3 Ways to Live by Faith When Life Makes No Sense at All
There are three principles that guide us how to live by faith when life makes no sense at all.
It may take many years for you to see the result of what God is doing when life makes no sense at all. Or he may never reveal the reasons why. But no matter what you’re experiencing, God’s promises and commands are enough. On October 19, 2014, my life changed. I was in acute... Continue Reading
Changing the World. One Word at a Time
Maybe someday Jesus will use me for something “big”, but I don’t think that’s how God does most of his work.
But I can make a difference in the lives of those who are in my immediate circle of influence. My kids. My wife. The people at the coffee shop I usually go to. The people in my community group and Bible study. And one of the simplest, yet most profound ways I can make a difference... Continue Reading
What Science Is Really Teaching Us
Many Christians today are fearful of studying science, and there’s more to this fear than math anxiety.
As a Christian and a scientist who has been working in the discipline long enough to see some major scientific theory and paradigm shifts (such as from an eternal, “steady state” universe to a “big bang” universe with a beginning in space and time), I can say with confidence that “science destroys faith” may be... Continue Reading
Five “Short-Timers” Who May Not Stay Long at Your Church
One of the reasons there is more than one church in nearly every town in America is because none of us is capable of being everyone’s pastor.
Sometimes, no matter what you do, people are going to leave. In my experience, there are five types of individuals who are most likely to not stay very long. I’m afraid there is nothing in this article that will help you keep them. But perhaps, if you have advanced warning, their departure won’t hurt so... Continue Reading
Dangers of Non-Christocentric Preaching: Moralistic Sermons
The difference between preaching the moral truths of the Bible and preaching moralism is whether or not the meaning (not simply the significance) of the truth is contextualized by the gospel of the kingdom.
We are to preach Christ from the entire Bible because proper exegesis demands it. The Scripture is not an inspired book of moralisms or a book of virtues; it is, from cover to cover, a book about the glory of God in Jesus Christ through the redemption of his people who will dwell in the... Continue Reading
A Simple Acrostic for Prayer: A.C.T.S.
Not only does this acrostic remind us of the elements of prayer, it shows us the priority we ought to give to each.
I think this is a helpful acrostic for remembering both the elements and the priorities of prayer. Unfortunately, we often spell our prayer life something like S.C.A.T., because we start with supplication and spend very little time, if any, on adoration, confession, and thanksgiving. Christians often use a simple acrostic as a guide to... Continue Reading
Light into Darkness: How To Evangelize Muslims
Many people view Islam and Christianity as merely two different paths leading to the same destination.
“We all worship God and just call him by different names,” goes the apologetic for Universalism. Muslims and Christians pray, give, serve, and proselytize. And we are all very sincere. But worship is useless if it is offered to the wrong god. The Italian film, Life is Beautiful, is a foreign film about an Italian... Continue Reading
Come to Church Desperate
We have seen with the eyes of our hearts the supreme beauty of God and his ways (Ephesians 1:18).
And we have come to cherish the supreme worth of this treasure (Matthew 13:44; Philippians 3:8). And when we have completed our corporate exaltation of the glories of God, we continue that worship in a thousand daily tasks where the supreme worth of Christ governs our lives. This is what it means to be a Christian.... Continue Reading
Born Of A Woman: Against The Star Trek Christology
We have seen Captain Kirk “de-materialize” and “re-materialize” and evangelicals tend to interpret this passage through the lens of late-modern physics.
We are all more deeply influenced by Modernity than we realize and as (unintentional) Modern people, we know that doors do not change. We have a bias toward uniformitarianism. De facto we think as if we live in a closed universe. Thus, it does not seem to occur to us that just as he walked on water... Continue Reading
How and Why I Could Fall
I quickly saw some clear patterns of leadership infected with hubris.
James B. Stewart’s words on the front jacket of the book, tell the essence of the story well: “A fascinating look at how ego and hubris destroyed an industry . . .” Indeed, of all the leadership lessons learned, the most pervasive and persuasive in the book is that hubris is the downfall of leaders... Continue Reading
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