“My mind drifted back to the days when Aileen and I were in churches where the preachers had treated the Bible kind of like my friends had treated coffee. Somewhere they must have lost their confidence in the Bible just a little bit, and they began to believe that it was unpalatable or distasteful to... Continue Reading

“By their nature and divine intention and institution, the sacraments are supports for the preaching of the gospel. They are visible and tangible representations and testimonies to the gospel. They are also and promises or seals that what the gospel declares is really true for the believing recipient. Through the history of the church we have... Continue Reading

The great danger of pulpit-pandering really comes down to a hazardously low view of Scripture. I mess with Scripture because I suppose that I am superior to it. I apologize for it because I have determined by my judgment that there is something wrong with it. I skip over it and preach around it because I assume... Continue Reading

Maintaining godly priorities is a challenge. But, I know that if I neglect my relationship with God or am stingy with my love and service to others, I am not glorifying to Him. I need to consider how filling my time with endless tasks crowds out more important things. And, I am not too busy for that.   May is such a... Continue Reading

What happens in social media is the same as reality: Here’s a big lie that’s easy to fall prey to. We think that the interactions we have with people online is the same as relationships we have in real life. The truth is, most of the people we talk with online we will never meet... Continue Reading

Those who don’t buy into the deception and who aren’t willing to “move on” from this “minor indiscretion” are labeled as unforgiving, self-righteous, and a lot of other ugly pious words. Oftentimes, offenders don’t even have to carry out this dirty work themselves. By this step in the process, a growing number of deceived sympathizers... Continue Reading

American Evangelical Churches on the other hand continue to grow: Unlike theologically liberal mainline churches, the children of evangelicals are far more likely to embrace the tradition of their parents, also, unlike mainline denominations Evangelicals are still experiencing conversion growth. So the good news is that the wheat continues to be wheat, and the tares... Continue Reading

Toxicity might be an overused concept. But where we see its telltale effects in our own hearts, in our relationships and in our churches, we should test for the carcinogen of pride.  The only remedy is the grace of our God, bound up in Christ, bestowed through humbling ourselves (James 4:6-10).   There’s a lot... Continue Reading

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” he did not exaggerate….However, if Jesus paid it all, all to him we owe. We owe him our worship. We owe him our obedience. All who are truly saved by his Holy Spirit prove themselves to be his saved children by their progressive faithfulness.   In religious circles, errant preachers are found.... Continue Reading

Even today the public school is widely regarded not as a purely educational institution in the nineteenth century sense – that is, as an elementary introduction to the literary and scientific traditions of culture – but as a moral training in citizenship, an initiation and indoctrination in the American way of life; and since the... Continue Reading