Ignore all the materials that sell you the “10 steps to a happy marriage” study guides and show this couple preparing for marriage what God says marriage is and what He expects of them in it.  Use all the Bible, not just Ephesians 5 and 1 Peter 3.  Use Genesis 1-3, Proverbs 5, Song of Songs,... Continue Reading

You can read the court’s 60-page decision, but the dissents that follow it are better. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, the lone remaining Reagan appointee to the 4th Circuit, noted that “the majority fails to respect the Center’s right not to utter a state-sponsored message that offends its core moral and religious principles … it should be... Continue Reading

YouVersion, with over 600 Bible translations in more than 400 languages, is by far the church’s biggest success. The app is nondenominational, including versions embraced by Catholics, Russian Orthodox and Messianic Jews. This month, the app reached 100 million downloads, placing it in the company of technology start-ups like Instagram and Dropbox. “They have defined... Continue Reading

“….the Republication Paradigm (i.e., the views of Kline and The Law Is Not of Faith) uses traditional language and concepts, but redefines them in the service of its own paradigm. Not only do these new definitions fail to harmonize with those contained in the Westminster Standards, they may lead to other systematic changes in our... Continue Reading

“In higher education, faculty and staff can chew up much time and energy in meaningless committees and on tension-filled politics,” Parrott said. “We have created a culture that minimizes those issues so our team can focus their energy outward and toward the students, rather than inward toward the process. This type of culture takes many... Continue Reading

So if your church is considering college ministry, know that loving students isn’t always the easiest. They will probably eat you out of house and home without saying thank you, want to blare music at a much higher decibel than you would choose, and may even wreck your church van without reporting it. But they... Continue Reading

When the Associated Press published a story on the group last weekend, Fuller’s new president, Mark Labberton, issued a statement clarifying the seminary’s position against the homosexual lifestyle but ultimately supporting the group. His semi-approval makes Fuller the first evangelical seminary to support an LGBT campus group.    Fuller Theological Seminary students Nick Palacios, Samantha... Continue Reading

A chaplain is a pastor, that is to say, a shepherd. Not always of a parish congregation, mind you, but always of a flock of spiritual sheep. The responsibilities of a chaplain-pastor are usually broader than normal parish ministry. He will work more on clergy teams; advise religiously vague staff; start from zero, spiritually speaking,... Continue Reading

Since then, I have conducted worship a number of times and have been blessed with many opportunities for ministry. Granted, as a minister, I am on vacation, and on some trips I have opted not to do the service, because I needed the rest; but other times, especially when a Sunday has come at the... Continue Reading

“You know, for some people, singing a simple, seven-word, simple chorus, draws them into the presence of God,” he says. “And to me, ultimately, what is the goal of worship music? It’s to exalt God.” In the past few decades, some church leaders have called the tension between contemporary and traditional styles a “worship war,”... Continue Reading