A CEO’s Courage
December 1, 2011Read this story in the New York Times and I thought it was a good one (HT: Janice Crouse) IT seems that every week we hear of a C.E.O. who earned millions from a golden parachute after demonstrating poor business judgment or cutting thousands of jobs with no financial downside for executives. These stories feed the fires of the Occupy movement growing all over the world. But on Tuesday, we heard something different. American Airlines, once the largest airline in the United States, declared bankruptcy. This is not surprising news for the beleaguered airline industry; what is different is what…
Continue ReadingMore Grace Is What We Need :: New Hope Digital
November 30, 2011I wrote a guest-post for the New Hope Digital blog on my life verse. Here’s a key quote: We think that if we come, like Cain, with our best works, that God will favor us. But pride—boasting of the goodness in us—invites the resistance of the Almighty. Instead, the way to God lies in humility. In brokenness we realize our need. Only the humble find their way to the Cross. And once we’ve received salvation, humility continues to be the path to intimacy with the Almighty. Read the rest here: More Grace Is What We Need :: New Hope Digital.
Continue ReadingReplacing War with Joy on Christmas
November 28, 2011Around this time every year, some Christians get heated about the “War on Christmas.” Political organizations churn out sharply worded press releases about a perceived attempt by the left to strip Christ out of Christmas. Bill O’Reilly will highlight one story every night, something like the town council in Podunk, USA that removed a cross from a water tower. The Drudge Report will take the most obscure case of Christmas secularizing and highlight as if its a dangerous national epidemic. And of course, the American Family Association will create its “Naughty and Nice” list of retailers who don’t explicitly mention…
Continue Reading10 Things I’m Thankful for in 2011
November 24, 2011Today is Thanksgiving. This year (2011) I have much to be thankful for. I could fill pages. But I distilled them down to ten: Nine years of marriage to a beautiful and godly woman, Angela who has faithfully stood with me in ministry, trains our children in the Lord every day, and enjoys watching crime dramas with me. Four beautiful children, Grace, Daniel, Emma, and the latest edition, Lily. They are all beautiful gifts from God. I’m humbled to be their father. And I’m finally learning how to change diapers without passing out. A relationship with God through Christ. The…
Continue ReadingChildren as Image-bearers
November 22, 2011I ran across this terrific article at the Gospel Driven Life blog on parenting (HT: Trevin Wax). It discusses our children as image-bearers. The author says about our kids: They are image bearers. They are creatures, made by God and for God. They are given glory and honor by God. They have inherent value, of greater worth than animals. How we treat the image of God is how we treat God. The dignity of humans is built into the Law and the Prophets and the Gospel. And we must see our children as image bearers. I encourage you to go…
Continue ReadingWhy We Need Music
November 22, 2011I once heard a well-meaning Christian leader say something like this, “Ahh, music is so overrated. You don’t need music. If you were stranded on an island, you would get along fine without music.” I actually believed him for a time and used to think this. But then, when I faced some of my darkest moments, I realized that it was music that helped bring me back. It was music that cleared the rubble of my heart and brought it tenderly before Jesus. I need music. As we approach thanksgiving, I think it’s important to offer worship and gratitude to…
Continue ReadingWhen Gratitude is Tested
November 21, 2011I wrote about the difficulty of gratitude in hard times for my weekly Crosswalk devotional. Here’s an excerpt: We can only summon the strength to gratitude when we understand the goodness of a sovereign God. James reminds us that God uses our trials to shape our character, so that the perfect life of Christ is worked out in us. He has the courage to tell Christians to consider the hard sufferings as opportunities for joy. And when you understand how God is in firm control and shapes our discomfort for our good and His glory, you can begin to “give…
Continue ReadingDads Should Lead on Thanksgiving
November 21, 2011In the last few years, the Thanksgiving holiday has slowly been redefined by overeating, crank in-laws, lots of NFL football, and early Christmas sales. Now, I enjoy all of those things (yes, even the cranky in-laws). But if we are not careful, we can allow a grand moment for worship and thanks to pass us by as we’re grabbing for the remote and more pumpkin pie. This is where I think Dads can lead their families with a bit of courage and a lot of creativity. As the spiritual leader in the home, Dads have a job to set the…
Continue ReadingRussell Moore on Forgiveness:
November 18, 2011When we forgive, we are confessing that vengeance is God’s (Rom. 12:19). We don’t need to exact justice from a fellow believer because justice has already fallen at the cross. We don’t need to exact vengeance from an unbeliever because we know the sin against us will be judged in hell or, more hopefully, when the offender unites himself to the One who is “the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 Jn. 2:2). Read the whole thing here: Moore to the Point – What Forgiveness Is and…
Continue ReadingFriday Five: Stan Guthrie
November 18, 2011Stan Guthrie is an editor at large for Christianity Today magazine; he authored the “Foolish Things” column for CT. Stan writes opinion pieces for Crosswalk.com and BreakPoint.org. His articles have been honored in the Evangelical Press Association’s Higher Goals in Christian Journalism competitions. Stan has appeared on National Public Radio’s “Tell Me More,” WGN’s Milt Rosenberg program, ABC’s Nightline Twittercast, WFMT, and many Christian programs, including Moody Radio’s “Chris Fabry Live,” “Inside Look,” “Prime Time America,” and “New Day Florida.” An inspirational speaker, he served as moderator for a debate with Christopher Hitchens entitled “Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does…
Continue ReadingShould We Go Forward or Should We Go Back?
