Nowhere is there, in the American constitutional system, a place for a “strong man” to fix everything. The only “strong man” in a constitutional republic is the Constitution and the electorate that directly and indirectly chooses those who guard and execute it. The history of the “strong man,” who promises to fix all social ills... Continue Reading

The Israelite’s had an entire liturgy and pattern they followed for grief. They weeped and wailed. They tore their clothes. They covered themselves in ashes. They voiced their sorrow to God and held nothing back. In our culture, we’ve lost the ability to grieve. We are quick to move through any painful experience and put it... Continue Reading

Are some destined to a Narnia-like marriage where it’s always winter and never Christmas? Is there hope for a couple when the chill sets in?  Throughout years of ministry, I have witnessed spring bloom time and again in marriages and I believe there is hope. In the midst of a wintery season, how can a... Continue Reading

If there’s one thing we want for our kids above all, it’s that they know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior from their earliest years. Yet, although we can do so much for them as parents, we cannot force this, we cannot make this happen. If it’s hard waiting for their purpose to clarify,... Continue Reading

And notice how God renews us: by satisfying us with good. God wants to renew us by satisfying us. Sometimes that good thing will be having our circumstances changed. But I don’t think that’s usually the way God does it. The way that God satisfies us is by giving us himself. His power. His strength.... Continue Reading

“Why would anyone think that some of the gifts have been withdrawn? I will argue that such a reading fits best with Scripture and experience. Scripture takes priority over experience, for it is the final authority, but Scripture must also correlate with life, and our experiences should provoke us to re-examine afresh whether we’ve read... Continue Reading

“What we need most in the midst of grief is God Himself. He will meet us, give us Himself, fill the void left by our loved ones, warm our hearts, lift our burdens, and draw us into the sweet balm of fellowship with His Spirit.”   We worship a big god. He is sovereign and... Continue Reading

“Eventually we were taken back to talk to the EMT’s who had brought our daughter to the hospital. To our amazement – and theirs – they told us that while the car had knocked her down and passed completely over the top of her, it appeared that neither the wheels nor the undercarriage had hit... Continue Reading

“One who says that their commitment to the primacy of preaching, leads them to have little regard for the music, parking, greeting, signage, aesthetics, friendliness, hands-on ministry, evangelism, outreach, care-giving, announcements, and so on, is simply theologizing their laziness and apathy.”   I believe in the primacy of Christ-centered expository preaching in the life of... Continue Reading

“It is my conviction—conviction rooted in close study of God’s Word—that Calvinism provides a soul-stirring motivation for evangelism, and that sharing the gospel freely and with great zeal is the most natural application of biblical truth.”   Do you want to know how to make a Calvinist angry? Do you want to know how to offend a... Continue Reading