Even at the Diet of Worms, Luther’s hope was not separation from Rome, but repentance. Luther argued that Rome had broken from the historic and traditional beliefs held by the church. In this, Luther did not stand alone but on the shoulders of believers who came before him in the history of the church who... Continue Reading

The pastor is called to be a shepherd. Shepherding is quiet work involving feeding, caring, leading, and protecting. This isn’t sexy, big, glamorous work. It’s daily and mundane, often behind closed doors. It’s done in counseling sessions with weeping spouses and beside hospital beds. It happens on Saturday nights when preparing the sermon.   Four... Continue Reading

All sexual harassment and assault is sickening and inexcusable. But inside the church, it can be spiritually destructive when the God-given leaders do little to shepherd and protect their flock. In Proverbs 31:9, we are instructed to judge righteously and defend the rights of the poor and needy. The church must do all we can... Continue Reading

We must be willing and ready to criticize individuals, actions, and ideologies within the ecclesiastical or theological camps in which we find ourselves when we find that we–or those with whom we labor side by side–have deviated from the clear teaching of Scripture. We must resist the urge to partner with others merely out of... Continue Reading

Many USA Christians believe Christians are selfish for prioritizing other Christians. Christians should not advocate specifically for adherents of their own faith. They should only advocate generically and universally for human rights for all people of all faiths or of no faith without distinctions. That Christians are globally the most persecuted religion does not typically... Continue Reading

“When our church family gathers to worship on Sunday mornings in Kansas City, my brothers and sisters on the East Coast are already singing. What’s more, the entire eastern hemisphere is already into their Sunday evening and some are even easing their way into the wee morning hours of a Monday.”   I’m only thirty,... Continue Reading

“(Roman Catholic authors) appealed to the magisterium of the Church to provide authoritative interpretations of the Scriptures in light of church tradition. Protestants, by contrast, argued that was inherently clear because Scripture is profitable and sufficient for the ends that Scripture assigns to itself. Scripture authority and sufficiency both supposed and demanded perspicuity.”   Sola... Continue Reading

There are presently many discussions and a plethora of books about what women’s ministry ought to look like, and how to form mentoring relationships. It’s not a novel concept that instruction in a mentoring relationship can go both ways. But have we fleshed out the notion in specifics?    Some years ago, I received an... Continue Reading

It is commonly reported that denominations are dying in America. Their demise is sometimes equated with Christianity’s decline, which is a mistaken equation.  By some measures overall church attendance has remained remarkably constant across 80 years.   How many Christians do you know under age 50, much less age 40, with passionate attachment to a... Continue Reading

Our singing is more than a warm-up for the sermon or a filler in the service. Colossians 3:16 is clearly laying out for us that: Singing stands alongside of preaching as one of the two great ways that God has ordained for his Word to dwell richly in each one of us!   Have you ever wondered... Continue Reading