Loving people who are hard to love involves perseverance. It is going to require a lot of prayer. We need to pray for patience in dealing with them. We need to pray for wisdom in handling them. We need to know when to speak and when not to speak. We need to ask the Lord... Continue Reading

The benediction? You mean that closing “prayer” the pastor gives with his hands raised? Isn’t that like the credits of a movie? Perhaps we’ve misunderstood its nature and purpose, at best treating it as a special goodbye from God. But historically, the benediction has been a vital component of the church’s worship.   There are... Continue Reading

We must be both mentally and spiritually equipped to defend against these mechanized attempts to subvert the mind of Christ. Paganism, once thought antiquated and impotent in civilized society, has arisen again, now perfectly joined with the world’s postmodern sensibilities, digital imagery and technological advancements. From that breeding ground we now see new counterfeit belief... Continue Reading

Many within my denomination believe that the world already knows what the Bible declares regarding human sexuality in regards to homosexuality, transgenderism, and same-sex attraction. Based on my own evangelistic interactions with unbelievers, I strongly disagree. With groups of Christians telling the LGBTQ community that Jesus is all love who requires no repentance on their... Continue Reading

In a church culture where marriage and family are placed on a high pedestal, where relationships that move from dating to courtship to engagement to wedding are celebrated, those with same-sex attraction wrestle with loneliness, isolation, and discouragement. They know and have heard repeatedly that God is opposed to same-sex marriage. They see a future... Continue Reading

While I’ve been active on Twitter, I’ve intentionally not engaged some discussions at blog length. I’ve benefitted from a great deal of my listening. Much has been said. However, much still needs to be said. I hope to be useful to the Lord’s cause, his church, and righteousness as I say my part. I hope... Continue Reading

In contrast to an approach that ties relevance to socio-political context, Anyabwile insists that “expositional preaching is relevant because it expounds the always-relevant Word of God… Ezra preaches to exiles – the poor and the oppressed. And yet, He does not preach liberation, politics, social justice or mercy ministries. He preaches the Word clearly and that... Continue Reading

Hollas holds a Master of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology and a Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction from San Francisco Theology Seminary. In addition to her work as a Dallas gun violence prevention activist, she is co-founder of Retreat House Spirituality Center in Richardson, Texas, a covenant community of spiritual directors. Her husband, Chris Hollas, and children Eleanor, Emily... Continue Reading

As my church began to reflect the massive multiculturalism of Toronto, the pastoral questions became much more difficult to answer. I quickly realized there was a missing piece in my understanding of family. I just hadn’t put enough thought into the relationship between the generations. I was living according to culture, not scripture.   Multiculturalism... Continue Reading

Another way to begin to consider disability in the context of the church is through the parable of the great banquet in Luke 14. Jesus prefaces the parable with an instruction: “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay... Continue Reading