Columns
Why recognizing our need for grace enlarges our capacity to give it
British author and thinker G. K. Chesterton was once invited by a London newspaper to offer his opinion on what was wrong with the world. Legend has it he sent a brief letter in reply: Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G. K. Chesterton This echoes the thoughts of another philosopher. In one of his…
Read MoreThanksgiving, When There is No Reason to Be Thankful
There was little to be thankful for in those first few, difficult, ravaging years. The bitter New England cold had claimed half of the Mayflower’s first courageous travellers. The comforts of their homes in England, warm food, adequate furnishings, reliable city infrastructure—this was all gone and replaced with a crude and uncertain reality in the…
Read MorePentecost, Pastoring and Intentional Friendships
Here are three of my latest articles: “So You Want to Make Disciples?” for In Touch Conversions usually result from deliberate, genuine friendship building. This involves intentionally inserting ourselves in environments where unbelievers are present. It includes leveraging our natural human talents to find common ground and build friendships. It requires patience, not trying to “close…
Read MoreSeeking Allah, Finding Jesus
Nabeel Qureshi grew up in a Muslim home, but came to faith in Christ after a search for meaning and truth. He tells his conversion story in a new book, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity. I had the chance to interview Nabeel today for my weekly Leadership Journal blog. This is one of the…
Read MoreDon’t Be the Hero of Your Own Story
I recently wrote this for my weekly teen Crosswalk.com devo: If you and Abraham were in Heaven, relaxing over a sweat tea in rocking chairs (I know Heaven isn’t like Cracker Barrell, but that’s the best I can do right now), I think he would tell you that his little weekend trip to Egypt (Genesis 12:10-13:4)…
Read MoreThe Most Misunderstood Woman in the Bible | Kyria
I was pleasantly surprised to find that an article I wrote for the Kyria online magazine (Christianity Today) was among it’s most popular articles. This was one I enjoyed writing, a sort of contrarian take on the typical depiction of Job’s wife: Her name was never revealed and yet she may be the most infamous…
Read MoreElijah: Jack Bauer of the Old Testament, Spiritual Living, Christian Faith
I was honored to have an article chosen as one of Crosswalk.com’s top ten articles of the year. It is the article: “Elijah, Jack Bauer of the Old Testament.” Here is an excerpt: There’s a part of Elijah’s life that doesn’t often get told. This is the scene that would get left on the cutting…
Read MoreWhy Reading Books Still Matters
photo © 2008 ladyb | more info (via: Wylio)One of the big questions we’re facing in the 21st Century is the question of books. Will we still need books? Or does everyone simply read blogs. In a world of iPads, Kindles, and Wii, are books important or are they an analog relic of the ancient…
Read MoreThe I’m Okay Syndrome
I wanted to post my Crosswalk.com article here. It reflects some of the material that I’m working on for a future book on 2nd Generation Christians: Growing up in a Christian school, I loved having a few bad kids around. Not because I hung out with them or did what they did. I was too…
Read MoreThank God for the President
1 Timothy 2:1-2 Sometimes I don’t like the Bible. That might shock, since I’m a pastor, Christian author, and speaker. But sometimes I don’t like the Bible. What I mean by that is this. Sometimes I read the Bible and nod my head and love what it is saying to me. But other times I…
Read MoreDeveloping Decision-Makers
“Will they make good choices?” This is the question that every parent asks, especially parents of teenagers. Its what keeps you up at night, fretting, hoping, and praying. In my work as a pastor, I often counsel young people on the wide array of choices that lie before them. And even though I’ve talked to…
Read MoreCrosswalk Column: Growing Up is a Good Thing
Below is my latest Crosswalk Column: Growing Up is a Good Thing As a father of three young kids, I’m never at a loss for laughs. Every single day, one of my kids does or says something so funny that Angela and I burst out in laughter. My son, Daniel, is a year-and-a-half old and…
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