I have talked with ministers before who say, “I don’t preach doctrinal sermons because people can’t handle that. I am just trying to teach them how to know and love Jesus.” Quite frankly, this type of preaching, regardless of its ostensibly noble aim, is actually doing a poor job of modeling how to love Jesus–in... Continue Reading

If there are people out there who still believe that there is such a thing as reformed evangelicalism as a trans-denominational movement, if they believe that this movement will play a key role in the future of the church, and if they believe that they are important leaders in this movement, then they need to... Continue Reading

“Grace must raise the temptation to think we can sin as we please; if it does not, we have not understood the true extent of grace. However, at no time can we yield to the temptation to think this way (note Paul’s answer to his question in 6:1—“by no means”), because Christians are called to... Continue Reading

“It looks like we’ve exchanged fear of hoods for fear of the hood. We’ve gone from looking for black men to protect us from whites to looking for the government to protect us from black men. There’s a new nocturnal threat out there and it’s calling card isn’t a burning cross. Ironic, is it not?”... Continue Reading

“If today’s events in Europe, not to mention of the last century, tell us anything, it is that a generation of young adults “unmoored” from the institutions of work, family, and civil society, and distrustful of their fellow citizens, can end up succumbing to the siren song of demagogues, especially if the economy dips into... Continue Reading

“To be a liberal Protestant, is often taken as a halfway house to atheism. Dan Fincke, an atheist philosopher argues that we’re “half way liberated” while one evangelical site calls us “closet atheists.”   The picture (see link) is from Christmas 1977. I’m in the back row, second from the left under the candles. It’s... Continue Reading

Our culture does not know how to handle conflict. Rather than the environment of spirited public debates that accompanied much of church history, disagreement of modern times is often seen as an infringement on our very worth as human beings. We are so draped in insecurity and pride that we do not have the capacity... Continue Reading

The pastor preaches social justice instead of the gospel. This is the church that neglects the reality of sin and our need for the Savior. Ironically, these churches can often be the most accommodating because they focus on the marginal. But families experiencing disability need more than accommodation. They need a big God who provides... Continue Reading

There will be times the criticism will be painful but true. In such times, we will need to endure that criticism as we respond to it by making changes to our lives. There are times the criticism will sting because we come to believe the criticism is unfair. In either case, we need to keep... Continue Reading

What lifestyle changes are we willing to make in order to “win/save” others around us? Do we need to stop buying Brooks Brothers clothes when we’re called to a church with Bargain Basement style? Should we learn more about aeronautics or agriculture in order to appreciate how the congregation earns its living? Could we make more of the locally popular spinach smoothies so we... Continue Reading