Vetrean Pastor, Life time Learner, Problem Solver, Servant-Leader and Motivational Speaker.

How to use Bible Commentaries | HeadHeartHand Blog

The following is a summary of the lecture I’m giving today on how to use Bible Commentaries.

1. Use them
“It seems odd, that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others. My chat this afternoon is not for these great originals, but for you who are content to learn of holy men, taught of God, and mighty in the Scriptures. It has been the fashion of late years to speak against the use of commentaries…A respectable acquaintance with the opinions of the giants of the past, might have saved many an erratic thinker from wild interpretations and outrageous inferences” (C H Spurgeon).

2. Use them for appropriate tasks
Commentaries vary in size, detail, level, and theological basis; they also have different roles in the exegetical process. The following classification is partly chronological – the first books are used earlier in the process than the latter books. (The books in brackets are OT focused and are merely exemplary not exhaustive).

• Critical: Emphasis on technical matters like the composition of the text rather than its meaning (e.g.  International Critical Commentary, some Word commentaries).
• Expository (Original Language): Close and detailed exposition of the text, usually requiring some knowledge of the original languages (e.g. some Word commentaries, New International Commentary on the OT, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Mentor series by Christian Focus).
• Expository (English): Stay close to the text but do not usually deal with critical issues and do not require original language knowledge (Focus on the Bible series by Christian Focus, Evangelical Press Study Commentaries).
• Summary: Do not explain everything but focus on main points and present conclusions rather than extensive arguments. Excellent summaries of a verse or passage’s teaching. Big is not always better. (e.g. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Bible Speaks Today).
• Classical:  Reputable commentaries from the past that usually do not deal with technical issues, but rather the theological meaning of the text (Banner of Truth Geneva series, John Gill, John Calvin).
• Applicatory: Suitable for lay-people, usually with more of an applicatory focus (NIV Application Commentary).
• Homiletical: Tend to be the result of sermon series or at least more sermonic in style (e.g. Welwyn, Dale Ralph Davis).
• Devotional: Extensive comments on spiritually rich texts. Focus on edification rather than critical or controversial issues (e.g. Matthew Henry).

3. Use recommended commentaries
Ask pastors and professors for their recommendations on various books. Weigh the recommendations. Just because a Word series’ commentary on one book is good does not guarantee that they are all good.

Spurgeon: “The best commentators are those who have written upon only one book. Few men can comment eminently well upon the whole Bible.”

There are many OT commentary guide books (e.g. Tremper Longman III, Douglas Stuart, Charles Spurgeon, etc). Here are some online recommendations:

• Joel Beeke’s best OT Commentaries
• Joel Beeke’s best NT Commentaries
• Best Commentaries
• Best Commentaries: Top 2 for each b

via headhearthand.org

Really cool slide show...kinda 2012 Middle School Ministry North Mason Bible Church 2012........

 

I am quite sure Jesus Christ did not die on the Cross so I could drive a Hummer (or a buick ..or get a greencard...hot smoking wife who loves Jesus......).........God is angry with the wicked every day. Psalm 7:10-12.

My heart was broken when I watched this video on 11-7-2011. The prostitution of the gospel of Christ in my country breaks my heart. I am sure that Jesus did not die on the Cross so we could drive a Hummer. Would you kindly take 20 minutes to view this video and pray that God will judge these predators of the poor and bring them to justice. I pray that God will judge this false preachers soon. Would you also pray that God will take my wicked heart and replace it with a heart that is truly broken with the things that break the heart of God. I want God to be pleased with my life. Thank you Seyi Reynolds for an excellent well done job.

Psalm 7:10-12 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

 

Five tips for youth pastors in dealing with your senior leadership and wise words from Chris LoCurto's Blog

Five tips for youth pastors:

Pray for your Senior Pastor. Praise for your pastor out of a generous heart.

Ask permission before you share your view about a touchy issue. Remember the iceberg melts faster when the sun is out. 

Do not interrput their conversations. Seek to listen, See to understand while you learn to learn. Think then speak. Never be afraid to apologize for saying something stupid.

Leave your emotions outside the door before a meeting. Write down your thoughts before you share them. Share your thoughts with another mentor the same age as your senior leader.

Never confront your senior pastor publically. Praise publically, share concerns privately.

 

Here some more wise word from Chris LoCurto:

How To Communicate With A Leader With A Different Personality

By Chris LoCurto

It’s a great question, and truthfully, one most of us deal with. You’re not likely to work for someone with the same personality style you have. While a lot of leaders hire people like them, there’s still enough of a separation that each person’s style is different. Therefore, you need to discover the best way to work with one another. If both are well versed in personality styles and lean in each other’s direction, it’s not as hard. But when they’re not, try this:

• Get to know you – You have to first get to know you! If you don’t understand yourself, you can’t really understand why you act, react and process the way you do. And the key to giving information is understanding how you receive information. Once you know this, you can adjust your style to better communicate with others — not changing who you are, just adjusting how you communicate.

