Life
Why Christians Are Not the Point of Easter
I’m studying for my Easter sermon. I have to be honest, sometimes I get intimidated by Easter sermons. It’s not that I don’t enjoy preaching about the pivot point of our faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s just that I know on Easter there are those people sitting and listening to my message that…
Read MoreHow to Easily Subscribe to Podcasts in iTunes
I’m a huge fan of podcasting and I strongly encourage folks to use this terrific technology to listen to some of the best preaching in America. It’s free and its right at our fingertips. How better to redeem your commute? But for some, subscribing to a podcast might as well be Greek. How do you…
Read MoreFive Things to Consider When Looking for a Christian College
This time of year many Christian junior and senior high students are looking at their college options. Many are considering Christian institutions. I asked Whitney Reed, owner of ChristianColleges.org, to share five important things to consider, when looking at evangelical institutions: If you are a student who is interested in earning your degree in an atmosphere that…
Read More5 Ways to Pray for Your Church
A couple weeks ago I wrote a blog, How to Help Your Church. It was one of the most popular posts of this year so far, perhaps because it struck a chord with pastors and church leaders working hard to serve God’s people. Interestingly, I wrote a similar post a few years ago. However it…
Read MoreDad and the Value of Hard Work
In my weekly Crosswalk devotional, I wrote about how my Dad’s insistence on making me work helped mold me into a man: It was 6 am and while the rest of my friends were sleeping in, dreaming of two weeks filled with Nintendo, cookies, and hanging out, I was putting on every layer of clothes…
Read MoreFriday Five: Ed Welch
Edward T. Welch, M.Div., Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He has counseled for over twenty-five years and is the best-selling author of some of the best, gospel-centric counceling books, including When People Are Big and God Is Small; Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave; Running Scared:…
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 MoreWhy Your Work Matters
This is a terrific conversation between Collin Hansen of The Gospel Coalition and Matt Perman, proprietor of the blog What’s Best Next and director of strategy for Desiring God Ministries. Collin interviews Matt about his forthcoming book, but more importantly about the often-neglected doctrine of work. I love this new emphasis, helping so-called “lay people” discover…
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 MoreGuardrails and Grace | Covenant Eyes
I wrote a guest blog for the Covenant Eyes blog on the interaction between guardrails and grace. Here’s an excerpt: A few years ago, Angela and I decided we were going to vacation somewhere in the Carolinas. We settled on Myrtle Beach. So our journey took us through the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and on…
Read MoreStruggle Versus Snuggle
I found this word on sin by Barnabas Piper to be especially convicting. We tend to mask our love of sin by telling people we “struggle.” (at least I do). Barnabas cuts through that by looking at Paul’s honesty in Romans: (HT: Justin Taylor) In true struggle, honesty is brutal. It’s brutal because it…
Read More10 Things I’m Thankful for in 2011
Today is Thanksgiving. This year (2011) I have much to be thankful for. I could fill pages. But I distilled them down to ten: Nine years of marriage to a beautiful and godly woman, Angela who has faithfully stood with me in ministry, trains our children in the Lord every day, and enjoys watching crime…
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