Asking the Wrong Question in Salvation
July 10, 2012“So you mean I can do whatever I want and still be a Christian?” I’ve been asked that question numerous times when sharing the gospel. It’s a hard question to answer and mostly, up until recently, I would answer with a “Yes, but.” sort of vague statement. Yes, technically, grace covers all of your sins, post salvation. But you shouldn’t think this way because you should live for Jesus out of appreciation for what He did for you. But I’m finding that’s a terrible response to an even more terrible question. And I think rather than answering someone’s question of…
Continue ReadingExciting New Project Announcement
July 9, 2012I’m excited to officially announce a new book project I’ll be working on with two very good friends, Dillon Burroughs and Dan King. This is the culmination of something we’ve been at for a couple of years: Activist Faith. The idea is to marshall information, resources, and ideas on some of the major issues of the day, such as poverty, immigration, marriage, life, adoption and orphan care, human trafficking, etc. The idea is simple: these issues are important and every Christian should responsibly research them and vote into office people who affirm biblical values. But there is much that can be…
Continue ReadingKindle Ebooks on Sale
July 6, 2012New Hope Publishers is discounting my books on Kindle for the entire month of July. They are only $2.99. Here are the links: iFaith, Connecting to God in the 21st Century Crash Course, Forming a Faith Foundation for Life Teen People of the Bible, Celebrity Profiles of Real Faith and Tragic Failure
Continue ReadingFree Download of First Chapter of Real
July 3, 2012My publisher, New Hope, has graciously posted the first chapter of my book, Real, for free. You can download it here.
Continue Reading5 Reasons Why I’m Going to Seminary
July 3, 2012Over the past year I have prayed long and hard about going back to school to pursue my Master’s of Divinity. I’ve sought the counsel of perhaps a dozen pastors and Christian leaders. I’ve researched schools, financial options, and everything related to seminary. I have come away feeling moved of God to pursue a Master’s of Divinity degree. The school that I ended up choosing, based on a variety of factors, is Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. Choosing the school was the hard part, with several other schools very closely “in the running” if you will. I’m excited…
Continue ReadingThe Value of Good Friends
July 2, 2012I just got back into town from a week of travel. It was good to arrive at my home Thursday night, to kiss my beautiful wife and hug my four wonderful children. Travel is often necessary and can be fruitful times of ministry, but home is best. I’m reflecting today on the joy of good and faithful ministry friends. It’s so very vital, especially for a young pastor like me. Last week I attended the IFCA convention–this is the fellowship of church’s Gages Lake is a part of. I’m not sure why, but this year I especially appreciated the long…
Continue ReadingThe Launch of My Book, REAL
July 2, 2012So July is the official launch of my latest book, REAL, Owning Your Christian Faith. This book has been on my heart for years and I’m glad to see it finally coalesce into a book. I wrote Real for a few reasons: I wanted to give voice to the struggles that many second-generation Christians face growing up in the church. I wanted to talk to those who grew up in the church and both encourage and challenge them to grab a hold of the baton and carry God’s truth in their generation. I wanted to write a book about growing up in…
Continue Reading5 Myths About Spiritual Depth
June 27, 2012All Christians want “depth” in the preaching they hear, the books they read, the Bible studies they attend. I’ve never once heard a Christian say to me, “I just wish I could get more shallow preaching.” But what exactly is “depth”? It’s a nebulous term that almost nobody knows how to define. “Give me the deep stuff, pastor,” I hear. Does that mean he wants a series on systematic theology or an exegesis of the culture of the ancient near-east in Genesis or does it mean a more nuanced application to daily life? It’s good to want depth. The writer…
Continue ReadingFive Resolutions for a Christian Communicator
June 26, 2012I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the calling of a Christian communicator. This could be your duties as a writer, wither blogs or books or articles. Or it could be your task as a preacher or teacher, whither in small group, pulpit ministry, or classroom. To communicate the truth of the good news of the gospel, in any form, is a high privilege and a sober calling. I’m always mindful of James 3, which outlines the seriousness of the calling and the negative and positive effect of the words we craft. So I came up with five resolutions that…
Continue ReadingSpeaking Engagements This Week
June 20, 2012This weekend I’m headed out of town for a week of speaking in Kentucky and Michigan: On Friday and Saturday, I’ll be in Elizabethtown, KY speaking at the Kentucky Christian Writer’s Conference. I’ll be speaking on two topics: “Blogging the Good News” and “Cheap and Free Ways to Market Your Book.” I’ll be the guest preacher on Sunday morning at Byron Center Bible Church in Byron Center, Michigan (Grand Rapids area). My good friend, Dr. Rich McCarrell is the Senior Pastor
Continue ReadingGuest Post – 5 Reasons We Need Difficult People
