“The more passionate a person is to see the church grow and the more their sympathies rest with the sinners we are trying to reach, the more open they become to the danger of compromise. Leaders and churches can become ‘sinner driven’.”   A deep and abiding passion to see our churches grow is a... Continue Reading

“As consumers of news, we become quickly bored with a repetition of antiquated news. With our wide tendencies toward A.D.D., we always crave novelty. Many think, the “new is true, the old is mold.” This is what C.S. Lewis labeled ‘chronological snobbery,’ the belief that we who come later in the parade of knowledge automatically... Continue Reading

“We might even be able to agree that the church must identify and keep her metaphorical Big Mac but what ought to strike us is that nowhere in the author’s list of possible candidates are those which ought to be obvious to us: the pure preaching of the gospel, the pure administration of the sacraments,... Continue Reading

“In recognizing our dependence upon God, we don’t necessarily think less of ourselves, rather we think of ourselves less. We do not waste much time assessing how well we have overcome various vices, but simply fix our eyes on Jesus and start focusing on the next vices that need to be overcome — remembering that... Continue Reading

“Even when she doesn’t bring people back to church, Robinson’s books can restore a kind of religious revelation that had seemed lost. In an essay on Buzzfeed called “Why I Read Marilynne Robinson,” Anne Helen Petersen writes about how Robinson’s novels allow her to set aside the “shame and alienation” of some of her evangelical... Continue Reading

“Hillenbrand’s biography of Zamperini, “Unbroken,” was released in 2010. The hardcover debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times best-seller list and remained on the list for nearly four years. This week, a movie adaptation of the book, based on a script by the Coen brothers and directed by Angelina Jolie, will be released amid... Continue Reading

“Independent evangelical seminaries that have grown exponentially since World War II affect not only conservative groups but the pluralistic or liberal “mainline” denominations where minority evangelicals exercise minimal influence on national programs but persist at the local level. These schools have built a reputation for training pastors in effective sermonizing, pastoral work, and outreach.”  ... Continue Reading

“The report reveals that in U.S. dioceses, baptisms are down five percent from 27,140 in 2012 to 25,822 in 2013. Similarly, marriages are down four percent from 10,366 to 9,933 (the denomination has seen a 40 percent decline in children baptized since 2003 and a 46 percent decline in marriages over the same period).”  ... Continue Reading

“We are to strive together as we persevere to enter God’s rest. Today. God’s people participate in his promises together. Not only that, Christ himself is our companion. Roberts explains that we are the new wilderness community. We acknowledge a tension as we live under the new covenant in this age. But as we profess... Continue Reading

“A plan to convert 5,000 Indian Christians and Muslims to Hinduism on Christmas Day has been canceled by local officials. But organizers insist the conversions are merely postponed, and plan to protest Christmas baptisms at churches instead.”   Update (Dec. 24): Members of India’s opposition party protested a Hindu nationalist leader’s remarks declaring the country... Continue Reading