When the past shines brighter than the present, we have a choice to make.  We can long for the “glory days” in a way that denies God is still glorious today.  If we do, like the remnant who stopped rebuilding the temple, we will stop the work God has called us to do today.  ... Continue Reading

Sermon preparation is like preparation of a scrumptious and nutritious meal. I open the Word of God, wrestle with the text through study and prayer, prepare it to be served up, and present it in a way that is inviting and engaging. However, I know there are many who come to the table as part... Continue Reading

My concerns in this post are less about one more reason why Mars Hill finds itself in a fix right now, and more about the corruption of evangelical megachurches. It is still, after all I have seen, beyond my comprehension that it is considered to be business as usual to use the church as a... Continue Reading

The suit claims the denial of chaplains “impairs the religious exercise of Humanists in the Navy.” Humanists make up 3.6 percent of the U.S. military, according to a survey by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, which is affiliated with the Pentagon. “Belief in divinity is not a litmus test for protection under federal law and... Continue Reading

“We sometimes forget that Augustine was the Bishop of a small port town in North Africa called Hippo Regius and that he was living in a turbulent time in the waning days of the Western Roman Empire.  We forget that he had to deal day in and day out with the pastoral pressures and distractions... Continue Reading

“By the instrument of faith, this Spirit gives light to our minds concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ and the words of Scripture. This point bears restatement: the Holy Spirit works in us, bringing about this change. The Spirit who gave the prophets and the apostles the Scriptures is the same Spirit who convinces us... Continue Reading

“How bad could this get? All local Christians know the answer. They look back at the experience of Jews, who flourished across the region just a century ago but have now vanished from virtually every Mideast nation outside Israel. Since 1950, Egypt’s Jewish population has shrunk from 100,000 to perhaps 50; Iraq’s, from 90,000 to... Continue Reading

“People critical of discussions on modesty often ask the following question: “Why is the responsibility for keeping the 7th commandment always the girls’?” They make a very good point. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount the assumption is that you do not have to look lustfully. It is a choice, and a sinful one at that.... Continue Reading

“Here’s the situation.  You, the pastoral candidate, are sitting in a room with a committee of anywhere from 6 to 20 people. They have spent the evening tossing questions, real and theoretical, at you.  You are drained and everyone is ready for the evening to end. But not yet. Finally, the chair says, “And pastor,... Continue Reading

“Lead Pastor Thomas Hurst announced his resignation to the congregation during the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, two days after Mars Hill announced that it would dissolve with its 13 “campuses” set loose to form new churches, consolidate with other churches or dissolve.”   The big Bellevue campus of Mars Hill Church has filed registration... Continue Reading