One of the more famous stories Jesus told during his life was the story of the Good Samaritan. Here’s how it starts off: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came... Read more
This past Sunday my wife and I were out of town and had the opportunity to visit another church (something I rarely get to do as a pastor). The city where we were staying had several large and famous churches, some of them nationally known. We chose the biggest one. And I mean big. This church has hundreds of acres, thousands of parking spots, and tens of thousands of members. And yet, we walked away with a genuinely bad impression.... Read more
see you back here with a new post on Wednesday! Read more
One of my favorite parts about being a pastor is getting to baptize people whose lives have been transformed by Christ. I never get tired of listening to their stories. Here’s the baptism story of Zack, a young man who’s making a huge difference for the Kingdom here in Columbus. Read more
I write a lot about life and ministry on this blog, but every once in awhile I need to stop and brag on the incredible people I get to walk alongside at Mt Vernon. If you don’t attend Mt Vernon, you may not know all the people I mention. I wish I could mention more, but I stopped at thirty. Here are some things I’m thankful for at Mt Vernon: Trust in the staff to lead the church No church... Read more
Last month Rachel Held Evans wrote an opinion piece to CNN entitled “Why Millenials are Leaving the Church.” With upwards of 8,000 comments and counting, to say it’s started a conversation is an understatement. Here’s her basic premise: “Time and again, the assumption among Christian leaders, and evangelical leaders in particular, is that the key to drawing twenty-somethings back to church is simply to make a few style updates – edgier music, more casual services, a coffee shop in the fellowship hall,... Read more
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). If you needed a reminder that love truly is the most powerful force in the world, watch Lawanda’s baptism story. What made the difference in her life? The love of God and the love of Christians surrounding her. Read more
It was supposed to be a quick stop. Pull of the interstate, get some supplies, keep moving. This wasn’t the good part of town. In fact, this was the part of town where you rolled up your windows and locked your doors. This was Samaria. In John 4, Jesus and his disciples are traveling through a section of country that most good Jews avoided if they could. And yet, Jesus goes through the heart of it. Here’s how the Bible... Read more
On July 3, the Egyptian military ousted democratically elected president Mohammed Morsi and installed themselves as the functioning government. In recent weeks the military has begun opening fire on supporters of ousted president Morsi, killing hundreds of them. By all classical definitions, what happened in Egypt was a military coup. Yet interestingly enough, the White House has called what has happened in Egypt everything but a coup. Their refusal to call a spade a spade is simple: by law, if... Read more
Here’s a great reminder about how God can leverage pivotal moments, even the tragedy of 9/11. Watch the story of Elizabeth and her journey to God. Read more
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