“There are many reasons that ignorance pervades today’s church. For decades, Christians have focused on felt needs rather than doctrinal truth. We have focused on immediately-applicable topical sermons rather than verse-by-verse exposition that unleashes the whole truth of God’s whole Word.”   For over a decade, I have been reviewing books that are of particular... Continue Reading

“Reading has always been at the core of human scholarly pursuits. Indeed, the ancient and long-standing view of a scholar has been one who has the ability to read (not necessarily speak) in multiple languages and synthesize this reading accurately. On more than one occasion Jesus criticized the official and unofficial leaders of God’s people... Continue Reading

“We need principles that are absolute and normative; otherwise, the decisions we make will be arbitrary, and we’ll have no basis for distinguishing right decisions from wrong decisions. Our human-enacted laws can be helpful, but they can never provide absolute norms.”   Every so often, I run across a news story that’s emblematic of our... Continue Reading

Moving to larger churches is no longer considered a career path by many pastors. My generation as a whole viewed “bigger as better” as a career path. If you did well at one church, you would quickly get “promoted” to a larger church. Many Gen X and Millennial pastors do not have that perspective.  ... Continue Reading

“I know congregants that love to find out the next Sunday’s hymns during the previous week, so they can open up their hymnal, refresh the words, and work on their part so they’re prepared to lend their voices. Preparation like that is one of the ways music making becomes a worshipful activity. Hymnals make it... Continue Reading

“There is much more to this book. It is both profound and provocative. And, while unabashedly Roman Catholic, it is, to adapt a phrase from Henry VIII, a book for me and all Protestants to read.”   I recently had the privilege of recording an hour-long conversation with Archbishop Charles Chaput, reflecting on the current... Continue Reading

“Le Fou starts giving Gaston a hand / shoulder / ear massage during the Gaston song that is definitely sensual from Le Fou’s perspective. This song also includes a moment where La Fou briefly sits on Gaston’s lap, leans in, puts Gaston’s arms around him and then says “Too much?” Gaston is perturbed.”   Yesterday... Continue Reading

“A planter’s emotional life will, to some degree, follow his sense of success or failure week by week. This is largely tied to attendance and finances. It’s not easy to get off that roller coaster, but three strategies may help.”   Planting a church is no easy task. New church planters often ask about problems and challenges... Continue Reading

“B.H. Carroll, the founder and first President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, understood this well and minced no words in his insistence on robust confessionalism. He rightly noted the inextricable connection between doctrine and devotion, faith and life.”   Should a church use a confession of faith? If so, how robust should that confession be?... Continue Reading

“As the Muslim population increases in the U.S., Americans’ attitude toward Islam — and religion more generally — is shifting, particularly as political debates center on Muslim migration to Europe, the U.S. and Canada, and concerns about radical Islamic terror groups.”   Pew Research released a report Monday that shows Islam is on the rise worldwide, and if... Continue Reading