Preaching

Getting Stuck in Sermon Prep (Podcast Post 7)

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I was chatting about preaching with a friend on Sunday after preaching in his church. We talked about ways we sometimes get stuck.

Sometimes, the outline won’t quite work, and we keep looking at the text until eventually something clicks. Once it clicks, we can’t understand how we could not see the passage’s logic before.

Sometimes, the details of the message are the issue. What illustrations would work? How can I introduce the sermon? And so on. Again, the breakthrough moment is always a real relief and cause for rejoicing.

Sometimes, everything seems jammed up, and we simply can’t get the sermon to work.

In the latest episode of the podcast, Mike and I discuss seven specific logjams and offer some ideas that might help you break through the next time you get stuck.

But here is a thought: let’s be careful not to see the ideal as a jam-free future. While logjams can feel like hard work, there is also a blessing in them. Without the logjam, there might not be the desperate prayer. Without prayer, there would not be sweet moments of answered prayer as God lifts us in preparation for Sunday.

Exchange

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The essential nature of all trade is that of an exchange.  I will give my ten sheep in exchange for your one donkey.  Or, in more recent history, I will provide a certain number of currency units for the service you are offering.  Life is full of exchanges.

One of the most potent images of the gospel is known as the great exchange.  Martin Luther described the wonder of our salvation using the biblical image of a great marriage.  Jesus is the great King, full of life, grace, and salvation.  We are at the opposite extreme: full of death, sins, and damnation.  But when faith comes between us, a most glorious marriage occurs.  He takes all that is ours on himself, and we get all that is his as if it were our own.  What an exchange!

The most foundational exchange in Christianity is Christ’s life for ours.  He is the God-given substitute, taking our place and facing the just punishment for sin.  His death gives us life.  His life replaces our death.  In John 3, for instance, we see Jesus helping the impressive Nicodemus to see that all his achievements and standing meant nothing before God.  As remarkable as he was in human terms, he was still spiritually dead and needed to be born from above.  How could that happen?  Just like the Israelites needed to look at the brass serpent in Numbers 21:6-9, so would the Son of Man be lifted up in death, and those who believed in him, who looked to him, would live. 

But there are more exchanges to be found in the Gospel of John.  Consider the ongoing transformation that occurs as someone follows Jesus and serves him.  For instance, John the Baptist knew who Jesus was, pointed others to him, and served him faithfully.  At the end of John 3, we see some of John’s disciples bemoaning that the crowds had shifted from John to Jesus. Indeed, for a life defined by the ministry of baptizing, it must have been disappointing to see the flood of people dwindle to a trickle.  Not for John.  He knew that his role was that of best man at a wedding, but the groom was Jesus. The bride going to Jesus only made John immensely happy (see John 3:29).  So John uttered the beautiful words: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)  This is the gradual exchange of self for Christ that happens as we follow our Saviour.

We can see the self-for-Christ exchange contrasted at the start of John 12.  There, Mary is so captivated by Jesus that she pours an immensely valuable perfume onto his feet.  Meanwhile, Judas Iscariot, captured not by Christ but by his greed, can only express his dismay at the missed opportunity for further theft.  (See John 12:1-8.)  Mary was the picture of a disciple who knew Jesus’ giving and worshipped Jesus by selflessly giving everything in return.  Judas was the picture of someone exposed to Jesus but still gripped by the magnetic pull of self.  Following Jesus should shift us increasingly from the lure of self to the wonder of Christ.

And then we see Jesus with his disciples in the upper room.  In a world filled with hate, Jesus demonstrates a better way.  The radical way of selfless love stands in sharp contrast to the way of our world.  Today, as then, selfless love is repulsive to a world gripped by sin (Judas must have been struggling in that upper room until he left), but it is also strikingly attractive.  People in a culture of hate need to see true love.  How will they see it?  Only if the faithful followers of Jesus are marked with his defining characteristic.  (See John 13:35.)

Having exchanged death for life, self for Christ, and hate for love, the followers of Jesus are invited to also exchange comfort for calling.  In John 21, we see Jesus gently remind his disciples that he called them to fish for men, to feed the sheep, and to follow him even to their death – whatever that would involve. 

To be a disciple of Jesus asks much of us, but we cannot fully describe how much we receive in the process.  Giving up death, self, hate, and comfort is not easy.  But receiving life, Christ, love, and a calling is truly other-worldly and glorious.  Praise God that he is the God of exchange – an exchange that cost him everything, that gives us everything, and that changes everything!

