You may not have noticed, but it seems a lot of people have stopped showing up on time at your church. Maybe you’re one of them. Which might explain why you haven’t noticed. Noticing that people have stopped showing up on time at church seems to have been what started the, well, I guess you could call it a rant of sorts. It seems some church-going fellow went off right in the middle of a worship service recently. Stirred things... Read more
Stop what you’re doing! Set down that cinnamon-crunch bagel! Step away from that stapler! I hate to be the one to tell you this about your life calling, but there’s a good chance you’re sinning right now and don’t even know it. I’m not saying you’re checking your inbox or browsing the blogosphere while adjusting your ski mask for the next bank heist. If you are, good luck with that. I’m not even suggesting that you’re about to take yet another... Read more
The original purpose of Memorial Day was to remember the fallen from both sides of our own US Civil War or the War Between the States, depending on which side you favored. It was an attempt by a war-torn nation to acknowledge that good people, people made in God’s image who loved their country and their families more than life itself, gave their all on both sides. It’s a good thing to do today. To remember those who never came... Read more
When was the last time you heard a sermon about adoption? I know that for me, it’s been awhile. Maybe never, now that I think of it. And I’ve lived my entire life in Evangelical churches. I’ve heard a lot of sermons about going to the mission fields overseas, but few about the adoption process that can bring that mission field to us and that displays the gospel firsthand in a way few things can. But things are changing, thank... Read more
Ugh. For far too many Christians, “ugh” accurately captures their take on how they spend most of their time. It’s as if they keep the freeing impact of the gospel on their life calling locked away somewhere — in The Salvation Box — so that they never truly know abundant living. Call it work, call it career, call it a job — whatever you call it, many people would prefer not to answer the call at all. Instead, they endure existence reluctantly,... Read more
It sounds like the beginning of a politically incorrect joke. A Black Nationalist, a psychologist, and a preacher walk into a bar…. In this case, however, they are all the same person. His name is Eric Mason. And he has written a book, Manhood Restored: How the Gospel Makes Men Whole, drawn from that eclectic background that delivers a much-needed message to men in Christ’s church today: Rise up, men. The world is waiting. Eric Mason is a former Black Nationalist and holds a degree in psychology. But... Read more
It was far in the sameness of the woods. I’ve always wanted to write that line from one of Robert Frost’s more mysterious poems “The Demiurge’s Laugh.” Now seemed like a good time as I reflect on the question of why did God answer my prayer to sell our house — and how He did it. I suppose I could call it “The Story of a Circle Maker.” Last September we decided to move to Atlanta, Georgia, because we thought it would best positions us to answer God’s... Read more
When was the last time you heard someone say that they wanted less? I’m guessing that if you live in the US, or anywhere greatly influenced by the consumerism of modern Western culture, it’s been awhile. Hence the need for Jeff Shinabarger’s challenging tome More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity. The founder of such efforts as Plywood People and GiftCardGiver.com, co-founder of the Q event, and creative director for Catalyst, Jeff has a history of thinking outside of the box. Plus... Read more
Have you ever failed to walk by faith? Have you ever fallen and felt as if you would never get back up? If not, please click off this page. There’s nothing for you to see here. And you’ll make the rest of us feel bad. Not long ago, I confessed that a healthy sense of self-loathing can be a good thing when we fail to overcome the Resistance in our walk of faith. [ See my post To All Those Who Just Want to Quit ] Our anger at ourselves in those times of... Read more
It’s about time! That’s what I thought as I read the wisdom-packed pages of Tim Kimmel’s latest book Connecting Church & Home. Tim Kimmel is the founder of Family Matters and long-time cheerleader for grace-based parenting. You can check out the Family Matters site here for a lot of valuable parenting resources. Connecting Church & Home is a quick, easy read that should be required for any family ministry leader. For that matter, any pastor who claims to care about families in the church should be... Read more
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