Archives for July 2014

Many churches, like mine, find themselves in a state of plateau or decline. We want our churches to grow and believe that God desires that too, but we seem stuck and don’t know how to move forward. Our first instinct ought to be to pray, but pray for what? If you are leading a declining church, here are five prayers to be sure to include on your list: 1. Pray for wisdom. Here is a prayer that God promises to answer when we ask in faith (James 1:5). Leaders always need wisdom and we should seek the Lord for it. We need wisdom to understand why the church is not growing, the steps we need to … [Read more...] about Five Prayers for Leaders of a Declining Church

Are you busy? Probably, it seems we are all busy all the time.  We like to judge if we are working hard by being busy. There is a huge problem that comes from us being busy all the time, however. You see, we are told in scripture about a whole lot of "one anothers". We are to support, care for, love, help and carry burdens for one another. We are too be there and support one another and be knit together into the body of Christ. Are we doing the things we should do as His body?  How does our busyness effect that? We see in Acts that all the believers were together daily. They worshiped … [Read more...] about The Problem of Being Busy

I can remember driving down the highway in Virginia in a state of depression. I've slipped into depression - probably a milder form than many have experienced - two or three times in my life. One was during my first pastorate, back in the late 80s. Every Saturday I'd get a copy of the Richmond newspaper and peruse the help wanted ads to see if there was a way for me to provide for my family if I threw in the towel on ministry. Honestly, if I'd had a fall-back option then I'd probably not be in the ministry today. As I drove down the rural highway in Southside Virginia my mind was walking … [Read more...] about Suicide, Christians and the Church: A Reflection

Word has begun to leak out about the tragedy that has come upon the Ergun Caner family. Braxton Caner, the 15 year-old son of Ergun Caner, has committed suicide, according to reports that have become public. I know from experience the devastation that suicide brings in families, though the loss of a child must multiply that grief in ways I can't imagine. I held off saying anything until the news was leaked by other sources. Now that it has been made public, let me express my sympathy to Dr. Caner, his family, and the entire Brewton Parker College family. It is time to pray for Dr. Caner … [Read more...] about Pray for the Caners. JUST Pray!

I have grown up mostly in the 80s and 90s, and during those time periods, there has been a shift in the way examination and beliefs have processed. In the baby boomer generation, the question was “what should we do”? In my generation, Gen X and Gen Y, the question is not so much of how, but why? Why do we do things, what is the purpose and what is the point? Are we doing something that is worth while, is this worth our time and effort? This is a departure from the philosophy of our baby boomer parents, who told us what to do, but the question of why was usually answered with “because I said … [Read more...] about Not What, Ask Why!

I’ve long been intrigued by the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. Truth be told I’ve been a bit emotionally bothered by the story. I’ve often read it as if Pharaoh would have repented and turned out to be a good dude around plague #4 but because the Lord hardened his heart he remained a stubborn jerk. I read it differently now. The Purpose of Exodus When I read the Exodus account what I see is a God that is flexing His muscle. He is doing it so that the whole world, and especially the Hebrews, might know who he is. You see this in Exodus 5:2 when Pharaoh says, “Who is the Lord…I do not … [Read more...] about Why Did God Harden Pharaoh’s Heart

Matthew Vines, the self proposed “gay Christian,” in his book, God and the Gay Christian, argues that gay people in committed relationships is not ungodly or unbiblical. This is to say that Vines believes that it’s okay–biblically warranted even–to be homosexual, so long as you are in a monogamous relationship. His book argues this point by unpacking what he believes are the only six passages in the Bible that deal with the issue of homosexuality. One of these passages is the well-known story of Sodom and Gomorrah from Genesis 19, the tale of two cities that were totally obliterated because, … [Read more...] about I’ve Changed My Mind, Sodom is About Inhospitality

America is facing a crisis at the border. Tens of thousands of children have come from Central America looking for asylum, protection, and a chance at a future that they will not find in their home countries. Drug Wars have ravaged their nations. Also, confusion from Washington and our politicians on what the immigration situation actually is has created the misperception that if the children come and turn themselves in to border guards, they will be allowed to stay. The political problems are vast, solutions are hard to find, and America is divided. The Church is also divided on the issue of … [Read more...] about God at the Border? Children, the Immigration Crisis, and the Church