Hating on the Church
July 15, 2010It has become rather fashionable these days for Christians to hate on the church. Almost every day, a new book is put out by someone who is disolutioned with, has a lengthy critique of, and has a new solution for the church. But I wonder if it is spiritually and intellectually easy, and I dare say, lazy, to hate on “the evangelical church.” When I first started writing, I succumbed to this crutch. I would find a really meaty Biblical principle and in the course of constructing my devotional or article, would add the line, “most Christians” or “most churches,”…
Continue ReadingWhy is it that we have to lose something before we appreciate its value? Most importantly, why is that we have to lose someone before we appreciate their value? This is what I took away from the powerful debut novel by my good friend, Author Cynthia Ruchti. They Almost Always Come Home is a tightly written mixture of smart humor and sober life lessons. From the very first page until the last, I was drawn into the lives of its very human characters. I read quite a few books and many, while their subject matter is good, the writing is…
Continue ReadingBook Review – Surprised by Grace – Tullian Tchividjian
July 12, 2010You don’t grow up in the church, as I have, without knowing, memorizing, and internalizing the story of Jonah. From the time I was old enough to do Sunday School, all through Vacation Bible School, Children’s Church, and on through sermon series, books, teen discussions, etc, I have heard Jonah’s life dissected in every which way. Jonah is the preacher’s favorite “don’t-rebel-or-you-will-face-God’s-wrath” text. But often, in our desire to zing the rebel, we miss the very heart of the story of Jonah. This is why I was so wonderfully captivated by the majestic presentation of the book of Jonah by…
Continue ReadingFriday Five Interview – Bill Giovanetti
July 9, 2010A few months ago, through mutual friends and/or Facebook, I had the privilege of meeting Bill Giovanetti, Senior Pastor of Neighborhood Church in Northern California. I began reading his blog and then I had the privilege of reviewing his book, How to Keep Your Inner Mess from Trashing Your Outer World. I found it to be a powerful book on the inner life of a Christian, one of the best I have read in a long time. Bill really gets it when it comes to the two natures, sin in the life of a believer, and the crippling effect of…
Continue ReadingReflections on ICRS/IFCA
July 6, 2010Well I’m back in the office after quite a few days on the road. We combined vacation with conferences and appointments this year. Not sure its a good formula, but that’s what our schedule allowed, and to be honest, all our three children care about at this point is a hotel with a pool. So we had an enjoyable time. First, we spent four days in St. Louis. As a lifelong Chicagoan, I’ve always regarded St. Louis as a sort of inferior city, whose only claim to fame is a big steel arch. Oh, and the Cardinals who are always…
Continue ReadingFriday Five Interview – Chris Fabry
July 2, 2010Today I’m privileged to interview author and radio host, Chris Fabry. Chris is a familiar voice if you’ve been a long-time listener of WMBI in Chicago or Focus on the Family or Love Worth Finding, the radio ministry of the late Dr. Adrian Rogers. Chris is also a prolific author. He partnered with Jerry Jenkins to write the Left Behind Series for Kids and The Red Rock Mystery Series. He has also written biographies with sports figures such as[amazon ASIN=”1414339437″] Drew Brees[/amazon] and[amazon ASIN=”1414325703″] Coach Jim Tressel[/amazon] of Ohio State University. Chris is the host of Chris Fabry Live and a…
Continue ReadingFriday Five Interview: Ray Pritchard
June 25, 2010It is my privilege to interview a pastor whose ministry I have long admired. I discovered Dr. Ray Pritchard while I was on staff and editing a Christian publication and was delighted to excerpt some of his books. I began following his blog. He began blogging way before blogging pastors were cool. Dr. Ray was the senior pastor of Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, IL for many years and is the author of numerous, best-selling books, including [amazon ASIN=”0802415350″]An Anchor for the Soul[/amazon], which is distributed around the world and translated in many languages. Ray is frequently interviewed on…
Continue ReadingNice Review of Crash Course
June 19, 2010My good friend, Charles Stone, has written a wonderful review of Crash Course: Although my kids are well beyond the teen years, I wish I could have given them this devotional when they were kids. You can read the rest of the review here.
