Culture
Reflecting on Dr. King
I’m hoping today Americans will take time to reflect deeply on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I must confess that I knew very little of Dr. King growing up in the (largely) white suburbs of Chicago. Living in the Midwest, we strongly resisted racism. Our Christian faith pushed us to…
Read MoreReflections on Tucson and What it Might Mean
Like everyone else, I was shocked and stunned to hear of the shocking massacre in Tucson on Saturday, a clear assassination attempt on a gifted public servant, Gabriella Giffords, their Democratic Congresswoman. Typically, as in every national tragedy, the media began it’s typical feeding frenzy, wondering what this story meant, what it said about our culture. I…
Read MoreSome Great Christmas Articles
As you reflect on the meaning of Christmas this year: Tim Jeske on the link between Bethlehem and Calvary Mark Galli wonders why Mary was favored and what it means for us. Chuck Colsen says not to ignore the Kingdom references in the announcement of Christ’s birth John Ortberg reminds us that the birth of…
Read MoreWhy I Get Excited on Christmas
Are you excited, yet, about Christmas? Can you feel the anticipation? Okay, so many of you are busy, harried, and hurried. And maybe a few of you are upset about the “commercialization of Christmas.” But, for what it’s worth, I love this time of year. Yes, I know that much of it is consumed with…
Read MoreHung Up on Santa
Today I read Jon Acuff’s usual great mix of humor and wisdom in his post on the Santa Dilemma that usually affects Christians at Christmas. It got me thinking about our often misguided thinking on Christmas. I as fortunate enough to grow up in a Christian home that didn’t get all freaked out by Santa…
Read MoreWhat Are We Singing?
This is a quote from my message for Sunday, “What the Angels Saw.” – From Luke 2: Christmas is an interesting time, because it is the time when suddenly the entire world is singing songs about the birth of Christ—and yet they don’t know it. You often walk into a supermarket or drugstore and you…
Read MoreChristians and the War on Christmas
Thanksgiving was last week, which means we’re two weeks into the Christmas season. Feels like we’re starting Christmas sooner and sooner aren’t we? I think next year everyone will just dress up like Santa at Halloween and start in October. Count me as someone who loves the Christmas season. I just love that in 2010,…
Read MoreFriday Five – Jackie Kendall
Today, my good friend, Jackie Kendall stops by to chat. Here is the reason I like Jackie: My wife, Angela, read Jackie’s best-selling book Lady in Waiting, while she was a single girl in Bible college. Angela says that this really prepared her for life. Angela is a super mom and wife, so I have…
Read MoreOn Criticism
One of the hardest things for a Christian to do is accept criticism. I should know, because I typically flinch at criticism. Immediately my defenses go up and I’m ready to lash out at the critics. But this is always the wrong approach. After all, we’re Christians and we should be, as James 1:19 instructs,…
Read MoreYoung and Young Earth
If you’re a thinking, young evangelical, it is just assumed that you’re not a young-earth creationist. Young earthers believe that the account in Genesis is not allegory, nor do they believe that each day represents a time period. They believe six days mean six days. But, I’m thirty-two, grew up in the church, and guess…
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 MoreRush, Biden and the Bible
Ahh, its political season and so the mudslinging continues. Rush Limbaugh calls the President all kind of unflattering names. Vice-President Biden says he wants to strangle the Republicans. So the question is this. How should Christians react? More than once this year I’ve heard people defend outbursts like Rush Limbaugh’s or something provocative that Sarah Palin might have said.…
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