We do not know how large the problem is in the Protestant world, nor how rates of abuse compare with those of Catholicism, but such comparisons in one sense are beside the point: Sin is crouching at all our doors, and is no respecter of denominational distinctions.   Warning: This special report contains disturbing information... Continue Reading

Recently Giglio made news, on social media anyway, by announcing “For two Sundays, August 26th + September 2nd, our House will be stepping away from our normal weekend routine and into the rhythm of Sabbath.” This announcement produced howls of protest. I would be among the critics of this move but before we get to criticism there... Continue Reading

What happens when a couple enters marriage and they don’t really know each other? Of course, engaged and newlywed couples can’t possibly know each other to the degree they will after years of marriage. Wise pre-marital counseling usually addresses important issues like family history, faith, finances, children, sex, roles, etc. However, often people marry having avoided a... Continue Reading

Edwards had preached “Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God” before. He had preached it at Northampton, in his own home church. There were no reported astonishing manifestations, or response, or emotion, at that time of preaching. But now he came to preach it at Enfield–this town holding out against the revival–and God blessed... Continue Reading

A faithful shepherd will pace himself for the long haul given the nature of the work. Pastors are not pounding out “products,” but doing heart work. And heart work can be messy, unpredictable, and slow to change.   The Tortoise wins. I remember hearing Aesop’s famous fable The Hare & the Tortoise as a little boy and... Continue Reading

Both an individualistic and institutional approach to Christianity misunderstand the Christian life. Conversion is an individual experience that’s intended to become a congregational reality. It’s simply impossible to conceptualize New Testament Christianity apart from the local church.   Have you ever heard someone say, “I am into Jesus, but not the church”? My first encounter with... Continue Reading

The seeker movement seemed to assume that we strong people had received our portion of grace and now we needed to starve ourselves in order to feed others. I liked the theory until I discovered that I wasn’t as strong as I thought. It turns out that the gap between me and my unchurched neighbour... Continue Reading

In this short article may I make one plea: Deacons, stay humble enough to want to learn how to do your ministry in more effective ways. Keep asking of yourself, and of your team, “How can we do this better, how can we do mercy so we actually lead people to Christ and bring them... Continue Reading

“God’s grace is at work in certain men to produce a certain kind of life. Identifying a called man is primarily about observing grace already at work in a man’s life. The grace shining through a man is an indicator that he is called. Can anyone live up to the qualifications of pastoral ministry? Yes,... Continue Reading

“When a person claims an experience—especially if they want me to act on it—they expect me to trust them, their honesty, their infallibility. This is an unreasonable expectation, which demands authentication. That’s why Jesus enabled his apostles to do miracles; their supernatural power provided credibility when they made claims of supernatural authority.”   Previously I... Continue Reading