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The new Biblical Preaching Podcast is here for you. Check out Jonathan Thomas talking about revival, and please subscribe to Cor Deo on YouTube so that you can see each new episode as it is released. (You can also follow the podcast on Apple, Spotify, etc.)

Preaching Easter (Podcast Post – Episode 6)

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In the latest Biblical Preaching Bitesize, I share ten pointers for preaching Easter effectively.  The Easter story is the heart of the Christian faith, and a key moment in our church calendar.  So why might we struggle with preaching at Easter?

1. The story is so familiar.  The Easter story comes up repeatedly throughout the year as we present the gospel in various situations.  Sadly, the most wondrous news of all can become stale and predictable.  We can end up saying the same things about the cross and the same things about the empty tomb.  Listeners can bring assumptions from artistic images they have seen, or from presentations they have heard before. 

2. The wondrous truth can get buried.  Each passage that we might choose to preach is saying something about Easter.  But sometimes, that theological and potentially life-changing truth can get buried in the story’s recounting.  Or it can be lost because listeners get the sense they are listening to a famous old myth rather than the central moment of human history. When stories feel like a myth, listeners listen differently.

3. The preacher can feel flat.  Familiar material, a busy time of year, and a preacher recounting history rather than feasting on the Word of God can lead to a flattened heart at the front of the church.  We don’t want that, for our sake and theirs.

So, ponder the ten pointers in this Biblical Preaching Bitesize! To watch the Bitesize, click here.

And don’t miss the encouragement at the end.  What could be more powerful than a vivid image projected on the screen in a church using the best contemporary software?

To follow the Podcast, click here for Apple, or here for Spotify.

Thank you for helping to get this podcast to others by sharing it with people who care about preaching, as well as for any positive reviews, comments, etc. All good interaction with this material helps the algorithm put it in front of more people.

Jonathan Thomas on Revival (Podcast Post – Episode 5)

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“A reawakening of religious fervour” – that is a dictionary definition of revival. But in our latest podcast episode, Jonathan Thomas says we shouldn’t want revival. Jonathan has studied revival and produced documentaries on the subject. It was so good to interview him recently.

I remember reading Walter Kaiser’s book on the sixteen biblical revivals. Psalm 85:6 says, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” It is thrilling to read of seasons of God’s work being so tangible and imminent. Think of the revival under Josiah and Jeremiah or in the book of Acts. Kaiser finishes his book with these words, “I conclude that there can be no revival without the Lord initiating it and carrying it out. But I also conclude that no one can hide behind the doctrine of God as the explanation for why we have not had a revival in our day.”

So, how should we, as preachers, think about revival? After all, while we might assume we are unlikely to experience a revival, we cannot ignore the fact that revivals tend to involve preachers. I encourage you to watch these two podcast episodes, be encouraged by Jonathan’s thoughts, and join the conversation via the comments under the episode. (As always, please subscribe to the Cor Deo YouTube channel to easily find more content like this as it is released!)

And to find out why we shouldn’t want revival, here is part 2:

Transitions Matter! (Podcast Post – Episode 4)

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Is there a small detail in your preaching that would yield disproportionate fruit if you gave it some attention?  Maybe even a “non-content” element of preaching that would make your biblical content land with more precision and penetration?  The answer is, yes, absolutely.  Give some thought to your transitions!

As I listen to sermons in the classes I teach, it is often the transitions between points that either let a sermon down or help a sermon land with force.  Each transition is an opportunity to give breathing space (for fast-paced preachers), or assurance of progress (for more ponderous presenters), as well as a re-entry point for distracted listeners, and an opportunity to restate the main idea at a key moment in the sermon.  Then, of course, there is the main function of a good transition: to set up the next point in the sermon!

Transitions are small moments with big impact. In sporting terms, transitions provide assists so that the sermon points can score goals. Every coach knows the person giving the assist will get less glory but is critical to the team’s success.

So, hopefully, I have convinced you that transitions matter.  Feel free to go to your next sermon and think through how each transition could be most effective.  Or, if you want five specific suggestions on how to transition well, please check out this Bitesize episode on The Biblical Preaching Podcast!

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Compelling Conclusions: 5 Ineffective Ingredients (Podcast Post – Episode 2)

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A compelling conclusion contains three ingredients: a look back, a look forward, and a definite finish.  However, many sermon conclusions are harmed by extra ingredients.  Here are a few to watch out for and avoid when bringing your sermon down to its landing.

