Each month for more than 40 years, Dudley Hall has shared from his heart what God is teaching him. Refreshing, candid, and honest expressions of God’s grace in Dudley’s life inhabit these messages of grace and simplicity. Liberation from legalism as well as total involvement in the Kingdom of God give balance to a message designed to fulfill our destiny in Christ. Dudley’s gift of teaching allows him to share the simplicity and truth of God’s message in a way that encourages his listeners to put truth into practice. Through laughter, tears, and thought-provoking topics, you’ll come face-to-face with the truth of the scripture and the reality of a loving Father. People often comment, “Dudley Hall makes the essential things seem simple.” While you laugh and sometimes cry, truth will grip you in such a practical way that you are encouraged to live it out.This is not a program of random messages selected to impress people or promote sales. It is indeed a “life in progress” being shared through a craftsman’s skill and disciple’s heart.
The bedrock foundation of truth is the news that God has acted in grace. Our redeemed life is totally a gift and does its work only when it is received as a gift from God with no strings attached. For more information, visit: www.KerygmaVentures.com
I’ve had several personal conversations recently that centered around questions and problems related to the doctrine of election. For centuries, Bible students have debated the Calvinist/Arminian positions regarding this precious doctrine. Whole denominations have been created because of a particular position, and, sadly, some Christian brothers and sisters have treated each other like enemies because of their inability to find common ground. This message is not trying to settle the propositiona...
There are some things that we can enjoy best in moderation. Ice cream is better if tasted in small bites rather than gorging. Wading in a cold mountain stream is better if taken by degrees. Other things require total commitment. The gospel life is like that. It can’t be enjoyed in moderation. It is all or nothing. For more information, visit: www.KerygmaVentures.com
Humanity has a history of misidentifying reality and creating stories that often destroy millions of lives or lead societies down paths of fantasy and deception. Stories abound trying to explain the sounds we hear and the sights we observe. It is very confusing, unless there is an exclusive story that interprets the others and makes sense in the core of our being. There is! For more information about Kerygma Ventures, visit us at: www.KerygmaVentures.com
Recent surveys reveal that 52% of American workers feel burn out, which has spiked during the Covid-19 era. A myriad of factors contribute to it, but an obvious one is the vulnerability of individualistic isolation. The old western civilization icon of the self- made, self-sufficient, enlightened human is being exposed as the fraud it has always been. Leaders in all spheres, including the church, are suffering from burn out, flame out, and fall out... Yet shouldn’t Christ-followers pause long en...
The level of angst today in society in general and western civilization in particular suggests a deep longing for spiritual renewal and cultural reset. The people who believe that God acts in history in conjunction with the prayers of His people are engaging in prayer and asking: “What might a new awakening look like?” I offer a suggestion and a fervent hope: the kerygmatic option. For more information about Kerygma Ventures, visit us at: www.KerygmaVentures.com
The war between truth and deception rages in our culture in such an obvious way that one must hide to keep from seeing it. Some may be so distracted by self-absorption that they don’t bother to notice the battle, but most are aware... and nervous. Never in the history of this nation has the intensity been so high.
In Psalm 12, David describes the alarm we sense when accosted by the noise filling the air around us: “Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind. They utter lies to each other; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak...those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are ourown—who is our master?” (Psalm 12:1-4 NRSV). What are we seeing in these days? We can be sure that our God has not forgotten us or gone on a va...
Storms should not surprise us when they come, yet we often find ourselves overwhelmed by their ferocity or rapidity. Like a child playing in the surf who is hit by an unexpected wave, before we can get up and wipe our face another one comes crashing in. Jesus predicted that storms would come into all of our lives, and that they would expose the foundations of what we are building. Jesus’ emphasis in this discourse was the necessity of building on “these words of mine.” All previous words from Go...
The Christmas trees had many packages piled underneath for days before the big day. Now the floor is empty except for a few gifts left for family or friends who haven’t gotten theirs yet. Wouldn’t it be a shame if we left the big one with our name on it unopened - admired and anticipated, but left untouched? What if it contained the last will and testament of a rich uncle who left enough money to pay all of our obligations and secure our financial future, and we just left it there while continui...
As believers, we celebrate the finished work of Jesus, emphasizing that He initiated and carried out redemption through His incarnation, perfect obedience, sacrificial death, miraculous resurrection, and majestic exaltation. We rejoice that there is nothing we can do to add to the full salvation He purchased for us. It is indeed glorious to meditate on the redemption story carried out in the life of Jesus. However, some have concluded that since His ascension to Heaven, He has taken a break from...
The recent election has revealed a tension many Christians feel as citizens of both heaven and earth. Some have concluded that, since we are born from heaven, we have little or no business trying to influence such matters as politics and civil government. Others have felt so connected to our earthly responsibilities that they have put too much hope in the civil structures of society. In the middle of the confusion, we have been susceptible to defining our preferences by the reputation or disposi...
As Jesus came to save (heal) the brokenness of the fallen world, He released the power to accomplish His purpose and extended that mission through His corporate body. The doctrine of suffering has been neglected in understanding the Christian experience. Yet, sacrifice is the core expression of love that transforms. Having a consistent doctrine of the mission of the church, which includes suffering, is essential for our implementation of a community that extends Christ’s healing in the world....
We are designed to live in connection to a leader. As created beings, we properly respond to our Creator as One who is worthy of worship and trust. It was only when we bought into the lie that we can be our own leaders without submission to anyone that we as the human race lost our way. Scripture relates a time in Israel’s history when the people were doing what was right in their own eyes and feeling frustrated. Discontented with Yahweh as their king, they longed for a human leader......
