ALL BLOGGERS HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS WHY THEY BLOG.

part four

Most of the 120 blogs that I have written have been written before. I have just updated and added more content and some new illustrations.

Some examples of some of the threads I have written.: What I think about Church Altar calls, thoughout my ministry.I have written about my call to the ministry. I have dealt with the process I have taken in preaching style. I have examined fundamentalism. I have talked to preachers within fundamentalism. I have addressed the process I have taken in preaching theologically and expositionally.. I have addressed how I study for a message. I have tackled the obsession of numbers within the fundamental churches.

I have acknowledged the churches in which I have been on the staff, I have addressed the churches in which I have pastored with open honesty. I undertake why churches call pastors and why pastors choose to go to a church as a pastor. I address "How do you know you have been called by the Lord to preach and be in ministry?" "Why should I be motivated to study and learn and share?"

I dealt with "When is there a legitimate reason to dismiss a staff member." Since I have been dismissed several times. Then "How should you respond when you get the news you have been released from your job on the church staff."

I addressed the issue of humility. How do you know if you have this Christian grace?

Then I examined the issue of the Will of God. What principles should we use to determine God’s will? In our lives and in ministry? Does God foreordain everything? I have had several experiences in this area.

How are we to view the past in the light of the present? I have struggled with trying to live in the present as a result of my past experiences.

I even addressed the issue of "Should Christians go to the movies?"

I spent some time on the topic; "What is the Gospel." I addressed Lordship Salvation and John Piper and Ted Haggard and Rap Music. Why? because this was a topic on the weblog, and I jumped on the wagon. And because I have struggled with these topics for years.

I spent some time on "What is the Requirement for Salvation" I chronologized my viewpoints on how I would present the Gospel when I preached. How Do I know if You have truly been born again? And how one knows if he is preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What does that mean?

Then I was reading about the Covenant Churches and their view point on Sunday School Classes. And their view point on Worship, Music and Teaching. So I wrote a few articles on this subject.

I wrote several articles about my view point on the Bible. How to interpret the Bible. And some hermeneutical principles. I viewed my position on the interpretation of Revelation.

Then I have always pastored small churches in numbers and I thought I should address some of the dynamics of small church ministries. I had read about a dozen articles on this subject.

I tried to gives some thought about "What is Truth?" This has been on the weblog for some time. Then when John Piper’s church invited a Hip Hopper to sing, this created weblogs all time high. Preachers have opinions, and they had them about John Piper. So I attempted to write about the truth of our opinion.

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant and Proof Checked by Charity Whisnant

ALL BLOGGERS HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS WHY THEY BLOG.

Part Three

All bloggers have different ideas why they blog. I started out blogging to record my experiences in the ministry. At the request of my son Chad I started giving more detail about my experiences.

The direct observation of or participation in events as a basis of knowledge b : the fact or state of having been affected by or gained knowledge through direct observation or participation. The conscious events that make up an individual life. Something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through

People write about their lives all the time, history is the recorded experiences and events and an explanation of their causes. What I have tried to do is to give my history, an account of my life.

a chronological record of significant events often including an explanation of their causes.
So I have written those significant events in my life with an explanation as to what happened in those events and how they affected me and my family.

Along this process of blogging, I also read other bloggers and weblogs. I have not come across any one who is writing about their personal experiences. Each person has their own idea of what they want to accomplish on their weblog.

There is one group of young fundamentalists who want to address the extreme of fundamentalism..

Other weblogs address the issue of Biblical Preaching. Some weblogs address issues that are in the news. Baptist. Lord Supper. The Gospel. Women Preachers. Biblical Interpretation. Church Music. Lordship Salvation vs. Free Grace And many more topical issues are found on these sites.

Seeker Friendly Churches vs. Emergent Movement. Spiritual Gifts. Cultural Issues.
And on occasion I will address some of those issues.

As an issue will relate to my own personal experience I will write what I believe about it.
Most of the time, when I write about some topic, I will research the topic, and download several articles, I will go to monergism. com and find a whole series of articles on the topic. or I will see what Spurgeon has to say about the topic, or I often will read what other bloggers are saying about the issues about ministry or the culture. My blogs are triggered by personal experiences that I have had over the last fifty years. My blogs are often activated by reading other bloggers writing about that which I have personally had to deal with over the years.

I started blogging only to record my personal history experiences in life and ministry. I believed that only a few would read anything I had to write. At first I was recording within my threads only what I thought was significant to my history and thinking.

Then I thought I would begin to add some advice concerning some of the experiences that I have had. Then I began to write about some personal subject matters that I have been dealing with for years.

I have not tried to write to get a response from anyone. The only response I have given is my own response to the topic or experiences I have traveled over the years.

