A sermon by Rod Benson 1 Timothy 3:8-13 Many people today are highly suspicious of authority. But authority itself is a necessary and good gift from God that reflects his sovereign and benevolent rule over us. With authority comes responsibility, and so in business and professional life we have codes of ethics, and professional standards, …
Standards for pastors and elders
A sermon by Rod Benson 1 Timothy 3:1-7 Perhaps it’s because of the high value our culture places on individual expression and choice, or because respected authority figures are now and then exposed as hypocrites or abuse their authority. Or perhaps it is the nature of authority to challenges our inner life, explicitly or implicitly, …
Standards for men and women
A sermon by Rod Benson 1 Timothy 2:8-15 The thing about pendulums is that they swing back and forth. The pendulum of business psychology and self-improvement appears to be swinging away from emphases like passion, competence and commitment, and toward qualities such as character, virtue and human values. A new book by David Brooks, The …
Is casting lots a justification for gambling?
What were people in biblical times doing when they cast lots? Should Christians practice this in decision-making today? Is casting lots a justification for gambling? Casting lots in biblical times The practice of rolling dice or selecting the short straw to make important decisions was common in biblical times. The practice often appears to relate …
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Reflections on ordination
A sermon by Rod Benson Sunday 10 October 1999 The great nineteenth-century Christian leader, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, described by many as “the prince of preachers,” occupied the pulpit of London’s New Park Street Baptist Church and its successor, the renowned Metropolitan Tabernacle, from 1854 to 1892. When asked if he were a Doctor of Divinity, …
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