2020 has certainly been surprising to us all, and that surprise has manifested in a lot of different ways: Angry people are shouting, fearful people are fretting, predators are pouncing, and almost everyone is scratching their heads, wondering what is really going on. All the while, it seems as though the wise and mature are ignored as they stand in the shadows, leery of offering what they know is not welcomed. Take a moment and listen to this dynamic message!
The awareness of the existence of something greater, just out of reach, plagues all of humanity. C.S. Lewis recognized this when he spoke of having desires that nothing in this world can satisfy. His conclusion was that these unmet desires are evidence that we are made for another world. This is why fantasies captivate us. To learn more, take a few minutes and listen to this exciting message.
It is universally common to want to have a better life. No one sets out to have a bad life or a lesser life. As we read the Bible, we find words and concepts that grab our attention because they seem to offer ways to find that place of blessing. It has always been relatively easy to misinterpret what that means. We long for victory over our enemies both external and internal. We see promises of prosperity, and eagerly seek to find ways of having it. The apostle Paul speaks of “always being led i...
Amid all the bad news and global disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen a surge of speculation about the “last days” and the end times. If you’re like me, you’ve heard and read numerous things in recent days comparing the current viral outbreak to the plagues mentioned in the book of Revelation, usually accompanied by a suggestion that we are living in the last few moments of history. So, are we really living in “the last hour”? The answer is, “yes” and “no.”
Throughout the years, biblical scholars and theologians have searched for the historical Jesus. They have sought to know all they can about Jesus in his historical context. While this can certainly be a worthwhile and profitable study, I contend that there is another search that is more universal: searching for the essential Jesus.
God’s purpose in creation is to rule through his human partners. Adam and Eve were designed to tend the garden with a view to tending the whole earth. They had everything they needed to do just that. Their fall into sin left them afraid of the God who loved them, ashamed of the bodies he gave them, and dismayed at the task he assigned them. The story of redemption is the answer to each of these problems and provides the means for God to again have a community on earth that will display his image...
THE NATURE OF HIS NAME The apostle John closes his gospel account by recording the very last discourse Jesus had with his disciples. John recounts the prayer Jesus prayed to the Father after revealing intimate insights to the disciples about sharing the life of God. He prays that they (and we) will know in fullness the joy of sharing his very life. Jesus relates that he has made known to them how he was sent from the Father, how he revealed the true nature of the Father, and how he has kept them...
As we approach this new year and decade, we hear many voices encouraging us to feel positive about our future. I have heard some playing on the idea of 20/20 eyesight, saying that 2020 is a year of corrected vision and clear perspective. Others build their hopes on positive thoughts and words that they believe will actually create circumstances that are better...
The deliriously happy couple married and expected to live to a ripe old age enjoying grandchildren and savoring their twilight years together. Cancer! She died at age 27. He was devastated. Another young man studied hard and received good grades in hopes of getting a job with the large firm. Another less qualified candidate knew the CEO personally and was hired instead. He was downcast. It happens to all of us. What we expected didn’t happen. What we wanted was not granted. Life surprised us wit...
The whole human race is caught up in a frantic search for peace, harmony, purpose, and pleasure. In other words: joy. What most have not yet discovered, however, is that God designed us for that very thing. Even the wiring of the human brain is controlled by a center that is motivated by joy.
Who among us has not been alarmed by news reports of how divided our society has become? People on both sides of the political aisle roll their eyes when they hear those on the opposing side demanding safe places and refusing to even listen to opposing views (much less allowing them space on their Facebook news feeds). It seems we have become so fragile that we can’t endure the tension of being challenged to think beyond our own opinions. While certainly not a sign of a healthy culture, this fra...
The Way Of The Thorn Suffering is often demonized in the current climate of “feel good” religious dogma. In an effort to attract more followers, leaders tend to over-emphasize the idea of pleasure and comfort afforded those who believe while neglecting or even rejecting the role of suffering. This is very dangerous. It leaves the sheep of God’s pasture vulnerable to the stalking predator who is seeking someone to attack.“. . . Like a roaring lion our adversary the devil prowls around looking for...
When what we see suggests that evil is winning and that life is random; that God is, at best, disinterested in our plight; that when our hopes and dreams seem to be crashing around us and prayers are seemingly ignored—we long for an audience with God. The ancient Job did, and so did Habakkuk. “O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before m...
There is a growing number of church leaders who, having a heart of a true pastor, recognize the attractional model of the church is not getting the job done The metrics of our consumerist culture are not those of the kingdom of heaven. When we measure the success of our ministry primarily by attendance, money, and the Sunday experience, we have missed the point. The called-out ones that comprise the church Jesus is building are marked by an overwhelming passion for knowing him, a love and submis...
Lincoln Steffens went to Russia after the Russian Revolution and saw the new collective form of government, known as communism, being tried. Things looked so good in the early days that he reported back home, “I have seen the future and it works.” Of course, by 1989 the country was in big trouble, having witnessed millions of people dead in the tragic experiment. However, the scriptures testify that we can see the future and it really does work. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the...
LUKE 15 - When we share the life of God, we find ourselves celebrating what he celebrates. It is an awesome thing to share the life of the Triune God. Jesus made the nature of God clear and real. He is a Father who loves to show his love for his own. We often reveal that we are either not conscious of our shared life, or that we are still trying to live in a way that will be acceptable to God. God designed humans to be joyful. That is part of what it means for us to be his image bearers. We are ...
