In the life of a pastor, it can be tempting to offer half-truths that make everyone happy and the pastor popular. Speaking difficult truths may anger or alienate church members, but authentic pastoral care sometimes requires it. How can those in ministry speak honestly in the inevitable awkward situations they face? Here a wise and witty pastor-storyteller draws on his church life experiences over the past twenty-five years--including sermons, funerals, and board meetings--to offer nitty-gritty guidance on handling the uncomfortable situations that all pastors face. Utilizing humor and encouragement and speaking across denominational lines, Frank Honeycutt examines a variety of biblical contexts where the truth of Jesus is difficult to hear, but direly needed--especially in settings where half-truths are the norm. He shows pastors how to courageously speak the truth no matter the risk or cost.

Frank G. Honeycutt draws out the deeper truths in the weird incidents in the Bible. In a warm, conversational style, Honeycutt reads iconic miracle stories—from the wedding at Cana to demonic exorcisms—to enrich the life of faith. Digging into these “unbelievable” stories can widen our spiritual imaginations and point to the promise of Christ’s new world. Pastors seeking thoughtful resources and any inquisitive reader will find a wealth of pastoral insight and scriptural wisdom in Miracles for Skeptics.

Seasoned advice for pastors facing the weekly challenge of preparing sermons

Five hundred years after Luther's famous posting of his 95 Theses in 1517, the church again faces an important crossroads. Sunday worship attendance is shrinking at alarming rates. There are now more "Elvis believers" in the US than Episcopalians and almost limitless spiritual options exist for those who seek faith and trust in something, but are hesitant to commit to a particular path leading to truth. The word prosthesis, normally associated with surgery, is also an apt word to describe the church's need to forge a theological identity that fits our current context. The church faces change and a transformed body, but not at the expense of the biblical richness and tradition that fueled the restlessness of the reformers. The essays gathered here, arranged around the seasons of the church year, address familiar challenges faced by all pastors and leaders in an era of transition, specifically in Christian formation and discipleship. Appropriate for group and personal reflection, 95…

Quick. What do these characters all have in common? An anguished ghost whose interest in measuring mountains led to his premature death. A retired educator who takes a part-time job inside the cozy confines of Wrigley Field's manual scoreboard. An obsessive orthodontist known to evangelize his prone patients. A bipolar father whose zany day includes an encounter with the police. And a victim of identity theft, reconsidering his vocation. They're all pastors, of course. Join storyteller Frank Honeycutt on a roller coaster ride inside the flawed lives and vivid imaginations of sixteen ministers struggling to keep and make sense of their faith. At times humorous, surprising, sad, and even warped, this fictional peek into the private lives of clergy sheds angular light upon the complicated theological motives guiding those called to lead God's people.