“Hope Presbyterian, a congregation in Minneapolis with nearly 1,200 members, is paying more than a million dollars and losing one of its campuses but finds hope for the future with the move to a new denomination…. New Covenant Presbytery voted to release Grace Presbyterian Church of Houston on July 19. The church of more than... Continue Reading

“Don’t talk about the glories of heaven before you talk about the person who is now there. Instead, establish rapport with the grieving community by articulating what made the deceased person unique. A funeral congregation is often one whose ear you have to earn—and you earn those ears in your descriptions of the deceased. If... Continue Reading

“Today, the zeitgeist has shifted. What was once prohibition might now be heard as permission: to stop, take a breath, and remember that we are more than what we produce, more than our job title or bank balance. Sabbath, in this light, does indeed represent resistance to the dominating paradigm of more more more, an... Continue Reading

“The pastor that inspired me most in my spiritual walk when I was a 20-something year old trying to figure out my life direction emailed me recently. He had read one of my introversion posts and wanted to echo the sentiments in it. He said he has always marveled at how many introverted pastors he... Continue Reading

“I don’t agree with Greg that “the failure of the American church to affirm the goodness of civilizational life is our greatest failing today.” That’s overstating a good case. I do agree with him that it’s a great failure, even a very great failure. And I also agree with him on the need to prioritize... Continue Reading

“I know kids are growing up fast nowadays, but isn’t this stuff a little heavy for eight and nine year olds? Archie Bunker pushed the envelope 40 years ago, but that Archie was designed for an adult audience. Until recently, the biggest controversy Archie Andrews ever found himself in was making dates with two girls... Continue Reading

“Romans 8:28, which is a favorite for many of us, states that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV). There’s no other text that demonstrates so clearly and magnificently the beauty of God’s sovereign providence than that one. The text... Continue Reading

“Quote Scripture. That’s how Jesus overcame the tempter. When you feel like grumbling remind yourself to “Rejoice always.” When tempted to give a harsh reply think, “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” When rankling against correction remind yourself, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Of course to quote Scripture when tempted... Continue Reading

“This marriage thing is hard.We know everything about each other, can anticipate each other’s next sentence, and not only know exactly where the dirty socks will be thrown but when. We repeat the same fights, stick to the same guns, rebut with the same rebuttals, face the same bedheads in the morning. If monogamy equals monotonous... Continue Reading

“Many church members have contact with the unchurched every week, if not every day. They go to school with them, work with them, live beside them – and sometimes live with them. What church folks don’t do, though, is see the unchurched as “sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36), as spiritual beings in need of... Continue Reading