Continue ReadingFriday Five Interview – Charles Stone
June 18, 2010Several years ago, when I was working for a Christian organization and the editor of their monthly devotional magazine, I had the chance to meet Charles Stone, Senior Pastor of Ginger Creek Community Church. Actually I “met” him via email. We had the opportunity to print an excerpt from his then-new book, [amazon ASIN=”084990434X”]Daughters Gone Wild, Dad’s Gone Crazy[/amazon]. This was a great book that chronicled the journey he took with his daughter who rebelled for a time but then came back to the faith. Since then, we’ve become friends. Charles graciously endorsed [amazon ASIN=”1596690887″]Teen People of the Bible[/amazon]. We’ve…
Continue ReadingJust Call Me Dad
June 16, 2010I have to admit that before I was married, I really didn’t enjoy kids. Its not that I didn’t like them, but the sounds of crying babies and snotty-nosed toddlers and sugar-addled adolescents just didn’t get my juices flowing. But something happened on December 31st, 2004. For the first time, I was no longer a kid, a guy, a newly-wed, a husband. I was . . . a Dad. I can’t tell you the overwhelming sense of joy and pride I had at being a Dad. That God would entrust me, of all people, to care for one of His…
Continue ReadingCan We Stop Bashing the Church Now?
June 11, 2010This is an early preview of my Crosswalk Column for next week: If I had a dollar for every Debbie Downer book on the American church, I’d make Warren Buffet look like a poverty-stricken college freshman. It seems every single day, Christian pollsters, pastors, authors, and just ordinary folks are telling us that the American church is basically fat, lazy, and doesn’t care. And if we don’t do certain things (the seven points in their book), the church will cease to exist. But I don’t see it. In fact, I’m excited about the next generation of believers, especially among the…
Continue ReadingFriday Five Interview – Andrea Mullins
June 11, 2010In 2005, I had this crazy idea for a devotional book for teens, based on the lives of teens in the Bible. I was an unknown writer, with only a very short list of published articles. At the time, I was volunteering to help my good friend Margaret McSweeney and her husband David, with their congressional campaign. Margaret is a writer herself. And while we were standing in line at a parade, she asked me if I had sent a proposal to Andrea Mullins of New Hope Publishers. I didn’t know Andrea and I didn’t know New Hope. Well, six…
Continue ReadingThis is awesome
June 9, 2010The End of Books as We Know It
June 9, 2010Sunday afternoon, in between church services, I found some time to read The Chicago Tribune which we have delivered faithfully every Sunday. Yes, I still read the “dead-tree” version. Even though I read most of my content online, there is still something special about opening the newspaper. I read with great interest Julia Keller’s column on the end of books. It was a special column leading up to the Chicago Printer’s Row Book fair. A key thought was this: A friend of mine in her early 20s managed to poke a finger through the tissue-thin argument that iPads, Kindles and Nooks…
Continue ReadingIt is Well With My Soul
June 1, 2010After sharing with his disciples the news of his upcoming arrest and death, the betrayal one of the twelve, and the denial of their spokesman, leader, and friend, Peter, Jesus shared these simple words, “Let not your heart be troubled.” How is that possible when they’re world was turning upside-down? Jesus shared with them a glimpse of what was in store for his disciples in eternity. Sure, this life, this journey would be hard, full of pain, and rife with disappointments and betrayal. But there is a Heaven that awaited them. And not just some glorious banquet hall in the…
Continue ReadingFriday Five Interview: Kathi Macias
May 28, 2010Kathi Macias is a great friend and a fellow New Hope author. She is a prolific author, having written nearly 30 books and ghost-written numerous others. She has taught and coached writers at conferences around the country is an in-demand public speaker at women’s conferences. My wife is actually reading [amazon ASIN=”1596692049″]How to Keep a Tight Ship When You’re Surrounded by Loose Cannons[/amazon], which she says has already provided her with a lot of laughs and much inspiration for raising our three children. 1) You’ve been writing and speaking for a long time–what first stirred in your heart the passion…
Continue ReadingDoes Job’s wife get a bad rap?
May 24, 2010One of my Sunday afternoon luxuries is to relax while the children are taking a nap. I typically watch a DVR’d message by Dr. David Jeremiah. Dr. Jeremiah has become one of my favorite preachers. I really learn a lot from his exposition of the Word. On TV, Dr. Jeremiah is going through a study of the book of Job. Job is one of the richest books in the entire Scriptures, full of powerful and faith-building theology. This message centered on the lessons we learn from trials. But as I was listening to the message, a thought occurred to me…
Continue ReadingFriday Five Interview – Cecil Murphey
May 21, 2010A few years ago, at the Write to Publish Conference in Wheaton, a man by the name of Cecil Murphey was conducting a workshop on book proposals. Even though I had been writing for many years, I was new to the wide world of Christian publishing, so I didn’t know Cec from Adam. But little did I know that this man would profoundly affect my writing and would become a close personal friend. Cecil Murphey is one of the most prolific writers, having collaborated with numerous celebrities on telling their story. He has worked with Franklin Graham, Shaun Alexander, Don Piper, Ben…
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