• Get to know your leader – A conversation takes two people…for most of us at least. So you need to understand the personality of the person you’re communicating with. How do they give and receive information? At what speed do they process? Do they have tendency to gather all the available information, or do they leave out the details?

• Get to writing – As you learn the strengths and weaknesses of the person you are communicating with, you can identify the areas that will either help or hurt you. In other words, if you are a high C personality, you need details, and that makes working with a high I personality difficult. They will bring excitement, enthusiasm and motivation, but it’s also possible they will leave out some details that you consider vital. So make a list of the things you need from this person every time you communicate with them. Then check the list off as you go.

• Get to resolve – Be sure to replay the conversation in your mind and ask yourself if you received all the information necessary for you to be successful. If not, address those points quickly.

As you do this you will set yourself up for success. But you should also work to convince your leader of the need to know their own personality style. Once they understand themselves, they can do a lot of the necessary work.

 

via chrislocurto.com

Love: 1 Corinthians 13: 6 - Text Sermon by Pastor James Owolabi...Journey Community Church In Tacoma Ocotober 23rd 2011

    Love Is A Verb

Sermon by Pastor James Owolabi Preached at Journey Community Church October 23rd 2011 am Service

1 Corinthians 13:6 by James Owolabi

Series:Love

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Christians who have the Love of God in their hearts do not delight in evil. They rejoice with the truth because they understand that:

• God does not rejoice in the destruction of the wicked.

• God’s grace is greater than any sin. 

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace. – Jerry Bridges

• God values a heart of repentance over a head full of religion. 

Our first problem is that our attitude towards sin is more self-centered than God-centered.

• We are more concerned about our own "Victory" over sin than we are about the fact that our sin grieves the heart of God.We cannot tolerate failure in our struggle with sin chiefly because we are success oriented, not because we know it is offensive to God" - "Pursuit of Holiness" Jerry Bridges

 Tips for the Journey

1. Seek to love without expectation.

2. Learn to ask forgiveness when you hurt those you love.

3. Seek to give grace to those across “the hallway”.

Back to message list

via journeyencounter.org

The hardest person to Lead........ME!!!!

One of the hardest lessons I have learned is that self management is not easy. It is easier, but senseless to tell people about places you have never been.  It is wiser to lead people where you have been.  if I can lead myself well.  I will lead men well. People can then follow me and learn from me. My prayer is that God will use me to lead me well. The Leadership challenge for this black preacher is to allow God to manage my deepest fears and my deepest hurts for the next fourty five years of my life.

    In his fantastic work on Leadership. Tim Irvin ( the author of "Derailed"..the best book I have read on leadership this year after the Bible)  reflects deeply on self management: "Effective self mangementss is heavily depentdent upon good self -and other awarness. A lack of self and other awareness is a common denominator among those who derail. The ability to manage our relationships is heavily dependent upon our perspectiveness of what is going on within us and with others. ....Self aware individuals pay attention to their emotions  without being ruled by them. ..They understand that how to build their stengths and observe their limits."

Almost 10 years of Youth Ministrty 10 Tips for dealing with Parents in youth ministry and an excerpt from '3 Thing to Never Say to your Volunteers" from Youth Ministry Guru Doug Franklin Online

1. Remember that parents are a gift from God to their children. Affirm them during your youth talks.
2. Remember that there are no perfect parents. Never bash the parents in front of the kids. Pray for the parents.
3. The Mom is always right. Listen to her. Dont get emotionally attached to the "hot" single mom.  Never tell a student that her mom is hot!!! She may be hot but so is Hell. Keep your thoughts to yourself.
4. Respect the decisions of the Dad especially if they Homeschool their families. Home school dads are the boss. Respect dads. When shaking the hands of the couple always shake the hands of the dad first if you are a guy. If you a girl shake the hands of the mother first.
5. Learn from the worst parents on how not to treat "them" or their child. An honest soft sincere apology to a parents, 80% of the time turns away their wrath. Learn to say" I am sorry .....". 
6. Listen to what parents are not saying. Listen carefully to what kids say about church policies and politics.....you will hear what their parents really think of you.
7. Never disrespect a parent in front of their kids.
8. Honor your own parents.
9. Remember there are no perfect parents. 
10. Pray reguarly for God to parents of pre-teens. Always listen to them. Most of the time..mom is just afraid. Listen to her fears.