1. The conclusion is not the place for new information.  Do not go deeper into the text, nor bring in extra scholarship at this point in the sermon.  A helpful story or quote could be helpful, but remember that you are trying to finish, not trying to add more to the message.

2. The conclusion is not the place for emotional manipulation.  Do not try to ramp up the emotion at the end of the message.  Let the affective force of the text do its work in the body of the message.  While there is scope for enthusiasm and encouragement, listeners are rightly wary of added emotion designed only to stir response at the end of a message.  It feels manipulative, so don’t do it.

3. The conclusion is not the place for an untrusting final effort.  You have prayerfully prepared and presented God’s Word.  Trust the Word and trust the Spirit.  Do not think that if you just give one last push, then you will be able to push people into a response.  Sometimes a brief message review can become one last try to drive the truth home to the listeners.  This final and added push, often generated by the apparent lack of responsiveness in the listeners, is not faith-filled but is a fleshly effort to achieve a goal that is not ours to achieve.  The Lord brings the growth.

4. The conclusion is not the place for a discouraging, downbeat fade towards the finish.  A sea of apparently unresponsive faces can be pretty disheartening.  But the conclusion is not the time to show your discouragement.  If the listeners sense it in your tone, or see it in your face, then your conclusion will undo the good that may be present but invisible.  Again, trust God to change lives, even if it feels like a failure in this moment.

5. The conclusion is not the place for disconnected applications.  Some preachers feel the conclusion is a special moment to throw extra applications at their listeners.  Don’t do it.  After a message on prayer, don’t add in an extra “Oh, and also be sure to tell someone about Jesus this week and invite them to next Sunday’s special event.” 

For a fuller explanation of the three ingredients for compelling conclusions and Peter’s acronym to remember them, please watch the video or listen to the podcast.  We appreciate any help getting the word out about this new resource – thank you in advance for any likes, comments, reviews, follows, shares, and prayers!

To follow the Podcast, click here for Apple, or here for Spotify.

Why Biblical Preaching? (Podcast Post for Episode 1)

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The Biblical Preaching Podcast is live!  My plan is to build on episodes with blog posts here so that you can get extra content on the blog, but also hopefully want to check out either the podcast or the related videos on YouTube.

In Episode 1, we discuss “Why Biblical Preaching?” 

People often raise the issue of a changing society.  The logic is simple – our world is changing at a rapid rate.  Technology is advancing faster than ever; people are bombarded with highly stimulating, rapidly moving content, and consumers access information differently than they did even a few years ago.  Therefore, many say that a verbal monologue delivered to a gathered congregation must be a mode of communication that should be consigned to history.  Spurgeon’s Victorian England may have needed preachers, and maybe Lloyd-Jones’ twentieth-century London required preachers, but surely we now live in a different world?

In the first part of the podcast, we discuss the question, “why preaching?”  We mention three reasons:

1. Because of the Biblical example – From Moses and Joshua, through the times of the Old Testament prophets, to the ministry of Jesus and the apostles in the early church, the consistent example is that of spoken messages pointing people to God’s person and purpose in this world.

Note: The world of the Bible is not monolithic.  There were vast shifts and changes between the preaching of Moses in Sinai, and the message of Joshua in the Promised Land, to the proclamation of Paul in Athens or Miletus.  And yet, through all the rising and falling of great empires, the shifting of cultures, the progression in God’s plan of history, still the pattern is consistent.  God’s messengers spoke a word that changed lives and shifted history.  It could be considered arrogant to think that our brief period of change should override millennia of shifting contexts in which preaching was a primary means of God working in the world.

2. Because of Biblical instruction – Paul’s final letter, written to Timothy, closes with the instruction to preach the Word.  It is fascinating that he does not focus on spectacular spiritual gifts or any other possible emphases for continuing ministry beyond his own time.  Instead, he urges Timothy to prioritize reading God’s Word and preaching it!  In other places, we can see instruction that would lead us to consider preaching as a critical component of gospel ministry.

3. Because of theological reality – What is God like?  He is a revealing, speaking and incarnational God.  In preaching, we see all persons of the Trinity in action – the Father’s loving initiative driving the whole mission of God in this world; the Son’s revealing of his Father and rescuing of humanity is the focus of both Scriptural and biblical preaching; and the Spirit woos, convicts and changes hearts through preaching.  In the podcast, I note how preaching (in this case, including spoken testimony), plays a key role in the story of salvation.  Where humanity fell into sin by doubting the word of an apparently absent God, so God wins a redeemed people back based not on a great show of power but based on the apparent weakness of words spoken in the kingdom of darkness.

