How We Overthink Following the Will of God
God's will is not as mysterious as we make it out to be.
Discipleship
Would Jesus Say ‘Black Lives Matter’?
With the death of George Floyd, another black life has been taken in cold blood. And once again, there is lament and protest, but we must ask whether anything fundamental will change on a systemic level. This article is my urgent appeal to fellow white evangelical Christians. When you hear the phrase “Black lives matter,” … Continued
What to Do When Friends Leave Your Church
Recently, I had two painful experiences with friends. One is leaving our church because I am too conservative on an issue, and another threatened to leave because they thought Im too liberal on another subject. Sigh. Both encounters hurt. I lost sleep and a lot of tears over both of these painful experiences when friends leave church. Years ago, […]
Whats Wrong With the World? Understanding the Bible’s Wild World of Powers
This series of articles (Read Part 1) contends that the Bible is set in the land of wild things. That is, the Bible is more fantasticalbeautiful, dangerous and strangethan we give it credit for. What we incorrectly call the natural and the supernatural, as if they are distinct and isolated realms, are actually part of the bible's wild world of powers, where heaven and earth are constantly interacting and alive with all kinds of creatures, forces and powersboth seen and unseen.
Why Many Churches Seem to Operate in Their Own Power
It seems to me that many churches operate more in their own ability than they do in Gods power. The evidence, particularly of North American churches, is that were not making much difference in reaching nonbelievers and driving back the darkness. Here are some reasons churches operate in their own power: 1. We dont always […]
Why Overcoming Envy Is About Where You Turn
How do you respond when you feel dissatisfied?
6 Tips to Plan a Memorable Summer With Your Kids
Summer is here and yet, many of us feel like we have already had summer because our kids have been home from school or daycare for months due to COVID-19 precautions. Now that the school year has finally finished in some form or fashion, how do we make the most of the next few months … Continued
Looking for True Contentment in All the Wrong Places
Before you came to Christ, your life aspirations arose from a wrong way of looking at the world, what the apostle Peter calls the desires of your former ignorance (1 Peter 1:14). You thought, for instance, that romance was the key to true contentment. But at some point, you realized it wasnt quite as fulfilling as youd hoped. […]
Why the Bible Is Wilder Than We Realize
Maurice Sendaks parents were poor Jewish immigrants to the United States from Poland. Their family that stayed behind were all killed in the Holocaust. The weekly Sunday afternoon gatherings of his extended family in Brooklyn brought in aunts and uncles that Maurice would later describe as all crazycrazy faces and wild eyes. These visits inspired […] the Bible's wild side.
6 Reasons Churches Struggle to Disciple
I believe more and more churches are working harder at what most churches call “discipleship” (which I define here as leading believers to obey everything Jesus commanded), but many churches still struggle with this task. Perhaps one of these reasons will help you to understand where/how your own church might work to improve your discipleship … Continued