In our continually disconnected culture, we stand an increased chance of not knowing the people who live and work around us. Often when we do meet someone for the first time, we are so distracted that we can struggle to remember his name five minutes later. Then when we see the person three weeks or a month later we spend the entire conversation trying to remember who he is. For followers of Jesus we want to love our neighbors as ourselves,... Read more
“9 Things You Should Know about Harriet Tubman“ With the announcement that Harriet Tubman would grace the front of the $20 bill, Joe Carter tells us nine things we need to know about her. Some of these facts bring her sacrificial heroism into greater focus. “Throughout her life Tubman remained either in poverty or on the verge of destitution. She managed to scrape by on her labor, her husband’s pension, and donations from admirers.” “How Do You Explain the Trinity... Read more
Our four children have been a constant source of joy, exhaustion, difficulty, laughter, and many other emotions I cannot list. Our oldest daughter will be eleven this year, our second daughter celebrates her eighth birthday Friday, our youngest daughter turned three a few weeks ago and my is fourteen months old. People see our family and say, “your hands are full.” They are, so is my lap when we read. My heart is also full, and because of our children... Read more
“25 Simple Ways to Be Missional in Your Neighborhood“ Living as an effective Christian witness becomes more difficult when you consider the isolation most Americans have from their physical neighbors. Josh Reeves gives us some solid advice for getting to know our neighbors and engaging them with the Gospel. “Below is a list of my top 25. Not all of these are for everyone, but hopefully there will be several ideas on the list that God uses to help you... Read more
Our church sits in the most unchurched county in the state of Alabama. While “unchurched” and “Alabama” don’t seem like they should go in the same sentence, our churches have grown at half the rate of the population. Since 1990 the population has more than doubled and our churches have grown by only fifty percent. We planted Chelsea Village Baptist Church almost seven years ago, and in that time I have had conversations with many men who want to plant... Read more
“When Ball Becomes Baal” Jim Elliff notes the increasing demands youth sports make on families, particularly pulling them away from needed family time and their weekly meeting with God’s people to worship. He offers clues to help us understand when sports have become too important to us and how we can approach it with greater wisdom. “You’ll hear, “But the team needs all the players. We can’t let the team down.” It never occurs to them that the church Body... Read more
“Why Don’t We Follow All of the Old Testament Laws” “Do you eat shellfish?” How often have we heard this retort to appeals to ethical demands of the Old Testament? J.D. Greear wrestles with this question and offers a helpful answer. “So the next time someone starts saying that you’re arbitrarily picking and choosing from the Bible, arm yourself with the civil/ceremonial/moral. You aren’t being arbitrary. You’re being faithful. You’re reading the Old Testament how the New Testament teaches you... Read more
“Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.” Proverbs 29:17 This morning I awoke at 12:30AM to the blood-curdling screams of my two-year old daughter. She wanted a new band-aid for her toe. Her screaming fit caused her one-year old brother to wake up as well. We got her back in bed and she continued to cry, and her brother did too. I had only been in bed for and hour and... Read more
We have arrived at the weekend when we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything I’m sharing today focuses on these truths, and I these posts and articles help you meditate on the work of Jesus and increase the joy you have in him. “Holy Week: What Happened on Good Friday?“ Justin Taylor points us to the Bible’s witness to the events of Good Friday. “With help from the ESV Study Bible, here’s an attempted... Read more
This year is my fourteenth year working as a full-time pastor and either served on church staff or was in Seminary for a few years before. When I look back on my younger years in the ministry I often shake my head as I remember things I said or attitudes I harbored which were completely wrongheaded. Thankfully God is gracious, working through us in spite of ourselves and helping us to grow and mature. So that others can learn from... Read more
One Degree to Another
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