(1) The Government should implement a refugee policy that allows flexibility for the current refugee crisis with a focus upon its primary responsibility to protect its citizens…(2) The Christian church should initiate a biblically framed refugee ministry while encouraging and supporting a thoughtful and compassionate national refugee policy. (3) The Christian family should prayerfully encourage... Continue Reading

The trouble is that these churches are so massive and wealthy that they can afford to send their pastors all over the world, exporting their dodgy theology and even dodgier ecclesiology.  I have a suspicion that much of the health and wealth teaching which is plaguing much of the church in Africa, Asia and South... Continue Reading

Are the words Scriptural and theologically sound?  Hymnody has been an effective means of teaching theology in ages past. Is the music suitable to the words? If you are confessing sin, the music ought not to be bouncy and happy. Some of this is culturally relative but as a rule, confession of sin is a... Continue Reading

“In the past few years, much has been written, advocated, and modeled to help us understand why we should be concerned about leading services in ways that people actually comprehend what we’re doing and saying so that they are impacted in the right ways (Mike Cosper’s Rhythms of Grace is one example). That might mean changing... Continue Reading

“While many of my colleagues at Reformed Theological Seminary are already thinking about 2017, most of us are not aware of a very important church history anniversary this fall. I’m thinking, of course, of the 500th anniversary of Luther’s lectures on the Book of Romans, which helped pave the way for the Reformation of 1517.”... Continue Reading

“Faith and optimism can add years to your life,” he told those at the banquet. “A bad attitude is like a flat tire. Until you change it, you’re not going anywhere,” he said, urging the audience to “use the power of prayer in everything we do.”   Hollywood star Denzel Washington, the son of a... Continue Reading

“As the attractional church accumulates more complexity, it becomes more rigid, despite all its claims to innovation and cultural relevance. And as more programmatic development takes place, the more inwardly focused the church must necessarily become.”   Nearly every evangelical, when pressed, would insist that the church is people, not a place. A building is... Continue Reading

“In 2011, a young adult disclosed to me, her pastor, that my own father had sexually abused her as a young child. Three days later, my mother and I were sitting in a police station reporting my childhood hero. How was this possible?”   It’s a cold February day and I’m standing on stage eyeing... Continue Reading

“Elective abortions are not part of ‘basic healthcare,’” Galus said. “They have no business being forced into the medical coverage provided by churches that do not wish to support terminating lives due to very real, sincere, and well-known faith convictions. We hope the court will require California to follow the Constitution and respect these churches’... Continue Reading

“They are unwilling to accept responsibility. It’s the fault of culture. All the new churches in town are to blame. If someone wants to come to our church, they know where we are. People just don’t want to come to church anymore. Excuses and more excuses.”   The conversation surprised me. I was recently meeting... Continue Reading