In the second part of the podcast, we get into why we use the label “Biblical Preaching” and whether that is the same as “Expository Preaching.”  I will let you listen to the podcast to find out more!  Please check out the podcast, follow it on your podcast platform of choice, and thank you in advance for every interaction with the podcast or YouTube clip, as it helps the algorithm spread the content to more people.  Positive reviews are invaluable as we get the podcast going – thank you!

Click here to find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and click here to find it on Spotify, or search for The Biblical Preaching Podcast on whatever app you use to find podcasts. And here is the YouTube video if you like to watch:

Introducing the Biblical Preaching Podcast!

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I’m excited to announce the launch of our brand-new podcast: The Biblical Preaching Podcast! Unlike the many great sermon podcasts, this podcast is designed for those who preach, those who are learning to preach, and anyone who cares deeply about the ministry of preaching.

My Cor Deo colleague, Mike Chalmers, will join me as we discuss all things preaching. Together, we’ll explore this ministry’s joys, challenges, and complexities.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • Engaging Discussions: Insights into various aspects of biblical preaching.
  • Special Guests: We’ll feature some amazing voices from the world of preaching—our first guest joins us next week!
  • Encouragement for Preachers: Each full episode concludes with a segment designed to encourage those in preaching ministry.
  • Bitesize Episodes: Shorter episodes focusing on one specific aspect of preaching.
  • Related Blog Posts: From time to time, I’ll share blog posts that dive deeper into themes we discuss in an episode. These posts won’t be mere transcripts but will provide additional perspectives, practical tips, or reflections to help you take the conversation further.

Our hope and prayer for this podcast is simple: that it will strengthen and encourage biblical preaching in churches around the world. Where biblical preaching thrives, the church grows healthier, and healthy churches reach their communities.

We want this podcast to be a gathering point—a place where preachers can connect, reflect, and grow together. This is your conversation! We’ll celebrate the goodness of God, explore the transformative power of rightly handled Scripture, tackle the complex realities of ministry, and share the joy of seeing lives changed through the preached Word.

How to Listen & Connect:
🎙️ Listen to the Podcast on Your Favorite Platform:

📺 Watch Episodes on YouTube:
Subscribe to our channel for video versions of the podcast and exclusive content: YouTube Channel.

🖋️ Read the Blog
Continue to visit BiblicalPreaching.net for posts related to specific episodes, offering fresh insights and practical takeaways.

Can You Help Spread the Word?
We’d love your help in making this podcast a resource for as many people as possible! Here’s how you can support us:

  • Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and/or to the YouTube channel.
  • Like and Comment to share your thoughts and join the conversation.
  • Follow Us for updates on new episodes and blog posts.
  • Share with your friends, fellow preachers, and anyone who might find this helpful.
  • Review the podcast on your favourite podcast platform – apparently, positive reviews are the most helpful thing!

Thank you for your prayers and support. We’re excited to see how God uses this podcast to encourage and equip preachers worldwide!

The Strongest Arm

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Where do we turn when we are troubled?  Whether that is a personal struggle, a complicated situation at church, or a concerning development in the world, we should turn to the Bible.  Sometimes, we find a specific verse that resonates and lingers within us.  Other times, the treasure we need will come from a more purposeful digging into a theme or concept.  As more people realise that our world is teetering on the edge of political and societal collapse, let’s find help by mining the blessing of just one word in one Bible book.

The Hebrew term translated as “arm” is found in Isaiah more than any other Old Testament book.  Fourteen times, it refers to the arm of the LORD.  Could it be what we need to lift our spirits in troubling times?

The Image Introduced: The Two Functions of the Arm

The term is only found twice in Isaiah 1-39.  The first time, in Isaiah 30:30, it is used to describe lightning crashing down on the mountain of the LORD.  Just as thunder is God’s majestic voice, lightning is the descent of “God’s arm.” The enemies of God should fear because the LORD himself is guaranteed to win in battle.  In Isaiah 33:2, the second use comes in the cry of God’s people as they ask him to be gracious, to “be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.” God’s arm is indeed his strength as he steps in to fight against the enemies of his people, but for his people, his arm is their salvation, a symbol of their hope. 

