Quick note: If you are subscribed to my Thursday UNFILTERED updates, I was without power for 5 days so I wasn’t able to send it out this past Thursday. It will go out next Thursday, God willing. Clay Scroggins has come out with a new book on leadership called How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge. I caught up with Clay recently to interview him about his new book. Enjoy! Instead of asking, “what is your book about,” I’m… Read more

I’m not quite sure how many of you are subscribed to this blog, but I wanted to give a report as to why I won’t be posting for awhile. I’m sitting at a restaurant in Central Florida using a hotspot. Irma hit us hard on Monday morning and we’ve been without power since Sunday night. However, I’m thankful that we made it through with minimal roof damage. Some of my neighbors didn’t have any issues and never lost power. Others,… Read more

You’ve heard me use the term “sanctified imagination.” Here’s the first use of the term, as far as I know, back in 1959. Enjoy. The Value of a Sanctified Imagination by A.W.Tozer Like every other power belonging to us, the imagination may be either a blessing or a curse, depending altogether upon how it is used and how well it is disciplined. We all have to some degree the power to imagine. This gift enables us to see meanings in… Read more

Today, I want to tell you about 3 events that you may be interested in attending. (If the links don’t work for you, make sure you have “display links” activated in your email.) (1) MinistryMind – This is my annual mastermind event for those who have a speaking ministry (preaching, teaching, exhorting, church planting, etc.) Check it out here and join the wait list if you want an invitation. Make sure you “confirm” your subscription by email after joining the wait list. (2) SCRIBE – this… Read more

We live in a day when countless Millennials are ignorant of the overwhelming support for the reliability of the Bible, especially the New Testament. So it’s easy for them to accept unsound arguments which seek to convince them that Scripture isn’t true nor accurate. Ever since the writings of F.F. Bruce, there has been accessible research, showing clearly that Jesus was not only a historical person, but the New Testament presents Him accurately and reliably. Richard Bauckham’s new book does… Read more

The following is another guest article written by Gail Baker. Enjoy! — I trust that God understands agnostics like my husband, Steve–angry at life’s injustice or simply angry at those who speak from the pulpit. God may discern in them greater intellectual and emotional sensitivity than in certain Christians. Steve cries to distraction every time he watches the musical Les Miserables. His tears betray him, on cue, at every scene depicting God’s bewildering grace. Contending that Karl Malden, the priest… Read more

The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible is designed to bring the ancient world of the Scriptures to life. My favorite living New Testament scholar, Craig Keener, is one of the editors of this amazing resource. (Keener is a friend and my historical advisor on Jesus: A Theography, God’s Favorite Place on Earth, and The Day I Met Jesus.) Keener handles the commentary on the New Testament and John Walton handles it for the Old Testament. I heartily endorse this new… Read more

The following is a guest article written by Gail Baker. Enjoy! —- It shocked me that the ones I felt closest to– my husband, Steve, an agnostic with Greek Orthodox background, and my Jewish parents– had the hardest time adjusting to my Christian commitment. The more intense the bond, the greater was their sense of disorientation and betrayal. They simply didn’t see it coming. They knew only one facet of my personality—the familiar, verifiable, and taken-for-granted side. No one should… Read more

Back in March, I was introduced to a new author who I had never heard before. Marc Schelske attended my SCRIBE 2017 mastermind event for authors in March. It was at SCRIBE that I learned about Marc and his book. And that led to this interview. I enjoyed Marc’s book and believe it’s a valuable resource. In the following interview, Marc tells you all about it. Marc’s book is called The Wisdom of the Heart: Discovering the God-Given Purpose and… Read more

Frank Viola’s new TITAN – the detailed follow-up to Pagan Christianity – is discounted. For details, go to ViolaTitan.com. The TITAN will only be printed once and never again. The end of racism will never be achieved politically nor through violence or force. Neither will it be resolved by issuing denunciations against it. Unfortunately, many Christians today put their hope in the political process to solve such problems. And thus they debate the issue on the same level that the world… Read more