Church Life
Funeral for a Stranger
I sat in my office late on a Thursday afternoon after a week of meetings, study, and a thousand other crises big and small. By that point in the week I was thinking about what I would do on Friday: lock myself in my office, take no phone calls, and crank out the final draft of…
Read MoreWho Exactly Am I Preaching To?
“Um, so, did someone tell you about Dave’s job?” an anxious member told me, as she shook my hand on the way out of the auditorium one Sunday morning. “Because it seemed like you were talking to us.” I told her this was the first I had heard of their fragile employment situation. The sermon…
Read MoreBoring Church Services Changed My Life
I’ve never really had a moment in my life—39 years—when I wasn’t going to church. My parents got engaged and married in the church. I was born into, raised in, and baptized in church. My parents, first-generation Christians, were devout church-goers. We went every time the doors were open—and many times when they weren’t. My…
Read MoreWhat The Incarnation Means for Our Bodies
The angel was clear, to Mary, about the mission of Jesus. In his angelic announcement, he said that Jesus would come to “save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).” To be our Savior, God had to become human. He had to suffer as a human. He had to take on the full punishment of God’s…
Read MoreWhen everything isn’t awesome: Is the modern evangelical worship service a safe place to lament?
A couple years ago, I took a day off and treated my family to a matinee showing of The Lego Movie. My wife and I have four children—three girls and one boy—so this day was like an oasis for my son and me, surrounded as we are by princess movies. As it turns out, everyone,…
Read MoreThe Church on the Ground Versus the Church In Your Head
I’m over at Southern Seminary Equip today talking about the reality of shepherding. Here is an excerpt: You envisioned, in your first ministry, leading with the help of a robust elder board, made up of guys who read Calvin, together, on the weekends. You were going to launch a human trafficking ministry in your first…
Read MoreEquipping Students for Ministry in a Post-Christian Age
Facebook may not seem like a discipleship tool to most pastors. But when I served my congregation in northern Illinois, this social networking tool provided me with an unexpected assist in discerning the spiritual lives of my parishioners, particularly the students. Facebook provides a platform for young people to share what they really think, liberating…
Read MoreA modest, post-election goal for everyone
We just finished perhaps the most divisive election in modern history. The good news is that the election is over and we are experiencing what few countries experience: a peaceful transfer of power. It was good to see the President and President-elect meet and discuss the transition. But there is stil much division in the…
Read MorePassing the Faith Along
Here is a post I wrote for Green Hill Church on parenting as discipleship. A few tips for passing the faith along: Remember we do this in community. We don’t parent in isolation, we parent in community with the body of Christ in our local church. The church is there to equip, strengthen, and resource parents.…
Read MoreGet Caught Up on Church History
Followers of Christ should know their church history, not so you can win trivia games at the church potluck, but to get a sense of the sweep of God’s work in building His church in the last 2,000 years. Furthermore, a sense of church history keeps us grounded in good ways, from seeing our moment…
Read MoreHuman Dignity, Spiritual Leadership, and Madame Secretary: Some Recent Articles
Here are some recent articles I’ve published: Stop Pitting Pro-Life Causes Against Each Other For Relevant on the unfortunate tension between those who advocate for pro-life justice and those who advocate for racial justice: Back in January, those of us in the U.S. celebrated both Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday and Sanctity of Life Sunday. What would…
Read MoreJoining Green Hill Church
One of the reasons I love my job here at ERLC is that our mission to equip the church to think through moral and ethical issues. I love the church, having grown up hearing the gospel preached, learning the hymns, and worshiping Christ every Sunday. I loved pastoring. I believe, with all my heart, that…
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