Chuck Colson and Hope for the Next Generation
April 26, 2012In January, Russell Moore wrote a provocative column entitled, “The Next Billy Graham Might Be Drunk Right Now.” It was a terrific column pushing back against some of the handwringing among evangelicals about the lack of good leadership for the future. His premise was simple: God may be in the process of raising a leader who is currently lost and enslaved to sin. I thought of Moore’s column as I contemplated the death of Chuck Colson. Here was a man who was not originally on a trajectory to a be a spiritual leader in his generation. He was a political animal. He…
Continue Reading5 (Actually 6) Words for Millennial Christians
April 25, 2012A lot has been written and said about the millennial generation in the church. Though the exact parameters are vague, millennials are generally thought to have been born somewhere between 1980-1999. Essentially we’re talking about the new generation of Christian leaders, at or around 30 years old. I was born in 1978, so I may or may not be millenial :). We are a generation characterized by action, by activism, by new resurgent interests in orthodoxy and theology. In many ways, it’s a great time for the church. But with every movement comes pitfalls and cautions. And so as a young leader,…
Continue ReadingFriday Five: Julie Ziglar Norman
April 20, 2012Julie Ziglar Norman is the youngest daughter of world renowned motivational and inspirational author and speaker Zig Ziglar. After 25 years of living every day with regret, shame, guilt and depression but trying to cover it with a smile, Julie began her journey letting go of the shame and embracing freedom in Christ. Having spent 20 years as her father’s personal editor and with a background in sales and business management, Julie has become a dynamic international motivational speaker herself. The founder of the Ziglar Women Faith and Family Conference, she is continuing the legacy of encouragement begun by her…
Continue Reading5 Leadership Lessons I’ve Learned in 4 Years
April 18, 2012I’m nearing my fourth years as Senior Pastor at Gages Lake Bible Church, which means I’m just beginning. I’m still learning. John Maxwell need not fear. I won’t be dethroning him from the position of Leadership Guru anytime soon. However, being on the job has taught me a few things about leadership, especially for young guys. Some of these lessons I’ve learned the hard way, others through the wise mentoring of older men. Here are five: 1) Young Leaders Must Resist the “push-off” model of ministry. In their book, Sifted, Larry Osborne, Francis Chan, and Wayne Cordeiro talk about the…
Continue ReadingFriday Five: Jenny and Tyler
April 13, 2012Jenny & Tyler are a husband-wife pop-folk band originally from Newark, Delaware, and currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. The group consists of singer-songwriters Jenny Somers and Tyler Somers. They have a unique style that has often been called, “soul grass.” The duo has independently released three full-length albums and two EPs, and regularly tours the United States. They have collaborated with artists such as Mac Powell, Levi Weaver and Joel Rakes.They have just released a brand-new album, Open Your Doors. I found their music on Noisetrade and immediately loved its creativity, originality, and spiritual depth. So I asked them if…
Continue ReadingSay It Ain’t So, Joe: Jesus Real Message
April 11, 2012I can’t imagine a bigger fan of the morning television show, Morning Joe, than myself. Though I don’t get to watch everyday, I do try to watch at least a few of the clips of the show. Though most of MSNBC’s politics are too left-wing for my taste, Morning Joe provides a terrific forum for an open discussion of issues. At least when the conservative, Joe Scarborough, is on set. Joe, a former Republican Congressman from Florida, is conservative at a table typically surrounded by moderates and liberals. This is refreshing TV, because it provides an instructive back-and-forth battle of…
Continue ReadingSome Great Easter Links
April 4, 2012Some great Easter Reading: “He’s Calling for Elijah! Why We Still Mishear Jesus” – Al Hsu in Christianity Today: A fantastic piece pointing Jesus’s last words to Psalm 22. Did God forsake Jesus or was Jesus telling the world that he was the fulfillment of Psalm 22? I preached on this passage last Good Friday, but Al Hsu does a terrific job exegeting it in this article. “Andrew Sullivan, Wannabe Bhuddist “- Joel J. Miller writing in Real Clear Relgion “If Christianity matters at all it is because of the Resurrection.” “The Death of Death” – Sermon by the late…
Continue ReadingWhy Christians Are Not the Point of Easter
April 3, 2012I’m studying for my Easter sermon. I have to be honest, sometimes I get intimidated by Easter sermons. It’s not that I don’t enjoy preaching about the pivot point of our faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s just that I know on Easter there are those people sitting and listening to my message that probably don’t want to be sitting and listening to my message. (My friends could joke and say this is the case every Sunday!). Some preachers get really fired up by a crowd of nonchurch people. They are gifted evangelists who are always at ease sharing…
Continue ReadingThe Friday Five: David Gregory
March 30, 2012David Gregory is the author of the bestselling Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, which hit the New York Times extended bestseller list (No. 26), A Day with a Perfect Stranger, and The Next Level: A Parable of Finding Your Place in Life. His work has been highlighted in articles in USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. He is also co-author of the nonfiction The Rest of the Gospel. Three of his books have been adapted as movies: The Perfect Stranger, Another Perfect Stranger, and The Perfect Gift. David is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary. For man years he served as a writer and editor for Insight for Living…
Continue ReadingMini-Reviews #11 and Book Giveaway
March 29, 2012I’m back with another batch of mini book reviews. This time I review four books and have a special book giveaway (courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers). Here are the reviews and you can scroll down to the end of this post to have a chance to win a free book. Walking the Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned much about the Jewish culture in which Jesus did his ministry. Quite often we mistakenly interpret the gospels through our Western mindset and miss the nuances and richness of the Jewish world. For instance,…
Continue Reading5 Attitudes for Christians in a Political Season
