Baptist Press reminds us that Billy Graham stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on July 4, 1970 and delivered the message The Unfinished Dream. Read the full story here, which includes links to the original BP story published over 40 years ago and to hear the full sermon. Continue reading
Author Archives: Clark Bunch
Discussion: The Altar
Does you church have an altar (or more than one altar) in the sanctuary? Does each service end with an altar call style invitation? What are we being invited to do at the altar if/when we get there? I would like to put aside personal feelings, experiences and what any particular local church does or doesn’t do and look into the Bible as we analyze the purpose of the altar. Ultimately I would like us to answer this question: what is the place of the altar in the New Testament church? Continue reading
Book Review: Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me by Renee Fisher
Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is the power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.” -Corrie ten Boom
Renee Fisher began journaling in 1997 as part of her healing process. Prayers and scriptures filled her journal; God answered in a big was and the writing never stopped. Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me: Finding Freedom in the Journey from Pain to Purpose is her third book. Continue reading
Happy Monday
Mondays are like
Last week there was more stuff in the Happy Monday folder than I could use, even after I posted the Bible Reader’s Special Edition later that same day. And of course it’s been added to all week. Here’s a big healthy dose of Happy Monday quotes, pics, scriptures and funnies, and I don’t know what to do with all that’s left. Continue reading
Living in Church Culture
Those of us who have made church a part of life for many years may not even be aware of the “church culture” we surround ourselves with. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but we need to understand what is taking place and how it can effect our ministry and witness. Let’s begin by defining some terms:
culture: a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc. (Miriam Webster Online)
subculture: a group that has beliefs and behaviors that are different from the main groups within a culture or society (Miriam Webster Online) Continue reading
New and Improved Bible Gateway
The preview of the new Bible Gateway has been available for several weeks in beta, but you may have noticed the new site design going live this week. Not everyone saw the change at the same time, but the roll out of the new format has been gradually taking place since Monday. Here are some of the key new features:
- Bible annotation and personalization built around user accounts
- Seamless cross-platform syncing of user-created content
- Responsive design that adapts to any screen size or viewing device
- Clean, clutter-free presentation of Bible, devotional, and reference content
Anything new takes a little getting used to. Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) about the new design and functionality. Below is a short video tutorial.
The Master’s Table is a proud partner of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid.
2 New Reviews of God is Near
Paul Wilkinson is no stranger to The Master’s Table. In addition to blogging at Thinking Out Loud and Christianity 201, his Wednesday Link List appears weekly at the Parse Leadership Journal of Christianity Today. He is on our blog roll and has been our guest blogger a time or two. Read his review that ran Monday on Thinking Out Loud.
Denise Spencer is the “first lady” of Internet Monk. Her late husband Michael Spencer was my friend and mentor in real life and the original Internet Monk, creating, writing, posting and managing the blog from 2001 until 2010. Mike Mercer and others continue the online work Michael started. Denise continues to work on the mission field in south-eastern Kentucky where the Bunches and Spencers once served together. Read her review, posted Thursday at Internet Monk.
- Links to other reviews and ordering information are on the God is Near page of this blog. Please share this link, order a copy of the book if you have not yet done so, and join us for a series of discussions that will begin soon!
Are All Christians to Share the Gospel?
In the circles of Christianity that I run in, we believe that some are called to preach, some are gifted to teach, but all are called to be evangelists. Any born again Christian should be able to communicate to another person what Christ has done, even if the exchange is one on one. You do not have to be a preacher, Sunday School teacher or any sort of public speaker to share the Gospel. Apologetics is about presenting a defense of our faith and any Christian if asked ought to at least be able to explain why he or she is a believer. There are some, however, that still preach from the pulpit that only the ordained minister can evangelize from the pulpit. Consider this summary of one reformed pastor when responding to this issue on the Puritan Board website: Continue reading
Happy Monday: Read the Bible Special Edition
Happy Monday was posted as usual this morning. Here’s a little something extra, all about the joys and benefits of reading the Bible.



