JETS review of Shogren ZECNT
Your preaching: does it go out over “channel clear” or “channel staticky”?
Last Sunday I was on a road trip, and wanted to hear some Bible teaching. I guess we had already driven past the FM station that I picked up, so we got a garbled message: words words static words static words static static When the buzzes and pops finally prevailed in their assault against the... Continue Reading →
The Gospel and Choice, Part 1 – Is the battle for belief played on an even field?
Have you debated the doctrine of election, jaw clenched, over coffee? In a classroom? In your small group? It’s a vital topic, but your venue is ill-chosen. Rather, we should be discussing the doctrine of election to the extent we are doing evangelism and being eyewitnesses to God's transforming power. That's how the apostles did... Continue Reading →
What Would a Mother Do? [Studies in Thessalonians]
(please feel free to use this for a sermon on Mother’s Day, adding in stories of mothers you know) Let’s take a stroll past the Mother’s Day card rack: For Mother For Mother, Sentimental For Mother, Loving For Mother, Humorous (that category is potentially hazardous) For Mother, Respectful (these seem to be very carefully worded)... Continue Reading →
Studies in Thessalonians series
These posts are based on my commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians, available from Zondervan Publishing. 1 Corinthians and Thessalonians: My New Commentaries now available! The review of my commentary in the international Review of Biblical Literature: http://www.bookreviews.org/pdf/8733_9615.pdf What books have I used to write a commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians? [Studies in 1 Thessalonians] What Would a Mother... Continue Reading →
Terminal Uniqueness: a spiritual disease [Studies in 1 Corinthians]
We’re about 30 minutes into a movie that I’m about to snap off, because it’s the umpteenth version of clichéd plot #74, that one about The Cop who Plays by his own Rules. He doesn’t “go by the book,” so he gets suspended and has to turn in his badge. His apartment is a mess; his relationships... Continue Reading →
Gary and Karen Shogren – Who we are, what we do
As missionaries in Costa Rica since 1998, Gary and Karen Shogren have been following the Great Commission in strategic ways. In San José they train energetic Latin American leaders who will lead the church and spread the Gospel into nations where Americans cannot easily go. Second, they provide ongoing theological education online for those far-flung... Continue Reading →
Jesus? Yeshua? Yahushua? Which is the ‘real’ pronunciation?
From my ministry in Central America, I understand how names change from language to language: the English form of my name “Gary Shogren” is difficult for the Spanish-speaker – the “a” and the “e” don’t have exact counterparts in Spanish; nor does “sh”. I say my name one way if I’m speaking English and another... Continue Reading →
Why you’ve never heard of the Second Corinthian Church [Studies in 1 Corinthians]
Paul was a traveling apostle, not the local pastor of Corinth. Nevertheless, he had to deal with the members of this flock in a pastoral way, teaching, encouraging and rebuking them. I’ve spend some years studying 1 Corinthians, and I must admit honestly, that if I had been Paul, I would have been heavily tempted... Continue Reading →
My four decades in the Bible – Part II
Please read Part I before starting Part II; click HERE Chapter Three – My Sojourn in Pentecostalism Until I turned 14, the only charismatic person I knew anything about was JFK. Since then I have been charismatic (one year, give or take); then post-charismatic; anti-charismatic; teacher of charismatics; bridge-builder with charismatics; regular spokesman against neo-Pentecostals... Continue Reading →
Open Our Eyes, Lord! 