At the start of Isaiah 40-66, we again meet this double image of the LORD’s arm.  In chapter 40, as the Babylonian exile is anticipated, the prophet looks forward to the hope of returning to Zion, where God himself will dwell.  They hope to look to him, to “Behold your God!” (Isa. 40:9)  What are they looking at?  The Lord GOD comes with might, his arm ruling for him (an image of strength and an instrument of justice); this is their God (Isa. 40:10).  But this strong arm is also secure.  He gathers his flock like a shepherd, holding the lambs in his arms close to his chest (Isa. 40:11).  The arm of the LORD is an instrument of justice to be feared by all nations and yet the means of deliverance for his people.

There are two clusters of references to the arm of the LORD in the later chapters of Isaiah.  The two themes of salvation and justice remain paired throughout the book; however, the first cluster of references focuses on God’s saving work, and the second cluster focuses on God’s judging work.

Cluster One: The Surprising Arm of Salvation (chapters 49-53)

Isaiah 40-66 consists of three sets of nine chapters, each ending with a promise of judgment for the wicked (see 48:22; 57:21; 66:24).  At the end of the first set of nine chapters, which offers a strong contrast between the living and speaking God of Judah and the dead and dumb idols of Babylon, we find another reference to the arm of the LORD.  God has indeed called his people, loving them and simultaneously judging the Chaldeans with his arm outstretched against them (Isa. 48:14). That arm becomes very evident in the following chapters.

With the focus on the Servant of the LORD (see Isa. 49:1-6), the contrast shifts onto the sin of God’s people versus the obedience of the LORD’s Servant.  Repeatedly, God is shown to be a God of justice and salvation.  Thus, “my arms will judge the peoples,” and the far-off nations wait for “my arm” (Isa. 51:5).  While creation itself may wear out, God’s salvation and righteousness will be forever.  And so the cry rings out for the arm of the LORD to “awake” and “put on strength” (Isa. 51:9).  It was the arm of the LORD that delivered Israel from Egypt in the past. It will deliver them again in that future return from exile.

As the oracle continues into chapter 52, the good news of salvation reaches Jerusalem, and the watchmen sing for joy.  The LORD has comforted Zion (Isa. 52:9, cf. 40:1); all the ends of the earth will see his salvation.  Why?  Because “The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations.” (Isa. 52:10).  He has rolled up his sleeves to act before the eyes of the whole world.  The following reference must be climactic.  What will God do?  The last reference in this cluster comes, poignantly, in the final servant song, in Isaiah 52:13-53:12.  At the start of the second stanza, Isaiah asks, “Who has believed what he has heard from us?  And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Isa. 53:1). Surprisingly, the powerful saving arm of God has been revealed in the unimpressive Servant, despised and rejected by men, the man of sorrows.  We know the arm of the LORD can bring salvation; we need only remember the cross of Christ to see that reality revealed to all who have eyes to see.

Cluster Two: The Powerful Arm of Righteousness (chapters 59-63)

Of course, the story of human sin persists, and the later chapters of Isaiah reinforce that the Servant’s saving work does not mean that sin’s effects are already finished.  When we come to Isaiah 59, we find a litany of evils persisting, and human nature is still set against God’s holiness.  In Isaiah 59:15-16, the LORD sees the sin, the lack of justice, and the absence of righteousness, and he is displeased.  So, while no humans would do the right thing, God himself, by his own arm, brought salvation and righteousness.  The same pair of goals, established by the same strong arm, yet again.  Could this refer back to the same events described in chapters 51-53?  Perhaps, but there is a hint of vengeance now, a tone of final judgment.  This eschatological focus becomes more evident as the chapters progress.

By chapter 62, it is clear that the LORD is seeing the return of the people to the land in final and complete terms. Jerusalem’s righteousness and salvation must ultimately shine forth (Isa. 62:1).  The nations will finally see that Israel is God’s delight, a nation married to him (Isa. 62:4).  The establishment of Jerusalem is the great eschatological goal of Isaiah, with the nations praising what God has done (Isa. 62:7).  And this plan is guaranteed by the LORD’s oath, which is made by his right hand and mighty arm (Isa. 62:8).

