Articles
Twelve Ways to Get Started in Evangelism
I love the mountains and spend any time that I can hiking and climbing in them. I therefore own gargantuan quantities of hiking equipment, and one of my favourite pieces of kit is my ice axe. There is just one little problem. I’ve never used the thing. I certainly...
Eight Reasons We’re Afraid to Share Our Faith with Others
We live in a very fear-based culture. Our news media is full of endless stories about things we should be afraid of: climate change, pandemics, financial crashes, asteroid strikes, tortoises, shark attacks, coconuts falling on you, and so on. Whether irrational or...
Renewals need renewing.
Monasteries during the Dark Ages, the first Franciscans facing a church weakened by wealth and power, the Protestant Reformation alarmed by legalism and religious profiteering, the early Anabaptists disturbed by a cozy relationship between church and state, Methodism...
That Thing Called Courage
What is the most courageous thing you’ve done? I have read many stories of courage, but one comes immediately to mind. On March 7, 2022, the massive Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, Florida, was closed as part of a 10K race for the armed forces. Nearly seven...
Learning to Welcome the Questions
Each Thursday night for almost an entire year, about twenty-five young adults would arrive at my house at 7:00 p.m. We would gather each week to study something interesting about the Bible as it related to the world we were living in. The group was so fun, and I...
Radical Theology
My friend Annabelle grew up in Uganda in a Muslim home. One night, her stepbrother abused her, and to her horror, Annabelle realized her father would do nothing to protect her. Things only got worse as Annabelle (only thirteen at the time) discovered there was a plan...
Spiritual Stick-To-Itive-Ness
As any runner can tell you, no one starts off running by signing up for a marathon. First I learned to run a mile, and then I worked up to a 5K, and then I tackled numerous half-marathons and a lot of intense training before building up the endurance to run 26.2...
Biblical First Impressions
A popular maxim goes like this: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” First impressions are often etched into the mind and hard to overcome with later interactions. The whole field of marketing seeks to create positive first impressions of their...
God is Faithful…to Teach You Faithfulness
Begin with What You’ve Been Given A faithful person honors, cherishes, maintains, and guards the faith of those who put their trust in him by keeping his promises to them. God’s always like this. You and I, on the other hand . . . well, let’s just say this proverb was...
Hearing God’s Voice
Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to hear God’s voice: a loud, booming voice. Heavenly words that were clear and undeniable. Anytime I’d pray as a kid, I’d hope that voice would respond. But it never did. Another voice danced around inside of me, though. I’d try...
Cultures of Belonging
Organizational cultures are born in the intersections of shared relationships. If the quality of those relationships is healthy and constructive, that’s the kind of culture we’ll experience. If those relationships are toxic and fear-filled, well, that’s exactly the...
Spiritual Stick-To-Itive-Ness
As any runner can tell you, no one starts off running by signing up for a marathon. First I learned to run a mile, and then I worked up to a 5K, and then I tackled numerous half-marathons and a lot of intense training before building up the endurance to run 26.2...
Burnout: 3 Tips for Pursuing Renewal
Matthew is a stereotypical millennial evangelical worship pastor. He dressed the part with his oversized sweater, ripped jeans, and converse shoes. He was highly creative, passionate, and extremely extroverted. I could feel his energy even before he walked into the...
Not-So-Ordinary Discipleship
What does your congregation think when you encourage them to “go and make disciples” (nlt) like Jesus commissioned us in Matthew 28:16-20? If they are like most congregations, their thoughts are a mix of That sounds hard and I don’t know how to do that. Or I’ll bring...
How to Celebrate a Retiring Pastor
A minister’s duties may include everything from providing counseling and mentorship to organizing charitable events and helping to strengthen members’ faith. It can be difficult to see a person retire after they’ve played such an important role in your church and...
4 Principles for Coming Back from Sin
The Bible positions David as a man after God’s own heart, and often in his early days, he was an exemplary leader. King David did, however, enter into a season of secret sin and humiliation. Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of response to the exposure of his sin—and it is...
The Dangers of Preaching a Partial Gospel
Our popular reading of Ephesians 2 is only a partial recognition of the gospel. We use Ephesians 2 to teach the doctrine of justification or eternal salvation—though even that language may be uncareful. The first half of the chapter has fallen prey to American...
Love is a Choice
Love makes the world go ’round.” “All you need is love.” “Love can make you crazy . . .” As long as any of us can remember, poems, songs, films, and orators have tried to adequately describe and express love. Movies and TV programs focus on the pursuit of love and...
The Incomprehensible God
According to legend, Augustine of Hippo was walking along the beach when he came upon a boy scooping up water with a shell. The two of them struck up a conversation and Augustine asked the boy what he was doing; he replied that he was emptying the sea. Augustine tried...
Jesus’ Love for Deniers
Peter had been following Christ as one of His disciples for years. From that early moment by the seashore when Christ first called Peter (Matt. 4:18-20), Peter had followed Jesus faithfully—until his moment of denial. Peter loved Jesus. He prided himself on the fact...
