Effective Sermon Preparation and Delivery
Seven Characteristics of a Pastor
- Blameless: A pastor must be blameless, in their own eyes and in the eyes of others. A pastor who lives to a high standard is enabled to preach to a high standard.
- Husband of One Wife: People expect a leader to be a one-woman man. If they discover you are not faithful to your wife, they lose their trust in you.
- Hospitable: By being generous with what they have to both saved and unsaved, a pastor is able to open people’s hearts as he opens his home to them.
- Able to Teach:
Spain in the 16th Century: Society, Economy, and Culture
Social and Economic Context of 16th-Century Spain
Travel and discoveries fostered the growth of trade and industry, stimulating the economy and monetary market. Agriculture experienced development, but it was hindered by encounters with the privileges of sheep transhumance, supported by the Mesta. The 16th century was a period of population growth and a booming economy. However, Spanish economic development lagged behind the rest of Europe.
Social Classes in 16th-Century Spain
The bourgeoisie was one
Read MoreSir Gawain, Melibee, Patience: Medieval Texts
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
After the siege and the assault at Troy had ended,
And the city broken down and burned to brands and ashes,
The man, the traitor, who trammels of treason there wrought,
Was tried for his treachery, the foulest on earth.
It was Aeneas the noble and his high kin
Who later conquered other provinces and became lords
Of well-nigh all the wealth in the Western Isles:
Forth rich Romulus came to Rome quickly,
With great magnificence, he built up that city first,
And names it
Gilgamesh, Ruth, Psalms, Nights: Key Questions Answered
Key Questions on Gilgamesh, Ruth, Psalms, and More
Gilgamesh’s Quest for Immortality
Gilgamesh’s quest for immortality begins after the death of his friend Enkidu. He fears his own mortality and seeks to regain the strength the gods had granted him, which they were now taking away as punishment.
Aruru’s Creation of Enkidu
Aruru created Enkidu to challenge Gilgamesh and diminish his power. The people complained about Gilgamesh’s arrogance and his treatment of women.
The Divine Flood
The flood was sent
Read MoreSaint Teresa, Protestant Reformation, and European Shifts
Saint Teresa of Ávila
Saint Teresa, born in 1515 in Ávila, was the sixth of twelve siblings. At age 15, her father sent her to the Augustinian convent in Ávila. Of a rebellious and dreamy spirit, she always showed a special interest in reading the lives of the saints, which led to reading novels and books about knights with her brother Rodrigo. She had a special sensitivity toward solitude and prayer. At 20, she ran away to join the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation.
Shortly after, she suffered
Read MoreRamon Llull: Life, Works, and Missionary Efforts
Ramon Llull
Ramon Llull (1232-1316) is considered one of the creators of literary Catalan and one of the first to use a Romance language to transmit philosophical, scientific, and technical knowledge, in addition to novels. He was a writer, mystic, scientific popularizer, missionary, theologian, Franciscan monk, and alchemist. He wrote in Occitan, Catalan, Arabic, and Latin.
From Birth to Conversion
Llull was born in Palma de Mallorca between 1232 and 1233. He was the son of Ramon Amat Llull and Isabel
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