Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Sermons, Fellowship and Growth
A couple of months back on the blog, we shared on 5 reasons why sermons are essential for spiritual growth. Among the reasons we expounded on was the importance of sermons in building communities through constant fellowship. Acts 2:42 provides us with more than just historical narrative but a timeless blueprint for community building. The…
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Sermons, Joy and Thanksgiving
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. – 1 Thessalonians 1: 6-7 A couple of months back on the blog we explored…
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Evolution of Preaching Part II: Puritan and Great Awakening to Modern Times
Puritan Movement and The Great Awakening The Reformation gave rise to a lot of new movements within Protestantism. One of such movement was the Puritan movement which we talked about briefly on the article last week. Puritan preachers often used vivid imagery, intense language, and extended metaphors to convey their message with conviction. The Puritans…
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Evolution of Preaching: New Testament to the Reformation
St. Augustine wrote down the first manual on learning to preach in book 4 of De Doctrina (On Christian Doctrine). This book was seminal and influenced the preaching style of his time down to even the present age. But before Augustine wrote down the first manual, there was already an existing pattern developed through the…
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Saint Augustine’s Impact on Christian Theology and Western Thought
“It may be said that all the thought-currents of the past meet in his works and form the source which provides the whole doctrinal tradition of succeeding ages.” – Pope Paul VI on Augustine Last week, we delved into the life of Saint Augustine, tracing his journey from Thagaste to Carthage, Rome, and Milan, and…
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St. Augustine: The Making of an Orthodox Icon
From a life of loose living which included sexual indulgence, lavish parties, drunkenness, worldly ambitions and all manner of vices that were available to the ancient world, St. Augustine sought fulfilment for his soul dJ. Perhaps the most notable Christian thinker after the apostle Paul, the transformation of Augustine from a wayward sinner to a…
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Dwight L. Moody: A Life Steeped in Prayer, Preaching and Service
“I’d rather be able to pray than to be a great preacher; Jesus Christ never taught his disciples how to preach, but only how to pray.” Dwight L. Moody was absolutely one of the greatest preachers of his time but that was as the result of hours of prayers. Dwight L. Moody once said that…
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The Sermons of the Early Church Fathers
After the death of the apostles in the formative years of Christianity, between the first and fifth centuries emerged a group of people that would be later known as the church fathers. These were theologians, bishops, scholars and philosophers and some were direct disciples of the apostles. These groups of individuals are notable for their…
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On The Frontline: The Vital Role of Sermons in Countering False Teachings
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound…
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Sermons and War: Hope in Dark Places
And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. – Matthew 24:6 This verse from the Gospel of Matthew speaks to humanity’s long struggle with conflict and strife, yet it also infuses us with quiet resilience. Wars,…
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