June 20, 2012Today, I’m honored to feature a guest post from my friend, Dave Jenkins, director of Servants of Grace Ministries. Dealing with difficult people in a Christ-like manner maybe one of the most difficult ways to live out the gospel. Difficult, because this requires patience, a character trait even the most mature Christians struggle to display. It has been said that if you pray for patience, God will indulge you with opportunities to develop it. One of his mysterious ways is the sovereign placement of difficult people. These are the folks that only serve to annoy and frustrate. Everyone has…
Continue ReadingKilling the Jerk Gene in Leadership
June 19, 2012In a defense of polarizing NBA superstar, Lebron James, sportswriter, Rick Reilly wrote this: You think of the great athletes of our generation — Jordan, Woods, Lance Armstrong. They all had a bit of the jerk gene in them. James is missing it. He is loved by his teammates, not feared. So sue. I’m not a big fan of Lebron James or the Miami Heat (if you’ve read my Twitter feed, you’ll most certainly know this). I’m a Bulls fan that who feels it is a moral imperative for the Miami Heat to continually lose. That heavy bias aside, Reilly’s…
Continue ReadingFriday Five: Darryl Dash
June 15, 2012I’m privileged to chat today with my good friend, Darryl Dash. I first met Darryl after finding his excellent blog. Then we had some email correspondence. Finally, we had the chance to meet face to face when I visited Toronto for a media appearance last year. As a young pastor, I was grateful to learn from his experience. Darryl is a pastor and blogger and, most recently, a church planter at the newly formed, Liberty Grace Church in Liberty Village, Toronto. He previously served as pastor of Richview Baptist Church and Park Lawn Baptist Church, both in west Toronto. Darryl is…
Continue ReadingPreaching is Not Mere Communication
June 12, 2012As a preacher I am solicited, more often than not, for services that will help me preach better. As a young, green pastor I’m grateful for many of these ministries. I increasingly want to be sharpened in my ability to deliver God’s Word to God’s people. However, there are some that seem, perhaps unintentionally, to reduce preaching to merely a form of communication. As if preaching is the same thing as giving a sales presentation or a talk to the local PTA. Now to be sure, those types of addresses are important and the people giving them should strive to…
Continue ReadingFriday Five: Andrea Palpant Dilley
June 8, 2012Andrea Palpant Dilley grew up in Kenya as the daughter of Quaker missionaries and spent the rest of her childhood in the Pacific Northwest. She studied English literature and writing at Whitworth University. Her work as a writer has appeared in Rock and Sling, Geez, and Utne Reader, as well as the anthology Jesus Girls: True Tales of Growing Up Female and Evangelical. Her work as a documentary producer has aired nationally on American Public Television. She is the author of Faith and Other Flat Tires. She lives with her husband and daughter in Austin, Texas. Today I’m excited to interview Andrea for today’s Friday Five: You…
Continue ReadingThe Wash Cycle of Forgiveness
June 6, 2012On Sunday I began a new four-part series on forgiveness at Gages Lake. I typically preach in an expository manner–take a section of the Bible and preach it through. However, there are times when I just feel the need to hone in on a specific subject. So I took four texts on forgiveness and I am going to preach these. The first text I chose was Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus parable of the unjust servant. Jesus gave this story in an answer to Peter, who was curious how many times he was supposed to forgive someone. He suggested the limit should…
Continue ReadingSo now the primaries are officially over and we have a contest between President Obama and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney for the Presidency of the United States. Inevitably, American Christians will fall on one side or the other in what will likely be a long, divisive, tough campaign to the end. So, how should we as followers of Christ act during election season? This isn’t the last word and it isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are a few things we might consider: 1) Remember to grateful for the election. As Americans, we live in a representative republic, so…
Continue ReadingParents and Facebook
June 4, 2012I recently posted a guest-blog for Covenant Eyes on the role of parents in establishing Facebook parameters for their kids: According to a recent survey, 75% of teens have a Facebook profile, 54% check their status once a day, and 65% of them access Facebook through their mobile devices. Teens are living, increasingly, in a social world. So how do parents handle this? Some have tried to ban their children from Facebook outright. This may work, for a time, but ultimately, I think, it only serves to isolate the child from life in the 21st century and ill prepares him…
Continue ReadingFriday Five: Andrew Wheeler
June 1, 2012Today I’m delighted to talk about prayer with my good friend, Andrew R. Wheeler. Andrew organizes the prayer ministry of the elders and Sunday service teams for Willow Creek Community Church–McHenry County. A member of the Church Prayer Leaders Network, he maintains the website Together in Prayer as a resource for churches growing in prayer ministry. He is the author of the excellent book, Together in Prayer. How important is it for Christians to pray together? The early church set the pace and the importance of praying together. In Acts 1:14 we see how the disciples joined together in prayer…
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