What If?

What if you could have been an insider to some of the greatest stories ever told? What If? is a ministry resource intended for Christian lay readers, deacons, and pastors. These first-person, narrative ""stories"" may be thought of as sermons, messages, homilies, or monologues. They were developed over the fifty years of the Reverend Kenneth Brown''s pastoral ministry.In this collection of popular sermons, Kenneth Brown provides an insider''s perspective. Brown recounts biblical stories from the points of view of New Testament characters, inviting the audience to take a look behind the scenes, feeling the Judean sun on their backs and tasting of the water from the well of Jacob. Writing as a trained theologian and lifelong pastor, Brown combines his imagination with biblical accounts and known archeological, cultural, and political facts. ""What if the gospel is far more personal than we imagine, Jesus more human--and divine--than we dare fathom? What if we heard from, not just about, pilgrims who''d witnessed the ragged wonder, the confounding anguish--and ecstasy--of encountering the Christ? With cultivated ease and warm sagacity, Kenneth Brown invites us into such holy mystery in What If?""--Elizabeth Hankins, Executive Director, OneTribe""Ken has handled the sacred text as ably as anyone for decades, but he pushes beyond the standard ''three points and a poem'' formula. His exposition mines the rich depth of the biblical characters, he parses modern culture as if it were a Greek verb, and he weaves it all together to craft a message that moves the listener/reader to transformation.""--J. D. Templeton, Minister of Adult Discipleship, Trinity Baptist Church, Kerrville, TX""My pastor, mentor, and friend Kenneth Brown draws the reader/hearer into the biblical text by using his sanctified imagination to add names, relationships, and expressions.""--Don Higginbotham, Single Adult Pastor, The Woodlands First Baptist Church, Houston, TX""Kenneth Brown''s anthology of first-person sermons are as much educational as they are inspirational. The historic and cultural details in these messages make the stories come alive while conveying biblical truth. Anyone who reads these amazing personal accounts of God''s love touching real lives will have the opportunity to know and appreciate the creator and sustainer of all humankind in an even greater capacity.""--Mark Weible, Director of Church Planting, Greater Orlando Baptist AssociationKenneth F. Brown, a lifelong Texan, graduated from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, majoring in English and biblical Greek. After earning his Master of Theology in Biblical Greek from Southwestern Baptist Seminary, he studied educational psychology at the University of Texas in Austin. Brown served as a Baptist pastor for fifty years, then retired to teach Bible study and biblical Greek in South Texas, where he lives with his wife of over sixty-five years.