Church Life
Lessons from the Juniper Tree
If Hollywood commissioned a biopic of the Old Testament hero, Elijah, they would probably end the movie with his epic holy war on Mt. Carmel. It would be a fitting ending for such a bold, courageous, insurgent leader. But alas, this is not how Elijah’s story ends at all. If you turn the page one…
Read MoreThe Church and the Parachurch
I’ve only been a pastor for three years, but I’ve noticed one of the acute pressures of this role (a role that I thoroughly enjoy and cherish, by the way). It’s the pressure to place emphasis on certain aspects of needed ministry in the church. And much of it comes from parachurch ministries. I’m generally…
Read More5 Ways You Can Love Your Church
As a pastor and a lifelong church-goer, I’m in love with the Church. Even though the Church has a thousand problems (and every week it seems another book is coming out extolling those), the Church is still Christ’s beloved bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). And every week, pastors of big and small churches labor to deliver the…
Read MoreFriday Five: Colin Smith
If you listen to Christian radio, you’ve likely heard the distinct Scottish accent and solid Bible teaching of Colin Smith, Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Colin was raised in a Christian family and felt the call of God to pastoral ministry from an early…
Read MoreSideways Spirituality
Around our house, we’re starting to call my youngest daughter, Emma, the “Me-Too” girl. This is because, at 1, she has practiced and perfected the fine art of envy. Everything her brother and sister have, Emma wants. And she demands it by pointing vigorously at it. And if Mom or Dad get some food or snack, even…
Read MoreGood Friday Meditation: Psalm 22
This Good Friday I’m preaching on perhaps the most powerful passage regarding Jesus on the Cross. It’s actually found in the Old Testament in Psalm 22. What I found amazing about this passage is that it is the psalm of David, a mixture of lament and celebration. But none of the details David describes are…
Read MoreWhy the Internet is Full of Temptations (and what we can do about it)
A few weeks ago, I signed up for the service, Covenant Eyes as a way of holding myself accountable for my online activity. The reason I chose Covenant Eyes is because it came highly recommended by pastors and Christian leaders. I like Covenant Eyes because it’s more than simply a filter, it’s accountability. Today, Luke…
Read MoreFriday Five Interview – Dr. Johnny Hunt
Dr. Johnny Hunt is a well-known pastor, especially to America’s largest body of evangelical churches, the 44 million member Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Hunt is the Senior Pastor of one of the largest SBC churches in America, 1st Baptist Church of Woodstock (Georgia) and has served as President of the Pastor’s Conference. In 2008, he…
Read MoreLeading from Bitterness
A few years ago I read a few books on the life of President Richard Nixon. I have always been interested in American history, especially Presidential history. I’m fascinated by the inside look at leadership at the top levels. But the one enduring lesson I gleaned from Nixon’s life was his inability to forgive. It…
Read MoreWhen Fun Becomes an Idol
I’ll never forget a conversation I had with my father one day as we were working on a construction site. Dad owned his own plumbing business and had the bright idea of dragging me along to learn what it was like to get my hands dirty and to work. I remember this day vividly. It…
Read More21st Century Discipleship
If you are familiar with the Great Commission verses (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8), you’ll know that the imperative command by Jesus is to “make disciples.” Evangelism is the simple part in many ways, but building up strong believers is the hard work. So how is a person discipled? Well, we first…
Read MoreGod of Scars
Because I grew up as a classic Christian good kid (a heritage for which I am grateful), I used to look at folks who bore a few scars of their previously worldly life and sort of think, “Well, God bless them, but they can’t be used for Christ as much as I am, because I’ve…
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