It is not enough to have a good story – it must live up to what you are telling the people. Stories with integrity last long. Stories without integrity backfires all the time. I blogged about Villar and Noynoy yesterday and got an avalanche of comments from people defending Villar or Noynoy but that wasn’t even the point. Some people started giving facts about Villar’s anomalies and Noynoy’s credentials. Everybody knows the fact but FACTS though important is not as sticky as crafting a story. Let us take the claim of Christians that...

The race is closer than ever. Noynoy started strong but it seems Villar is catching up. You might ask why? It is very simple that every preacher must understand this. STORIES SELL. Manny Villar has a story. Noynoy has none. Villar is a poor boy from a poor family. From being Tondo boy – with determination and hardwork – he made it big time. He tells us a story that inspires Filipinos to dream and work on their dreams and they could be the next Manny Villar. Noynoy – no story. Just facts. Son of Ninoy and Cory. Brother of Kris and Uncle...

Preachers have to understand that in our hands we hold the greatest story ever told. For 52 weeks, the people in church gives us 30 minutes – 60 minutes to talk about the most wonderful, truthful, absolute, infallible WORD OF GOD. What a privilege! Break down those hours and in a year we are given at least one day and a half to preach the WORD and it is our duty as pastors to preach with integrity ( know your doctrine, Bible-based teaching). But preaching beautiful theology is just half the battle – we have to be good in sharing the theology. As...

If you have been watching the news or surfing the net you might have already chance upon the news of Sen Pimentel’s green joke during the senate hearing. Here is the excerpt: “My name was mentioned in the context that we are ganging up, that this is all political, that we are using insertions, when he (Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano) said in a blanket statement that we had insertions,” Roxas said. “I say no. I had no insertion on any matter. In fact, I have no insertion, period. Because we’re in the minority! Let alone an insertion for a road to pass...

With the rise of social media – blogs, facebook, twitter and plurks, the reality is we could be one blog away from extinction. Remember the girl who told us that Philippines is a land of sinners in her site? Remember when Mikey Arroyo made a blunder in his interview with Winnie Monsod and the liquor event during Ondoy? Remember how many people lost their jobs because HR saw that they were facebooking during work hours? I have been tempted to blog about really bad customer service that I have experienced in the past but decided not to and let God handle...

A leader should not just know how to communicate – he/she has to communicate the truth. How many times have we as pastors struggle to preach the Word of God in fear that we might offend people. Offend the big tithers and the famous people in church. We have to understand that we were given the responsibility to preach the truth and most of the time the truth hurts. With a gospel that is sugar coated – biblical leadership calls for men and women to preach the TRUTH. The truth that there is a God who loves us and created us. The truth that though...

How do you prepare a message? For the past two weeks I have been reading and studying the book of James. I have consulted the commentaries, listened to some sermons online, talked with my fellow pastors about it, read and review my message for tomorrow. I also pray and ask God – what does He want to say to the church. We look at the needs of the church and tailor fit it to the hearers. I call it wrestling with the text. You struggle with it. You change sweat with the author of the Bible. You never stop till he says “give up”. You get the...

John Piper made a very strong interesting comment on using video clips in preaching. “I think the use of video and drama largely is a token of unbelief in the power of preaching. And I think that, to the degree that pastors begin to supplement their preaching with this entertaining spice to help people stay with them and be moved and get helped, it’s going to backfire. It’s going to backfire.” Do I agree? Well do you agree? What do you think?

here are some more lessons I am learning and currently applying as I read the book VINTAGE CHURCH by Mark Driscoll 6 questions as I prepare my message 1. The Biblical Question: What does Scripture say? - full concentration on the passage - read different translations  - ESV, NKJV, NIV - www.logos.com 2. The Theological Question: What does Scripture mean? - interpret what is said so that we know what it means 3. The Memorable Question: What is my Hook? - it could be a word, image, concept, doctrine, emotion. - It makes your message memorable. - - LA...