As some of you who have been my long-time readers know, Austin Fischer is my protégé even tough I can’t take credit for his intelligence or writing skills. He’s a brilliant thinker, teaching pastor (The Vista Community Church, Temple, Texas) and excellent writer. His book “Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed” (Wipf & Stock) has sold very well and is making a real impact among young Christians who have doubts about Calvinism. But I count Austin as more than a protégé... Read more

Discussion of Scot McKnight’s Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church Part Three A week and some days ago I invited you to read Kingdom Conspiracy (Brazos Press, 2014) along with me and participate in a discussion of it here. Hopefully you have obtained the book by now and are prepared to participate as you wish. I am offering my thoughts about the book in several response posts over a few weeks. This Part Three of... Read more

Today, Sunday, September 27, 2015, I return to my roots for a day. My home church, the church I grew up in, a “sort of” Pentecostal church (that fits nobody’s stereotype of that religious type) invited me to preach and lead the singing. Many people have asked me about my idea of an “ideal New Testament church.” I don’t know very much about my home church as it is now. I know the pastor and he reads my blog faithfully;... Read more

Current news reports (September 23/24, 2015) are pointing an accusing finger at a pharmaceutical company’s CEO for suddenly increasing the price of a medicine it manufactures and sells–from about $15 per pill to about $700 per pill. (The details vary, of course, because what price is charged can depend on the retailer.) Apparently, from reports I have seen on network news and read, this medicine has no competition; there is no generic or less expensive version or viable alternative. So,... Read more

Discussion of Scot McKnight’s Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church Part Two A few days ago here I invited you to read Kingdom Conspiracy (Brazos Press, 2014) along with me and participate in a discussion of it here. Hopefully you have obtained the book by now and are prepared to participate as you wish. I will be offering my thoughts about the book in several response posts over the next couple weeks. This Part Two... Read more

Should A Christian Be President of the United States? According to news reports, a candidate for the Republican nomination for president of the United States was asked whether a Muslim should be president of the United States and he responded that he did not think so. Later, according to other news reports, he “clarified” that he meant that the American people are not ready for that. I immediately thought of Martin Luther’s comment that he would rather have a competent... Read more

Embarrassed by the Parousia? Evangelicals and the Return of Christ A while back I blogged here about evangelical embarrassment about the supernatural, miracles. I admitted then that most American evangelical Christians pay lip service to the reality of miracles but seem reluctant actually to believe in contemporary miracles—except “on the mission fields” (viz., Africa and Asia). This is a major change from when I was growing up in the “thick” of American evangelicalism. I suspect two things changed American evangelicalism’s... Read more

Discussion of Scot McKnight’s Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church Part One A few days ago here I invited you to read Kingdom Conspiracy (Brazos Press, 2014) along with me and participate in a discussion of it here. Hopefully you have obtained the book by now and are prepared to participate as you wish. I will be offering my thoughts about the book in several response posts over the next couple weeks. First, let me... Read more

I rarely post pictures here–especially of myself. But this one is a treasure (for me). After preaching my sermon “Certainty Not” in Truett Seminary chapel (Tuesday, September 15, 2015) we, the seminary community, enjoyed a casual lunch together with special guest Bill Gaither. Then he spoke for about thirty minutes. Afterwards, before we dismissed, I prayed over him (something we always do for our special guests). At the end of my prayer he launched into singing “Farther along, we’ll know... Read more

This morning (Tuesday, September 15, 2015) I preached in chapel at Baylor’s Truett Seminary. Bill Gaither was the special guest. I had the wonderful experience of singing a duet with him. It wasn’t planned; it just happened. Here is the sermon I preached:   “Certainty Not” (Truett Seminary Chapel, September 15, 2015) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.” (Proverbs... Read more