Perhaps you heard about the pastor who skipped church one Sunday when he was out of town so he could play a round of golf. When the Devil saw what he was doing, he made a bee line for the pearly gates to accuse the back-sliding bishop to the Lord. “Don’t worry,” the Lord assured […]
7 Premises Modern Artists Miss
Artists like Homer, Dante, and Milton knew something of art–what it is, what it means, and what it’s for. But the fact that art is for something, and has a base of reference other than itself is an alien idea to most modernists. In his book, On Moral Fiction, John Gardner argues that true art is moral and […]
7 Premises Many Modern Artists Miss
In his book, On Moral Fiction, John Gardner argues that true art is moral and cultivates, not debases, humanity. So before making art this week, consider these seven premises Gardner offers on the moral nature of art:
3 Essentials Every Writer Needs to Improve Her Craft
Today, everybody writes. It used to be that some corners of society didn’t require a lot of writing. In fact, in some instances you could get away with scratching a picture on the cave wall and calling it a night. But not today. With the rise of technology like the Internet and smartphones, everyone is […]
Through Gates of Splendor
Elisabeth Elliot met Jesus early yesterday morning (June 15, 2015). She died at 88 years old as one of the most influential Christian women in this generation. It must have been a glorious experience for her to see our Savior face-to-face after a lifetime of kingdom service in a broken and violent world. One of the first books […]
The Slow Fires of Misery
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4, ESV) photo credit: Public Domain Immortalized in the portraits of Abraham Lincoln […]
Anything That Just Costs Money Is Cheap!
This week I chanced upon several helpful and inspirational articles I wanted to share with you, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll limit my offering to the following five. I trust these will add value to your life and not just clutter to your brain case. First up, 20 Things You Were Successfully Distracted […]
Book Review: The Sword of the Lord: The Roots of Fundamentalism in American History
The keen insight of the movement from his insider’s perspective, served-up with humility, and absent of even a hint of rancor for fundamentalism was, without a doubt, the most compelling attribute of the work. His treatment of fundamentalism, his family, and the issues surrounding both were offered with grace, dignity, and forensic clarity.
Time’s Up!
I cried a lot in the first and second grade! If my clothes got dirty on the playground, I cried. If my hair didn’t comb just right, I cried. But mostly I cried if I didn’t get a 100% on a test. My second-grade teacher, Mrs. Doty, kept one of those airplane barf bags in […]
Leveling Everest
We all face what seem like insurmountable endeavors from time to time. These Mount Everest-sized projects can overwhelm us. For some they tend to rouse unhealthy anxiety, frustration, or even despair. photo credit: Xiquinho Silva When we are overwhelmed, we procrastinate. If continued, it becomes equivalent to paralysis. And paralysis is the opposite of productivity and creativity. Whether […]
Got Milk?
Political piranha and popular pundits from both sides of the aisle were in a blood frenzy last week, devouring 2016 GOP presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson, for his participation at an apparently off-limits event—Al Sharpton’s National Action Network’s annual convention—and for his article explaining his position. You can read Dr. Carson’s full article here. To […]
Already and Not Yet
The Kingdom of God (Synonymous with the Kingdom of Heaven) was understood by second-temple Jews as “God’s perfect reign in the earth.”[1] They anticipated an apocalyptic event at the end of history when God would come and purge the world of sin and error and establish his rule forever (Isa. 24:23; Zech. 14:9ff). This is one […]
The Most Essential Step to Overcoming Your Limitations
My parents lied to me. They said I could be anything I wanted-even the President of the United States. When I was nine, I wanted to be a scientist. I started inventing miracle potions that would change the world. In reality I sneaked into my parents bathroom, mixed cosmetics and household chemicals together, and poured […]
Better Late Than Never!
You might have noticed my site went down the week before last. I was hacked by an overseas network trying to use my site for phishing. Fortunately, the security measures at Bluehost spotted the ruse and shut things down before my site could be used. That said, I spent a couple days on the phone with a website security […]
Unsuspecting Marriage Hazards- Plus, My Five Favorite Posts!
