The Lord sent Nathan the prophet meet up with King David to confront him about his sin with Bathsheba and Nathan said… “King David, there was a simple man with simple means upon whom life was hard and a struggle. Another man, his neighbor, was … Continue reading A modern version of Nathan’s Parable
When preaching about the 2nd commandment I stated that one of the biggest idols of the church is our Jesus vs the Jesus of the Bible. If Jesus looks and thinks exactly like us, chances are pretty good he is not the Jesus of the … Continue reading Making Jesus an idol
To be silent when you are not normally silent on such a clear scriptural matter is galling. The juxtaposition of many evangelical leaders in calling out for speaking on matters of justice, yet silent on THE matter of justice, that is the preservation of life, … Continue reading Life is not a debatable matter
In survivor training I often hear the phrase a person can only survive seconds without hope, minutes without oxygen, hours without shelter, days without water, weeks without food. Hope is essential. It is also the critical aspect of the Rapture. Paul tells in First Thessalonians … Continue reading You can survive seconds without hope
In a conversation with a friend about deconstructionism, he brought up Jude’s comments that we should have mercy on the skeptic. Deconstructionism does not want to be defined, which is why it is hard to define, like playing with mercury. Skepticism is more clearly known … Continue reading Skeptic vs Deconstructionist
“Be careful criticizing the bride that Jesus died for,” said my mentor in response to a student’s criticism of a particular large church. In the not new but currently trendy challenge of deconstructionism, my mentor’s wisdom is even more profound. The intended nebulousness of defining … Continue reading Abusing Jesus and His bride
“Why on Earth are you using the New Living Translation!?” said many a friend of late. This question is asked for good reason. Being an ardent believer in expository preaching, a functional equivalent translation does not seem to fit that belief. Personally, I even questioned … Continue reading You’re using what Bible!?
Long ago in the last century I heard a sermon with the premise of “the way up, is down.” The idea is that humility and servant hood is the way to be great. More and more I question the paradoxical idiom. Why? I think the … Continue reading The way up is up…
Should I take a stand on public matters that are political when I am a church? This is a question, in various forms, asked of me in the last month. In my prior article on this topic, found here, I address areas where repentance is … Continue reading Engage: Solutions to getting involved
Should I take a stand on public matters that are political when I am a church? This is a question, in various forms, asked of me in the last month. Many pastors are challenged by the issues of our day. Should stances be made in … Continue reading Engage: Repent from apathy or neglect
