“The history of the Patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and the history of Israel is the history of the institutional church. To be sure, Israel was a national church, and we are not. The national promises and conditions given to her have been fulfilled by our Lord Jesus. Still, the pattern is instructive.”   In a recent... Continue Reading

“Will you make your church a place where love informs action, where joy runs deep, where peaceful hearts produce patient people? Will you give us the pleasure of seeing kindness amongst Christian children?”   Our Father in heaven, we rejoice to remember that hidden in the holiness of your Son, you count us holy in... Continue Reading

“I’ve found it beneficial to set aside Sunday as a Sabbath. This keeps my mind free from the unfinished to-do list and creeping deadlines. I also avoid vegging out in front of the television—I can’t ponder eternity when the capacity of my mind has shrunk to the size of a screen.”   What did you... Continue Reading

“They estimate the Tzompantli was over a hundred feet long, forty feet wide, and fifteen feet tall. And as new victims were sacrificed regularly, it was always freshly-stocked. If anything, the old stories fell short of just how monstrous this monument to Aztec religion was.”   “Hey, don’t judge.” We hear those words a lot.... Continue Reading

“Sometimes our relationships wither because we don’t cultivate them. What would happen to a garden if we only tended it when it came to mind? Like working the ground, you and I need to create patterns, or habits, for connecting with people.”   Brother, I’ll challenge you in moment, but first, an encouragement: if you... Continue Reading

“In the weeks since my daughter’s comment, uncomfortable but important questions have flashed through my mind. Where else are we missing God’s beauty in our lives? Why do we miss it? And what can we do about it? Let’s explore these questions so that we can be fully present to him, others and the blessings... Continue Reading

The modern English lord is a simplification of the Middle English lovered, laverd, which is in turn from the Old English hlāford, made up of hlāf, “bread,” and ward, “keeper.” Our English word lord therefore derives ultimately from “bread-keeper” and refers to a feudal superior or titled nobleman. In a broad sense, it came to mean “master,”... Continue Reading

“It is not enough that we would live simply from desire and willingness, and not compulsion and obligation. We want to live from righteous desire, not for shameful or sinful gain — desire that is fitting to its object.”   One of the most liberating discoveries of my life has been coming to find that... Continue Reading

“If a piece of literature asserts that it is the very word of the Supreme Being in the universe, it should have characteristics which resemble an all-wise, omniscient, impeccable being. When we come to the Qur’an, however, it struggles to live up to its divine claim.”   Years ago I had a friend come visit... Continue Reading

“I do not think for a moment that any of us, as long as sin is in us, will never become perfect in our reasoning. Sin prejudices us against the law of God for as long as we live, and we have to fight to overcome these basic distortions of the truth of God.”  ... Continue Reading