Someone once described marriage as a dialogue. The first year, the husband talks and the wife listens. The second year, the wife talks and the husband listens. The third year, they both talk and the neighbors listen. No wonder more and more millennials are avoiding the commitment of holy matrimony, or at least saving it […]
Five Favorites Friday
Here are my five favorite articles from the blogosphere this week! I hope something from the list inspires you to be a better you! I only recently started reading Henri Nouwen, but have been blessed with his insights thus far! You’ll be encouraged by The Basis of our Security. Ever thought of writing a book? […]
Secrets of the Heart
In Stephen King’s 1983 horror novel, Pet Sematary, Jud Crandall, a father-figure to Louis Creed, the story’s protagonist, tells Louis after they buried Church, the Creed’s cat, in the Micmac Burial Ground, not to talk to anyone about it. Crandall tells him he just needs to accept what has been done and to follow his heart: […]
The Enemy of Failure
Consistency is the enemy of failure! Anyone committed to taking small, intentional steps over a long period of time will succeed at their craft or project. Boston Celtics forward, Larry Bird, wasn’t “a natural” at basketball, but he loved the game, so he committed to shooting free throws every day at 5:00am. When he was traveling, he […]
SAINT SERMON: A Sound and Replicable Model for Sermon Delivery
Jonathan Edwards has been described as “America’s greatest theologian.” But as I understand it, he wasn’t a terrific orator. As a matter of fact, it’s said when he preached his most famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” he actually read the manuscript in monotone, by candlelight. While I confess I haven’t […]
How to Get a $30,000 Education for $300
It’s no secret the cost of education has surpassed most students’ bank accounts. You’d think the universities were stamping their diplomas on gold for what tuition costs. And the sad truth is, way too many students are discovering way too late, the only thing their education is good for is an entry-level position and a […]
Seek to Show Hospitality
“Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” (Romans 12:13, ESV) When Paul wrote his famous letter to the church at Rome, his thesis was that the gospel was the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16-17). His letter had two main parts. He first told what the gospel was (1-11), […]
Incompetent or Overwhelmed?
Sammy was sitting at his desk, crying. That’s not his real name. It may not even be his real gender. Actually, Sammy was every kid in my class at one time or another. Sammy is you and me, sometimes. He had been sitting there for better than 15 minutes and hadn’t completed a single problem […]
10 Rock-solid Reasons I’m Considering Atheism
I’m one who likes to look at both sides of an issue. Sometimes this causes me great indecision because I usually see the virtues and deficiencies of opposing perspectives and have a hard time completely settling on one side or the other. And sometimes it frustrates my friends, because I don’t usually stand within the […]
A Farewell to All My Greatness!
The Scottish philosopher and writer, Thomas Carlyle, was once scolded at a dinner party for incessantly chattering about books. A fellow diner exclaimed, “Ideas, Mr. Carlyle, ideas, nothing but ideas!” To which Carlyle replied, ‘There once was a man called Rousseau who wrote a book containing nothing but ideas! The second edition was bound in […]
No Man is an Island
In 1624 John Donne published the famous poem, “No Man is an Island,” in his book Devotions upon Emergent Occasions. It reads, No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the […]
The Community Utopians Dream Of
When Sir Thomas More’s Utopia hit the shelves in the early 16th century, Erasmus suggested to a friend that if he “wished to see the true source of all political evils,” he should read it. A work clearly inspired by Plato’s Republic and likely Plutarch’s account of Spartan life under Lycurgus, More was, I believe, […]
The Roots of Community
According to the acclaimed psychologist, Abraham Maslow, our most basic human needs can be boiled down to security, satisfaction, and significance (my paraphrase). A reflection on these human needs reveals relationships are at the heart of our identity. But as we’ll see, Scripture affirms this as well. Imago Dei When God made mankind, male and female, […]
The Felt Need for Community
One sunny weekend, a pastor who had been faithful to preach nearly every Sunday of his 30-plus years of ministry found himself out of town and without a place to preach on Sunday. He had attended a conference that ended Saturday, and since his flight home wasn’t scheduled until Monday, he had a notion to […]
9-11: What Christians Must Never Forget
As you are well aware, today is 9-11. It’s been 13 years since the tragic terrorist attack on America was carried out in NYC, Washington, D.C., and (although it failed to acquire its target) Pennsylvania. Today, all around the country there will be memorial events commemorating that tragic day. All around the blogosphere and various […]
The Destiny of the Unevangelized
College papers are usually boring (unless you are a geek–like me) and few care to read them. But a recent Facebook Post from a ministry colleague got me thinking about a college paper I wrote a couple of years ago on the controversial topic of the destiny of the unevangelized. In the post, my friend wrote, “God is not bound […]
The Real Problems in Ferguson, Missouri
Until a couple of weeks ago, like me, perhaps you had never even heard of Ferguson, Missouri. Now, we’ve all wearied of the cacophony rising from this tiny St. Louis city. But just because we’re tired of hearing about it doesn’t lessen its existence or its profound impact on our nation’s psyche—not to speak of […]
10 Steps to a Better Sermon this Sunday
The first sermon I ever preached was on a muggy Sunday night in a Baptist Church. My legs shook as much as my voice while I tried to thunder out the horrors of Hell and wax eloquent on the urgency of evangelism. I had spent about two weeks studying and filled up three pages of notes on […]
The Gospel According to Flannery O’Connor
