Can You Really Become Unoffendable?
A book review of Brant Hansen’s book Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better.
Opening a Church Bookstore
If you’ve been to a Christian bookstore recently, then you might have been overwhelmed by the amount of stuff there. That’s why two weeks ago our church launched our own bookstore. We filled it with 25-30 Christian books that were handpicked by our elders and staff. Here’s our list.
Pastor, Over Prepare for Job Interviews
During the last 12 months, I’ve been posting some tips to help pastors find the right job in a local church. This post is a continuation of the series. In it, I discuss “why” and “how” to get ready for job interviews.
Thank You Salem Church
While in seminary, my family and I attended Salem Evangelical Free Church in St. Louis, MO. In a few days, as I complete my first five years of ministry, thankfulness for their investment in me is bubbling over. Here’s a copy of a letter I recently wrote to them.
He’s Not a Tame Lion
This summer, we are preaching through 1 Samuel. Rarely do I post my sermons on this blog, but today I’m making an exception. This sermon is about how God—as C.S. Lewis famously writes of Alsan—is not tame, but he is good.
YOUR BEST LIFE NOW by Joel Osteen (FAN AND FLAME Book Reviews)
On the whole, Your Best Life Now has so many troubling aspects that, to be honest, I don’t think we should even call it a “Christian book.”
How Taking Out the Trash Teaches us about the Lord’s Supper
What does it mean to “remember?” This may feel like a silly question, but it’s not. If we understand what it means, biblically speaking, "to remember," then we’ll be able to better understand the Lord’s Supper.
RESISTING GOSSIP by Matthew C. Mitchell (FAN AND FLAME Book Reviews)
Speaking gossip comes easy; it’s resisting gossip that’s hard. But, by the grace of God and for the glory of God, we have to do it. Matthew C. Mitchell’s book Resisting Gossip is a good book to help us recognize and resist this common sin.
What Does it Mean to “Glorify” God?
At times, my family has struggled to have consistent family devotions. I’m sure there are several reasons for this, but lately we have had great success using Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Jago. Here is one of my favorite entries from the book. In it, Lloyd-Jones explains what it means to glorify God.
A Response to "Why Men Should Not Be Pastors"
Last week, Sojourners released a short video that explains “7 Reasons Men Should Not Be Pastors.” Perhaps you are one of the millions of people who watched the video in your Facebook feed, maybe even one of the 32k people who shared the post or the 16k who hit “like.” This is my response to the video.
How Did People in the Old Testament Live So Long?
How did people in the Old Testament live so long? I’m not sure, but I’ve always wondered this. Perhaps you have, too. I was recently reading Perelandra by C. S. Lewis and he offered an interesting answer.
Sin Is Like Cobalt-60 - Don't Touch It
Sin is powerful, and when left untreated, it kills. The solution is to bring it into the light of the gospel.
HOW TO READ A BOOK by Mortimer Adler (FAN AND FLAME Book Reviews)
In 1940, Mortimer J. Adler published How to Read a Book. Since the original publication, it’s become a classic. Here are a few of the questions Adler gives to help readers understand what they read.
ANSWERING JIHAD by Nabeel Qureshi (FAN AND FLAME Book Reviews)
Nabeel Qureshi (former Muslim, now Christian) answers eighteen questions about Islam and jihad. Qureshi is also the New York Times bestselling author of Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. I think many readers, especially Christians, will find Answering Jihad accessible, thoughtful, and a help as we seek to “love God and love people” in a complex and sometimes violent world.
The Owlings by D.A. DeWitt (FAN AND FLAME Book Reviews)
A book review of The Owlings by D.A. DeWitt. It’s an engaging children’s story about talking owls, the struggles of a young boy without a father, and whether or not “nature is all that there is.”
Smoke the Curve
Recently, I’ve been posting some tips to help pastors find the right job in a local church. I'm currently working to compile all of the posts (and more) into a book. Here is the proposed introduction to Chapter 2. It’s a story from my track and field days.
Darkness Is My Only Food
Many people have asked for an update about my food allergy situation. The short answer is that it hasn’t been easy. Here’s the longer answer.
Roses Are Red, A Tired Cliche
On Sunday, which was of course Valentine’s Day, I shared a short poem before my sermon. The poem—in both a goofy and I hope serious way—critiqued the sappy view of love we have in culture today. And I hope it encouraged us to look to God’s love as the model of true love, whether we are single or married.
When to Play the Field and When to Date Exclusively
Recently, I’ve been posting some tips to help pastors find the right job in a local church. This post is a continuation of the series. In it, I encourage pastors looking for a job to think about when it is appropriate “to play the job field” and when they need to “date a job exclusively.”
On Telling People You Are Leaving
Recently, I’ve been posting some tips to help pastors find the right job in a local church. This post is a continuation of the series. In it, I encourage pastors to think about who, when, and in what order to tell people you are taking a new job.