I have not really written any article with the purpose to convince someone to take my position. They have been my opinions only.

I have written for many years before August of 2006. I have loved writing down what I think for many years. I have written several thousand sermons because I love to write. I love to do research, I have loved going to the public library for years to research topics. I have loved for as long as I can remember to study churches and pastors and preachers and ministry. I have been like the Justices of the Supreme Court, they write their Opinions. I have written my opinions on a number of subjects for as long as I can remember. I love doing that. I love to outline books that I read. And I read and write because I think. And if I write, then I can see in print what I think.

Blogging is such a small percent of what I do. I love to read and study and learn.

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant 01 02 06 Proof Checked Charity Whisnant

WHY WRITE

While not a prolific blogger, Alan Dershowitz is a legal writing legend. His thoughts below are interesting and his recommendations are sound advice for all bloggers:

• "Today I write nearly every day and publish a book almost every year. I feel the need to share my ideas as widely as possible. Having spent so many years taking in information, I feel the need to get out as much as possible. My test for publication is certainly not perfection. Instead, I ask myself whether sharing my experiences, mistakes, insights, and opinions will contribute in a positive way to the marketplace of ideas. I see the publication of my ideas as part of a teaching and learning process. I learn from the criticism directed at my writings. I teach by putting out my ideas, without subjecting them first to endless honing, polishing and internal peer review.So don’t hold back until it’s perfect. Get it out "

I write not only on the blog but I enjoy writing period. I love to write with a pen and paper. I have done this for over 50 years. Or I will write on WordPerfect.

WHY WRITE:
I love research and I love taking notes, and I love writing down what I think I am thinking: WHY?

The basic reason for writing, is to get my thoughts out of my mind and onto paper. On paper or on the Corel WordPerfect I can see what I have written.

I encourage my thinking with notes, outlines, summaries, commentary on paper.

So when I write I remember more accurately, understand better, and see what I think more clearly. And the better I write the more critically I will read.

Writing then is an important part of learning, thinking and understanding.

When I write with others in mind, I give my ideas the critical attention they need and deserve.

When Charity convinced me that someone else might read what I write, it got my attention as to what I wrote, how I was going to write it. Thus, I had no problem in letting Charity proof read my writing.

Thinking in written form is done more carefully than just writing down my thoughts that I would only read myself.

I have discovered as I read books or call up a website that I am developing a relationship with the writer of that book or website.

I do not write often to get a response or to turn a thought toward the subject that I am writing. I often do read and then I write what I am reading.. I read what they are writing and I begin to think on what they are saying.

What I want to learn to do better is to write well. When others read what I write they will see what I have said has been carefully researched and is trustworthy. Blog or other form of writing.

While I started out writing for my benefit in the blog, I have branched out that others are going to read them as well. Of course when I was writing my sermons I was wanting others to listen to what I was saying.

I need to learn when I am writing, while it is interesting to me, how can I say it so that it will be interesting to others.

I have said often, I wish I could write what I am learning in such a way that my Baptist preacher friends would really find it interesting reading. They would never read, I am thinking, anything that John Calvin or Martin Luther wrote, so can I write and say the same thing and they would read it?

Also, I am learning, it’s just not putting down information, but it’s information that I know will help solve some problems. For example: I did that at PBC in teaching them about how to organize a Sunday School.

I have been more careful how I respond to what I have thought was a problem.
"Just tell me something that I don’t know so that I can better understand the topic of our common interest." How can I say something in writing that will give them a better understanding of a common interest.

How can I get the leadership to play the role that need to be envisioned for them to play in this process? Until they see themselves in the role that needs be to envisioned for them to play, what I say won’t have any effect upon them.

"Explain your project in a way that everyone thinks is clear and interesting." Practice your talk until you can say it clearly and it is interesting.

"Talk a lot." Create conditions that get you talking a lot. Do what you can to ensure that you talk regularly.

One of the things I have done is to ask questions. I ask questions of myself about a topic, and question that I need to have answered by myself as well as others. For example:
"Do any of the leaders really believe there is any need of any real change of the direction of the church?" (I wrote that question for PBC, SBC)

At SBC we took our solutions suggesting to the whole group of leaders. We wanted all of them involved in the process of the solutions of the church. While I presented the plan, it was a rough draft and we desired to have all the leaders work toward a unity of belief to the solutions of the problems.

So when I am writing my thoughts about a certain research paper, I need to keep in mind those whom I am intending the research paper for.

I need to say what I believe in a form that my Baptist pastors or other readers will want to read, and have another view point. Now that is our challenge, and in 2007 I hope to learn the best way of accomplishing the desired results.

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant January 01, 07 Proof Read by Charity Whisnant Posted January 04 2007