The celebration of the city feels like the end of the story. But then, Isaiah introduces a warrior riding in from Edom, his garments stained blood red (Isa. 63:1).  Here is the one who has made it all possible by treading the winepress alone.  This Warrior is the Servant of Isaiah 53, now having returned to conquer and judge, to fight God’s great battle, and to establish righteousness and salvation on the earth.  He had looked for others to join in, but again, he fought that battle alone, and his “own arm” brought him salvation (Isa. 63:5).  The Servant had returned, now a Warrior: a different role, but the same mighty arm.  This was the same “glorious arm” that had formerly fought for Israel in the wilderness in the days of Moses, dividing the waters and going before his people.  (Isa. 63:12)

Conclusion

Isaiah paints a powerful portrait of the LORD of Israel.  One feature of this God is his arm, awakening and going forth in power to establish righteousness and achieve salvation for his people.  The arm of the LORD is a symbol of might and power, a glorious arm that the nations should fear, and yet a symbol of tender strength that God’s people should trust.  In the first cluster of references, in Isaiah 48-53, we find the arm revealed surprisingly in the suffering Servant, despised and rejected, yet achieving God’s great salvation plan.  In the second cluster of references, in Isaiah 59-63, we find the arm revealed again, now in the conquering Warrior-King, judging the enemies of God and establishing God’s great eschatological plan for his people. 

In the past, the arm of the LORD went forth for Israel in the wilderness.  Then the arm of the LORD was revealed in the suffering Servant at the cross.  Ultimately, the arm of the LORD will conquer and establish God’s purposes in the future. 

Righteousness and salvation are ever God’s dual concerns.  The nations are ever his sphere of influence.  His people are ever his beloved focus.  And his arm is never too short to save.

So what about today?  With sin ramping up to apparently unprecedented levels in abject rebellion against God’s rule and the world seemingly teetering on the edge of human-led disaster, let us again look for the arm of our LORD.  He is mighty to judge, and he is tender to save.  His plans will be established, the nations will be judged, and we will be safely in his arms.

Let us dig into the Scriptures to find truths about our God that will assure us that his embrace is secure, whatever may be happening in the world around us.

The Thirties – Part 2 (A Rapid Shift)

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The shift from the German Republic founded in 1919 to the Nazi’s Third Reich in 1933 was colossal.  Clearly, it was possible for things to shift so rapidly in that society.  Are there any parallels between then and now?  As I read ACG’s Inside Germany, so many statements jumped out to me:

  • “The state, in my opinion, belongs to the people only if all the people take part in the exercise of government and public authority.” (p120)  Is there not an increasing feeling of disconnect between the population and the people with ultimate power in our day? 
  • “The best laws are of little value when carried out haphazardly or reluctantly.” (p120)  Confidence in a great legal system can drain away when it seems like there are different rules for different people.
  • “Knives, pistols and explosives are dangerous weapons. To those, however, who are guided by ideals and who, in the political struggle, have not lost sight of human dignity and integrity, the weapons of slander, abuse and insidious intrigues are far more dangerous.” (p122) ACG resigned as Minister of the Interior of Prussia in 1930following a targeted hate campaign by communist and national socialist agitators.  A politically motivated cancel culture is not a new phenomenon, but it is a concerning one.
  • We might assume that the people of Germany in the 1930s knew all too well the history of the war in the 1910s.  And yet, it doesn’t take long for a generation to rise who are ignorant or deliberately misinformed.  Those born during, or just before, the Great War became the youngsters who were so uninformed and so easily steered towards serving Hitler’s goals just two decades later. “What did those youngsters know of the struggles, miseries and sacrifices in the bitter war years?  Those youths from whom the truth was deliberately withheld had not the slightest inkling of the splendid response of the Social Democrats, the Jews and others to the war needs of the nation.  How many of the young men and women who swallow the lies and deceits of the National Socialist propaganda, hook, line and sinker know . . .” (p362) How confident can we be today that the younger generation is properly educated about the threats to our society from political, ideological or religious groups?  The evidence would suggest that too many know all too little.
  • In Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote that “A lie, if big enough, always has an excellent chance . . . . The masses with their primitive and one-sided minds are more susceptible to a big lie than a little one.” It is troubling to see how confident many are today that they are not the victim of any big lies.  They might acknowledge the possibility, or even the likelihood, of lies being the fare of politicians and the media.  But could they be the victim of a big lie?  Of course not, because they would know if they were.  It is a strange self-delusion, and our world is full of it.

There are so many parallels between then and now.  More will emerge in subsequent posts, but this is a starter list to ponder and prayerfully consider.  And the question that hangs over it all, like a Zeppelin, is what could and should the church pastors do in a society that is leaning in a dangerous direction?