Bring up the doctrines of grace and you’ll get Christians stirred up faster than a fox in a hen house. You’ll have them flapping around cackling Scripture back and forth at each other until hurt feelings fly like feathers. Possibly, arguments over these doctrines have split more churches than Colonel Sanders has split chickens. For people […]
Five Keys to Understanding Revelation
Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins sold more than 65 million copies from their 16-volume Left Behind series. Seven of their titles reached #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly’s bestseller list. And, in October of 2014, there’s a movie coming out based on the series starring Nicholas Cage. “No other book of the New […]
Ten Reasons to Read the Bible, Even if You’re Not Religious
The Bible is by far the most widely and prolifically published book in all of history, making it the most accessible book in the western world. It’s also arguably one of the most controversial books ever published—like people being burned at the stake, controversial! That’s why I’m often surprised at how many people have never read this […]
5 Secrets Good Writers Know
Nathaniel Hawthorne said “Easy reading is damn hard writing.” If you’re a writer, maybe you were like I was in the beginning and imagined when you picked up the pen to write, inspiration would flow through the nib and onto the page as easily as your hand glided across the foolscap. Or, maybe you imagined it […]
Eleven Pastors That Encourage Me
Recently, I wrote a post titled 10 Pastor’s I’m Concerned About. It definitely touched a nerve. I wouldn’t say it went viral, but it made a few laps around the blogosphere to say the least. One of the questions that surfaced repeatedly in the comments was what I thought a pastor should be like—one I […]
On the Meaning of Sola Scriptura
In the cult classic, The Princess Bride, Vizzini, at various times of disappointment, spurts out “Inconceivable!” Finally, Inigo Montoya confronts him, curiously: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Perhaps you’ve felt like Inigo Montoya after hearing someone throw out Sola Scriptura like it’s an ace […]
A Rude Awakening
[WARNING: This post is not for the sensitive or the easily offended. As the title suggests, it is Rude! So be warned; if you read on, don’t come whining to me if you get your feelings hurt!] It’s that time of year again, when kids are graduating high school, and other kids are graduating college. […]
The Problem with Theology
Theology and its close cousin, doctrine, have raised havoc in the church for more than 2,000 years. These antagonists have severed relationships between friends and families, have been catalysts for countless wars throughout history, and will indubitably be the primer for more conflict in the future. You would think enough is enough! There are many who […]
When Reason Sleeps
The following is a free-form terza rima in iambic heptameter reflecting on and synthesizing Dante’s Inferno. First, the poet begs the pardon of the reader to bear with his attempt at poetry. Then he follows Dante and Virgil to the second level of Hell where they meet the famous Francesca and Paolo, lovers killed by Francesca’s […]
7 Reasons You Should Reconsider the Resurrection
You may not know this, but the bodily resurrection of Jesus seemed like “an idle tale” to the early disciples. And it still does to many people today. Some of these early disciples didn’t believe the women who confessed they had seen Jesus alive. And why should they. Except for a small portion of Jews, most […]
10 Pastors I’m Concerned About
It’s not a secret the church has been in decline for a number of years and for a variety of reasons. You can read some statistics and views on why, here and here and here. Everyone has their opinions. Abuse, apostasy, and irrelevance are just a few of the words that keep coming up in […]
Rules of Engagement
In mid-19th-century Europe, puerperal fever (a.k.a., childbed fever) snatched the souls of one-third of women giving birth. No one knew why or how to stop it. Birthing in the Alley In Austria, Vienna General Hospital had two obstetrical clinics that provided free health care to underprivileged women in exchange for their participation in training medical […]
Reconciling the Alternative
I staggered to a shallow place where I gained my footing. Holding onto my raft, I stared downstream, then scoped the surrounding landscape. I could hear my heartbeat over the rushing water and contemplated throwing up. Convinced we had drifted into a theological and philosophical current that was sweeping us up into a deceptive river […]
Nine Tips that will Set Your Writing Apart
If you’re a writer, you have a message to share. If you are not a writer, somewhere along the way you will be. You will need to write a term paper, a personal letter, or some kind of office correspondence. But you will need to write. At the very least, it’s likely you already text, […]
Should Christians Observe Lent?
Although I first came to faith in Christ in a non-denominational church, my Christian training was primarily in a Baptist context. Today, I don’t consider myself Baptist (at least not in the same way most contemporary Baptists do). However, I’m thankful for the influence I received at that time and wouldn’t change my experience for […]
Are Your Objectives SMART Enough?
Most organizations (and lots of people) have a mission statement to communicate their reason for existing and to keep them steered in the right direction. They should also have short-term and long-term objectives as well. These are goals to strive for and achieve, like way points in the organization’s journey that fit within the framework of its values […]
One Thing Every Pastor Should Have
Most churches have a mission statement or tagline to help the church stay focused on its purpose and mission. Mission statements don’t reflect the church’s entire theology or philosophical position on every matter; it’s not a confession of faith. Instead they help articulate the trajectory of the mission so everyone in the church can be united […]
Writing and Spiritual Formation
In July I took a sabbatical from the pulpit–and from writing–to catch up on my graduate studies, spend some time with my family, minister to my health, and to really seek the Lord for how I should proceed in ministry. I had been wrestling through some personal issues of vision and direction. Mainly, I felt […]