Later this fall, Jason Abbott (my co-pastor) and I are launching a book. It’s called, More People to Love: How the Bible Starts in a Garden and Ends in a City and What That Means for You. Here’s a sneak peak at the cover art and the table of contents.
Read MoreIf everyone who listens to you knows your theological hobby horses, then you’re probably out of balance. But at the same time, one’s theology will always inform his or her teaching. In this post, I explain how I navigate this tension in my preaching.
Read MoreRecently, our director of music, Ben Bechtel, put together a “map” to help our church choose worship songs. I thought it was so helpful, that I asked him if he would let me share it on my blog. Hope you like it too. This is Part II of II.
Read MoreRecently, our director of music, Ben Bechtel, put together a “map” to help our church choose worship songs. I thought it was so helpful, that I asked him if he would let me share it on my blog. Hope you like it too. This is Part I of II.
Read MoreHere are 9 tips for speaking at a church retreat.
Read MoreAs with books, the number of podcasts abounds. There’s no point in even trying to listen to everything; we have to be selective. If this post reads like an advertisement, I’m sorry, but I must tell you that my current favorite writing podcast is Home Row.
Read MoreHusbands, keep praising your wife. Do it again and again. It matters.
Read MoreTalking about the difference between “consumer” and “covenant” relationships is a helpful way to get at the deeper meaning of marriage, that is, the gospel.
Read MoreOver the years, I’ve attended a number of men’s retreats, even helping to organize a few of them. But I’ve never been asked to be the main speaker for one—until now. Recently, my former church asked me to speak at their retreat. It’s coming up the first weekend in August.
Read MoreA book review of Brant Hansen’s book Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better.
Read MoreIf 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.
Read MoreDuring 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.
Read MoreWhile 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.
Read MoreThis 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.
Read MoreOn 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.”
Read MoreWhat 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.
Read MoreSpeaking 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.
Read MoreAt 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.
Read MoreLast 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.
Read MoreHow 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.
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