March 28, 2012So another Presidential campaign season is upon us and Christians are engaged at all levels and on both sides of most debates. As a recovering political junkie, I realize how easily my time, my energy, my attitudes can get sucked into the life force of Presidential politics. So here are a few attitudes that we might consider as we engage: 1) An Attitude of Prayerfulness for the Politicians (1 Timothy 2:2) This is hardest to do and least obeyed command when it comes to our political leaders. Its easier to fire off a nasty email/tweet/Facebook post/blog instead of actually committing…
Continue ReadingHow to Easily Subscribe to Podcasts in iTunes
March 26, 2012I’m a huge fan of podcasting and I strongly encourage folks to use this terrific technology to listen to some of the best preaching in America. It’s free and its right at our fingertips. How better to redeem your commute? But for some, subscribing to a podcast might as well be Greek. How do you get started? Well I recently helped a friend get his new iPhone all set subscribing to podcasts. So I thought I’d post the instructions I gave him here. So below you fill find step-by-step instructions: To Subscribe to A New Podcast: 1) Open up iTunes…
Continue ReadingFriday Five: Lin Johnson
March 23, 2012Lin Johnson is one of the most influential people in Christian publishing as a writer, editor, and instructor. Perhaps here biggest contribution is her annual Write to Publish Conference, held every year on the campus of Wheaton College. Personally, the Write to Publish Conference has had more influence on my writing career than almost any other factor. It’s one of the premier writing conferences in the country. Lin is Managing Editor of The Christian Communicator, Advanced Christian Writer and Church Libraries and is the author and co-author of more than 60 books, including Christian Education: Foundations for the Future, Extracting the Precious from 2nd Corinthians, Encouraging…
Continue ReadingChristianity in the Shadow of the Mosque
March 22, 2012As a pastor I’m having increased discussions with Christians on the way to treat our Muslim neighbors. I felt this panel discussion from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was really good at both looking at the increasing Muslim population in our midst, how should we engage them, etc. This is very, very instructive: A key quote (and I’m paraphrasing) is Russ Moore who says, “You can either consider Muslims a threat and wish them gone or you can consider them as people created in the image of God whom we wish to lovingly win to Christ. But you can’t do both.”…
Continue ReadingFive Things to Consider When Looking for a Christian College
March 21, 2012This time of year many Christian junior and senior high students are looking at their college options. Many are considering Christian institutions. I asked Whitney Reed, owner of ChristianColleges.org, to share five important things to consider, when looking at evangelical institutions: If you are a student who is interested in earning your degree in an atmosphere that serves the Lord, a Christian college may be perfect for you. There are several different Christian colleges out there that offer many different things, so there is much to consider when applying for admittance. Before you apply to a Christian school, ask yourself the following…
Continue ReadingFive Reasons to be a Member of a Local Church
March 19, 2012As a pastor and a lifelong church man, I’m concerned about the increasing tendency among young evangelicals to dismiss church attendance as irrelevant to spiritual growth. Today, my friend, Dave Jenkins shares five biblical reasons for being a member of a local bible-believing church. Dave is as pastoral intern and blogger and the director of Servants of Grace Ministries. The belief that professing Christians should gather together as members of a local Church in is waning many sectors of Christianity today. Some feel that faith shouldn’t be “institutionalized” and should be a private matter between individuals, not something to be…
Continue ReadingFriday Five: Babbie Mason
March 16, 2012As a kid, one of my favorite Christian music artists was Babbie Mason. In fact, I performed a sign-language song performance to her popular hit, “Each One Reach One.” Babbie Mason is a Dove Award-winning and Grammy nominated gospel singer, songwriter, and author. Babbie is also a professor of songwriting at Atlanta Christian College and Lee University, and a television talk-show host. She was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2010 and has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs. Babbie has been honored perform for several U.S. Presidents. She has just released her devotional Embraced…
Continue ReadingBook Review: Gabby Stick-to-It Day
March 15, 2012Usually I review adult books here on the blog, but as the father of four young children, I occasionally like to review children’s books. Three of my kids are girls, so I’m constantly trying to introduce them to good resources that point them to Jesus. That’s why I love the resources put out by Sheila Walsh, singer, songwriter, and author. We especially enjoy the Gigi, God’s Little Princess DVD series. It helps instill in them the truth that God created them uniquely and loves them unconditionally. Sheila’s latest book for girls is Gabby’s Stick To-It Day. It’s a light, beautifully illustrated storybook…
Continue ReadingFriday Five: Paul Tautges
March 9, 2012Paul Tautges is a renowned pastor and biblical counselor. He has served Immanuel Bible Church in Sheboygan, Wisconsin as pastor-teacher since 1992. His preaching and teaching ministry often takes him overseas for the equipping of national pastors for the work of church-based ministry. He is also the author of several excellent books on counseling and pastoral ministry, including Counseling One Another and Counsel Your Flock. Paul is a biblical counselor certified with the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (NANC) and the International Association of Biblical Counselors (IABC). Counseling One Another, is a highly recommended source for Scriptural insights on the ministry of counseling and pastoral leadership.…
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5 Reasons Why Pastors Should Write
March 14, 2012I’m a pastor who writes, but I know I’m not alone. In fact, many, many pastors around the world supplement their teaching ministry with a writing ministry. God blessed me with a writing ministry before I assumed the pulpit at Gages Lake Bible Church almost four years ago, but it has only been enhanced as I’ve now got the perspective of a pastor and increased time in the Word of God. But not everyone is sure pastors should write books. There are legitimate reasons perhaps. Maybe it takes time away from the ministry (though it doesn’t have to). Maybe it…
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