Doug FankIn gives some good insight:

3. Never say to your volunteers: Parents don’t get youth ministry or the pastor doesn’t get youth ministry

When you disrespect an authority volunteers get nervous. They know that you’re not in charge and that you don’t have the experience most parents and pastors have. Your disrespect of these people will make you look immature and stupid. I know at times you are frustrated with them but you need to learn submission. Taking your frustration out in your front of your volunteers will do more to hurt your leadership than almost anything else. Speak highly of your parents and pastors. Give them respect and the other volunteers will respect you

via www.dougfranklinonline.com

It may the best teacher but ....Experience is a Brutal teacher....."I would rather learn from other people's mistake.......

Lord.... I really want to be teachable. I want to learn from your heart.  I do not want to only learn from  my experience. I want other people to pay my "dumb tax". I want to stand on the shoulder of the generation before me and learn from them. I do not want to tear down a wall before asking why the wall was built.  Lord thank you for my mentors and thank you for the men and women in my life who speak the truth when I do not want to hear it. Lord give me the humility to listen to my teachers. God may  I never stop learning. 

Proverbs 9:9: Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

 

"Experience is often a brutal teacher. Experience eats up your most valuable commondity: time. Learning from experience can eat up years. It can steal an entire stage of life. Experienc can leave scars, inescapable memories, and regret. Sure, we will all live and learn. But living and learning dont erase regret. And regret is more than memory. It is more than cerebral. It's emotional. Regret has the potential to create powerful emotion-emotions that have the potential to drive us a person right back to the behavior that created the regret to begin with. If regret can be avoided, It should be".-Andy Stanley from 'The Principle of the Path'

1. Lord make my heart teacheable.
2. Lord give me a new heart daily.
3. Lord my heart is prone to wander.
4.  Lord aid my mind that loves wandering into places where your grace is seems invisible.
5. God feed my soul with your truth daily. 
6. Speak words to my  heart when it is broken oh Lord!!!
7. You only Lord are my rock!!!!!

Listen to a sermon by Pastor James Owolabi Psalm 23 clink on the link below...

 Hey click on the Link below:

FAOGrace23Psalm2-1

 

Wedding thoughts!!!!!30 Reflections from this past weekend and Getting ready for a second trip to Alaska this year.

1. I had a great time this past week performing a wedding for Alexis Chosvig "Joseph" and Micheal Joseph.
2. God was the master of the ceremony and the gospel was preached. Christ was lifted up. It was a 30 minute wedding.
3. I love it when I can talk about the love of Christ in a wedding.
4. I love it when the bride and groom are in love with Jesus Christ. LOVE IT~~:::: Love it when both parents are believers in Jesus Christ!!!!!!
5. I love it when I can say to them; " Love is a verb". Marriage is a covenant between God, a man and a woman".
6. I think I am a spoiled by God that He allows me as a single unmarried Pastor to perform weddings.
7. I got one of the best compliments after the wedding about the sermon.
8. "Pastor James  that was one HELL of a sermon opps....revenrend sorry for my language. .....but i loved your sermon it made me cry". WOw that was so cool!!!!!I love real compliments.
9. Yes I did
   cry ( just a little bit, i have known her since she was 11 give me a break) while I was performing the wedding.
10. The bride and her family are deep and close friends who live in portland. Love the Erick and Lauri Chosvig their family..like a runner loves a morning run. 
11. Yes my heart danced for joy like an African mama seeing her son released from prison.
12. I pray that their marriage will last for 40-60years.
13. I pray that God is the center of their home. 
14. I pray that God gives the bride amazing grace and wisdom as a miltary (Airforce) wife.
15. Yes I made a mistake during the pronouncement and called the bride the wrong name  (Erica.....her sisters name......). They forgave me. Love that family.
16. Then I lost it because I was overwhelmed with joy and peace.
17. Yes the reception hall was classy, trendy and wow it took my breath away.
18. Yes Sunday School at North Mason Bible Church was awesome.
19. Yes I am getting ready for my trip to Alaska to serve missionaries and Pastors families by ministering to their teenagers.
20. Yes we will be hiking and I think am in better shape to do that this time.
21. I will miss my 6;30 am gym check in while am in Alaska. I met a couple at my gym this morning. Wife is 73 and husband is 82. Wow that is amazing!!!!!! He looked in better shape than I did. I will be working out till am 82.....Help me Jesus!!!!
22. Yes!!! I am dreading the small plane rides. They are  very scary. 
23. I love missionary kids and third culture people.
24. Yes I love cross culture ministry even though Cross culture marriages scare me.
25. I love Jesus and that is why I go to Alaska every year. Even twice this year
26. Yes they are paying for my traveling expenes to come there and I glad they are being generous to me. 
27. Thank God for Jesus Christ.
28. Met a Pastor from Anchorage at our church yesterday. He has been a pastor for 16 years.
29. He knows one of the camp counselor from the camp who is picking me up at the airport.
30. Pray that I dont miss my 6;00 am flight tomorrow from Seattle to Anchorage.

Grace and Peace

Pastor James Owolabi