Fort-4-Fitness

This morning I ran the Fort-4-Fitness half-marathon. I ran pretty slow, but I was glad to finish. It was overcast and cool -- perfect running conditions. The support at this race was amzing (water/gatorade, encouragers, bands, extras, etc).

How Long Should You Preach?

Years ago I heard someone ask John Maxwell, “How long should I preach?” Maxwell responded with, “How good are you?” There is probably some truth to the old adage, “there’s no such thing as a bad short sermon” (although I think I have heard a few, and probably have preached some). I once heard Bob Russell share his sermon length formula with a group of preachers. He said: Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10. Now subtract 2 (since most preachers overestimate their ability). And multiply by five minutes. So if a guy estimates that he is an “8”, he drops it down to a “6” and multiplies by five minutes – that equals a 30 minute sermon.

We are told that people have short attention spans these days, so we should preach short(er) messages (my sermons average about 25 minutes). Yet I listen to preaching podcasts of some of the fastest growing churches in America – guys like Andy Stanley, Mark Driscoll, and Perry Noble, and they regularly preach for nearly an hour – sometimes even longer than that (well, mostly Driscoll). These lengthy sermons don’t seem to be hindering the growth of their churches. What’s the deal?

What say you? What is the perfect sermon length?

60th Anniversary of my Alma Mater

Tonight I will be traveling to Great Lakes Christian College to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the school. I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends and former professors. It's hard to believe that it has been 22 years since I left the halls of learning and began an education that can only happen in the real world of ministry. Still, I have fond memories of GLCC (after all, that's where I met Mrs. Soren!).

We're on iTunes

If anyone is interested, you can now subscribe to my sermons via iTunes. Simply go to the iTunes Store and enter Cedar Creek Church of Christ into the search bar. It will give you the option Cedar Creek Church of Christ (Eric Bass). Click that and you are good to go.

God Bless America

Never Forget

Eight years ago, I was in Missouri preaching at a Revival. I remember hearing on the radio that a plane had hit one of the twin towers. Thinking it was a small plane, I thought, “That’s strange.” My host gave me a tour of the area that morning. It wasn’t until lunchtime that we heard what happened. We scrapped the Revival plans and simply has a prayer service that night.

This morning I thanked God for protecting our country over these past eight years, grateful for the men & women who serve to ensure our freedom and safety. America, don't take anything for granted. And don't forget September 11, 2001.

Warren Woods

Yesterday while visiting my hometown of Three Oaks, MI, I went to Warren Woods. I actually went twice – the first time, I ran through the woods, remembering my Cross Country days (the woods was part of the High School CC course). I returned later for a leisurely walk with Mrs. Soren. I wondered how many times I had run through those woods without pondering the beauty of God’s creation. This time I took the time to wonder at His Majesty.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; Psalm 96:11-12

Garage Sale

Mrs. Soren has been wanting to have a Garage Sale for some time now. We finally got a lot of stuff ready (clothes, CDs, old couches, TVs, etc). There has been a steady stream of people all morning long. One man's junk is another man's treasure, right? It's amazing what people will buy. I said to her last night, "I hope we make some decent money." She replied, "What do you mean, 'WE'? Oh, right. It must have someone other than ME who lugged a couch and loveseat up from the basement (with the help of a reluctant 14 year old boy). But I'm over it now :-)

Irish Football Season Begins Saturday