Posts by Don Johnson
Becoming All Things to GenZ
1 Co 9.22b “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” A recent lecture led to some reading on the sociological phenomenon called GenZ (Generation Z), that is, those born between 1997 and 2014. (The dates are somewhat arbitrary.) Several articles track characteristics of “GenZers,” with the…
Read MoreUnderstanding Narrative Passages
We are all probably very familiar with the narratives of Scripture. If you are a new Christian, the narratives might still be new to you. Over time, they will all become familiar. We love to tell and retell these stories. Familiarity breeds, not contempt in this case, but probably some loss of understanding. In addition,…
Read More2019 FBFI Annual Fellowship – Audio
Red Rocks Baptist Church in Denver hosted our 99th annual FBFI Annual Fellowship meeting. What a tremendous time! I seem to say this every year, “best ever!” — perhaps that is a sign of advancing age and short term memory issues! Nevertheless, our meeting this year was outstanding, from our gracious hosts and their good…
Read MorePreaching to Ourselves from 1 John
A recent look at 1 John started a new train of thought concerning this little book that seems to aid in understanding and applying its contents. Commentators well know that 1 John is hard to outline. One commentary I have lists no less than eight full outlines of the book (including the author’s own)1 as…
Read MorePraying for the Kingdom to Come
Whenever I announce the topic of prayer as the focus of a message or a series in our church, I find a response of keen interest from our people. We all have the sense of the disciples when they begged the Lord, “Teach us to pray.” Last summer, we published an edition of FrontLine devoted…
Read MorePerfect Illustrations that aren’t quite … True
Some years ago I was looking for an illustration to fill out a point in a sermon. I’ve collected various resources over the years. Most of them sit on my shelf gathering dust! With the advent of the internet, we now have illustrations at our fingertips, so it should be much easier now, right? On…
Read MoreMany Modern Jews Are Reading the Bible Today
Yesterday we published a piece by Dr. Layton Talbert about how Orthodox Judaism treats Isaiah 53. While corresponding with me about his article, Dr. Talbert mentioned an interesting project going on among Jews in Israel (and, indeed, all over the world). Despite the tradition of misinterpreting and ignoring Isaiah 53, many Jews are today busy…
Read MoreWhy did Peter live and James die? Trusting Our Sovereign God
Acts 12 presents the first loss from the apostolic company, the death of James, brother of John, one of the “Sons of Thunder,” a member of the inner circle of the Lord’s disciples. At the same time, and from the same executioner, we find Peter delivered by the mighty hand of God. Why the difference?…
Read MoreWe Need More Pastors
A few years ago, George Barna published a study called “The State of Pastors.” The study revealed that the average age of pastors in 2017 is 54. “Only one in seven pastors is under 40, and half are over 55. The percentage of church leaders 65 and older has nearly tripled, meaning there are now…
Read MoreYou Have a New Pastor, Now What?
A friend of mine recently entered a new ministry. I don’t know the details of his move, or the history of the church, but the news sparked some thinking about churches and new pastors. My own ministry will face that prospect within the next decade, most likely. Sometimes churches and pastors struggle with the transition.…
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