

Data Smog: Surviving the Information Glut, by David Shenk

We’re being smothered by information, and it’s dulling our minds. An intelligent look at how to cope with that glut.

Up the Organization: How to Stop the Corporation from Stifling People and Strangling Profits, by Robert Townsend

The late Robert Townsend wrote a classic about the foibles of corporations and how to avoid them.

Marketing Warfare: How to Use Military Principles to Develop Marketing Strategies, by Jack Trout and Al Ries

The bible on how to cope with competition. It will turn you into a killer.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk!, by Jack Trout and al Ries

As we say, violate them at your own risk.

The New Positioning: The Latest on the World’s #1 Business Strategy, by Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin

Important insights into differentiation and how to build perceptions in the ultimate battleground, the mind of your prospect.

__________

RELATED CONTENT

  • The Art of Simple Writing
  • Developing Common Sense
  • Time Management

Filed Under: Blog, Books, Church Leadership, Front Page, Preaching / Teaching Tagged With: business, Church Administration, Church Leadership, Jack Trout, preacher, simplicity

May 16, 2009 by kevinstilley

Charles Spurgeon – recommended titles

Everyone admires and quotes Charles Spurgeon. But have you read Spurgeon?  Grace Baptist Church (Cape Coral, Florida), pastored by Tom Ascol, lists on its website the following list of recommended books by and about Charles Spurgeon:

  • Morning and Evening, by Charles Spurgeon
  • Lectures to My Students, by Charles Spurgeon
  • The Treasury of David (3 vol.), by Charles Spurgeon
  • The Soulwinner, by Charles Spurgeon
  • All of Grace, by Charles Spurgeon
  • Autobiography of C.H. Spurgeon, by Banner of Truth
  • The Forgotten Spurgeon, by Iain Murray
  • Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism: The Battle for Gospel Preaching, by Iain Murray
  • Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers, by Lewis Drummond
  • Spurgeon, by Arnold Dallimore

__________

RELATED

The Eschatology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Dictionary of Premillennial Theology)

Select Quotes of Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon on Reading

__________

Check out the Spurgeon Archive

Filed Under: Bible Exposition, Blog, Books, Preaching / Teaching Tagged With: preacher, Preaching, recommended reading, Spurgeon

June 3, 2008 by kevinstilley

Preacher or Husband / Father?

I plead guilty. Like most preachers I don’t do as good a job as I could of keeping my family’s life private. My wife and kids appear as characters in far too many of my sermon illustrations (and blog posts). It is tough enough to live in a glass house without your husband / father exposing you further. I heard one pastor say that he always asks his family members for permission before including them in a narrative. That is probably good advice.

And, now for those of you who just don’t get it, here is an educational video:

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: church, counseling, embarrassment, Family, Featured Videos, homiletics, husband, illustrations, marriage, narratives, preacher, Preachers & Preaching, sermon, story, wife

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