Joseph F. Radosevich

I preach 100+ times per year, so I've been listening to one sermon a week to learn from other preachers (I missed last week though). Here are 3 preaching lessons I've learned recently: Warren Wiersbe--He used a keyword to organize the sermon. I listened to a sermon that he preached on the Day of Atonement in Lev. 16. He structured the sermon around God's 6 appointments regarding the Day of Atonement. Appointment was his keyword. It didn't feel gimmicky. It was clear. Charles Stanley--He focused on outsiders and skeptics and included them in what he was preaching. When he shared the gospel and invited people to be saved, Stanley explained what a prayer for salvation might sound like. This was unlike a manipulative preacher asking people to pray a prayer after him. He was explaining what a person might pray if they are ready to repent and trust Christ. I liked that a lot. I share the gospel in every sermon, but I realized that someone might not know what to say to God. I...

We put the kids to bed and got take out. We've done that our whole marriage. 

Church revitalization sounds like legalism on a church-wide scale. Legalism says, "Do this, and God will love you. If you don't do this, God won't love you." Most church revitalization training that I've heard sounds like this:  Your church will die.  Your church should die. You are not healthy. You must change. Your church can be good, healthy, thriving, etc. if you follow the list of rules. Be a good church, and you will be valuable. None of that sounds like New Testament prescriptions for the church. Even Jesus' harsh words in Revelation 3 have an invitation for people to come to him in v. 20: " If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,  I will come in  and eat with that person, and they with me." The Biblical pattern is Law-Gospel-Change. Much or most church revitalization has the pattern Law-Effort-Change. I wonder what church revitalization with gospel motivations might produce. J.C. Ryle said,  All want to see among Christians more good wor...

I read an Axios newsletter every morning, and one article is usually about Artificial Intelligence. I skim or skip those articles. I cannot believe that something earth-shattering in the world of AI happens every morning. I've written a bit about having a AI-proof ministry here . Even though I'm over AI, it's inescapable. I can't help thinking about it. Here are three things I don't think pastors can get from AI: Skill. Part of pastoring is the skill of ministering in the moment to people. If someone offloads the thinking of ministry to a computer, they will get exposed when someone needs them to minister to them without their computer in front of them or their phone out. When the helicopter transporting an injured loved one takes off, you won't have time to look at your phone for instructions. When you are trying to figure out how to respond during a conflict with church leaders, you can't look it up and ask for help. If you give your ministry thinking to a...

I would talk about myself all the time if given the chance. It's vanity, and I hate it. One way that I fight that is to ask good questions of other people. I ask questions at our family meals. I try to think in advance of questions to ask friends when we get coffee or acquaintances when I go out to a lunch for pastors. I like to think of questions to ask at our dinner table or when I am meeting with friends or new acquaintances. I want them to be really good questions and not goofy youth group icebreakers. Here are a few that spark good conversations: What are you excited about? This could be about work or family or hobbies.  What are you working on? What problem are you working on? What from your previous career makes you better at your current job? I asked a new friend who had been a newspaper editor how his time as a journalist made him a better pastor. That sparked a great conversation and  he told some interesting stories. What are you learning or enjoying about Christ? I...