November 17, 2011“We need to take our country back.” “We need to get back to a time when . . . .” These are refrains you often hear from well-meaning Christians. I’ve actually said them myself. But there are a few problems with this kind of language. It may convey something we don’t intend. When conservative Christians (such as myself) lament the corrosive culture and political decisions that have seemed to edge God out of the public square, we might say, “we need to get back to the time when we honored God in this country.” And this is well-meaning. Clearly America…
Continue ReadingMini-Reviews #6
November 15, 2011I’m back with another batch of mini-reviews. Today I discuss three outstanding books: King Solomon by Philip Graham Ryken. Solomon is not a Bible character typically covered in depth, so this book by Philip Graham Ryken is a welcome one. Ryken is the former pastor of the historic 10th Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and the new President of Wheaton College. I found this book readable, meaty, theological, and practical. It’s rare a book hits all those high notes, but King Solomon does. What is particularly valuable about this book is that Ryken gives good historic and cultural background, fairly looks at…
Continue ReadingFriday Five: Alisa Harris
November 11, 2011Alisa Harris is a former New York-based journalist who has covered education, poverty and cultural issues. She writes on the intersection of faith and politics for Patheos.com and recently released a book entitled, Raised Right, How I Untangled My Faith From Politics. I posted a mini-review here. Alisa was kind enough to stop by and answer a few questions for today’s Friday Five.
Continue ReadingThe Discipline of Going to Church
November 10, 2011Going to church can become routine. I know it, because I grew up going to church three times a week (at least). It was not a choice my parents gave me. It was something we did, part of our regular routine. As a 2nd Generation Christian, I know full well the dangers of making spirituality overly routine. I have experienced long stretches of dryness where I was “going through the motions” and filling a pew. This can be dangerous to spiritual health. Traditionalism can become legalism. We can be satisfied with doing what we are supposed to do and avoiding…
Continue ReadingPenn State and The Danger of Insular Communities
November 8, 2011The news from Penn State University continues to shock, anger, and sadden all of us. A once-proud University, known for it’s commitment to excellence and integrity is now humbled by the revelations that it allowed one of it’s longtime coaches to abuse children on their campus. The allegations are still forthcoming and most of us don’t know who knew what. As I thought about this situation, I was saddened. Saddened for the victims and their parents and saddened for the university. We live in a fallen world and increasingly even our best institutions are failing us. It’s no wonder that young people…
Continue ReadingThirst No More – New Devo for 2012
November 7, 2011My good friend, Dillon Burroughs has a brand-new 1-year devotional out entitled, Thirst No More. Now is a great time to start shopping for a devotional for 2012 and Dillon’s looks like a terrific one for the coming year. I had the privilege of endorsing it: “Dillon Burroughs provides a cup of cool water to those longing for deep satisfaction for their souls.” Dr. Erwin Lutzer of Moody Church wrote this: “This devotional provides seed thoughts for reading the Scripture so that all of us can find guidance and light for each day. Best of all, you can share your insights with…
Continue ReadingFriday Five: Dave Zimmerman
November 4, 2011Today I’m privileged to feature my friend, Dave Zimmerman. Dave is longtime editor for Intervarsity Press and a columnist at Burnside Writers Collective. His books include Deliver Us from Me-Ville and the devotional compilation My Heart–Christ’s Home Through the Year.
Continue ReadingWhy We Hate Big
November 3, 2011There is something about human nature that hates anything big. We love big and we hate it at the same time. I’ll give you an example. We loved Tim Tebow for many years. He was the king of college football, the Christian wunderkind who could do no wrong. Now he’s in the NFL and we love to hate him. We want to knock him down. We’re excited that he’s a pedestrian quarterback at this point in his career (5 games). It’s amazing. Or consider the President. Not just this President but every modern American President. We build up these…
Continue ReadingFinished Manuscript
October 31, 2011Today I finished my manuscript for my forthcoming book. I had tentatively titled it 2nd Generation, but it looks like we’re going to title it Real, Fighting for Faith in a Christian Culture. But that could change. Stay tuned. It’s a relief to turn in a manuscript, though the work is not done. There are still edits, tracking down source that I may have missed, and the whole business of marketing. But for the most part, the book is finished. This is a book I’ve wanted to write for some time now, one that is deeply personal. I’m hoping it will help…
Continue ReadingBooks I’m Reading (10/29/11)
October 30, 2011I’m about to turn in my manuscript which means more time for reading. Here’s what I’ve got on my nightstand: Walking in the Spirit – Kenneth Berding. I’m halfway thru this book. It’s a terrific and practical guide to what exactly it looks like to walk in the spirt. I’m thinking I’ll order this as a resource for Gages Lake. Earthen Vessels – Matthew Anderson. Matt is the brilliant blogger from Mere Orthodoxy. I haven’t cracked this one open yet, but I can’t wait. He seems to tackle a lot of important subjects related to the body and the Bible. Jonathan Edwards,…
Continue Reading