“As I coach and mentor church planters and pastors, I am shocked at the number of them who are either addicted or headed toward addiction to alcohol. Increasingly, the same is true with prescription drugs. One pastor I know could not relax without several beers after work and could not sleep without the aid of... Continue Reading

I believe that the predominant form of Christianity in my neck of the woods is “experiential moralism”: people go to church to have an experience that will help them fly right and do better. The problems come when a) they don’t have such experiences and b) they realize that it is not possible for them... Continue Reading

Whether American Muslims’ optimism will ultimately prove to be warranted rests on whether they follow the pattern of making close personal connections to Americans of other religious backgrounds. Indeed, the same is true for all of America’s many religions—large or small. What’s the path to religious acceptance in America—and what can Muslims, Mormons and Buddhists... Continue Reading

But, like David, we must begin with the corruption we find in our own hearts. Perhaps, unbelievers, put off at the intellectual level, will take notice of the transformative power of the gospel. They might even take a second look at the Bible. I’ve discovered a huge benefit to my exchanges with folks who don’t... Continue Reading

Most of us have cheated on something, small or large, yet the problem is of epidemic proportions now because our culture has deliberately unshackled itself from biblical norms of morality and has swallowed the lie that truth is power and that we can choose our truth for our own personal advantage. When I came to... Continue Reading

The vast majority of Americans today would be incapable of providing for themselves. If you live in the city with no land, you’d be in big trouble. Even most Americans, who have a yard with soil, wouldn’t know what to do. I just read two very interesting articles on the U.S. economy, written from historical... Continue Reading

We are approaching the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, and our country will be marking the date with a variety of special observances. We will all have occasion to remember the horror of that day and what life was like in the United States in the immediate aftermath. One of the things I... Continue Reading

Responding to Hood, Tullian Tchividjian contended that the Apostle Paul does not use the law as motivation for obedience. In fact, he claims, laying down the law in the form of biblical imperatives does not elicit obedience at all As one who has been studying the peculiar history of Reformed soteriology (i.e., the doctrine of... Continue Reading

The Obama administration has drafted a new, little-noticed executive order that would plainly stifle free speech. The “Disclosure of Political Spending by Government Contractors” order is still a draft, but if the administration has its way, the order will be in full force soon. Premised on the idea that sunlight disinfects, President Obama’s executive order... Continue Reading

When laws upholding traditional marriage are seen as “privileging” Christian beliefs, the doors are thrown open to anyone who can argue that his faith blesses marriage in nontraditional forms. When Christians warned that activists might use the legal argument in favor of same-sex marriage to justify polygamous marriage or consanguineous marriage (marriage of relatives), they... Continue Reading