Have you ever found yourself in a quandary? That’s where I am right now. I have for a long time thought highly of Dr. Russell Moore, the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. I first came to know of Dr. Moore during my master’s work at Southern Seminary […]
What Contagion Are You Spreading?
I am a firm believer in the germ theory, which hypothesizes that some diseases are caused by microorganisms that, although are way too small to be seen with the naked eye, invade the body and cause big problems. Of course, while this theory was once highly controversial, it’s accepted as absolute fact now because of indisputable […]
Don’t Ever Stop Clapping for the LGBTQ Community
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Russian author and critic of Soviet totalitarianism. He had great reason to be a detractor given his years of imprisonment in Soviet gulags and forced work camps after being charged with writing anti-Soviet propaganda during Stalin’s reign. Later in life, Solzhenitsyn captured what it was like to live in those times in a book […]
What I Wish I Knew When I Went to College
All across America, freshmen are heading to college campuses and class for the first time. They be getting their matriculation on! They are bright-eyed, nervous, and excited about all they’re going to experience and learn during the years ahead. That’s how I was back in 1998. I was so eager for someone to fill my head […]
Sex in the Ditch
We Americans are infatuated with sex. Perhaps not as much as our European cousins, but it nevertheless captures so much of the American fancy. Just look at the magazine covers of any checkout aisle. “32 Sex Moves that Will Blow His Mind.” Watch a few commercials. Do most folks even realize that GoDaddy.com is a web host? From […]
Gearing Up for Growth
Are you gearing up for growth? Brothers and sisters, we are heading into the fall of the year, which is a prime time for church growth. I’m so excited to see what God is going to do! Perhaps you’ve not thought about it in this way, but there are at least five different types of […]
It’s a Team Harvest
As laborers for Jesus, we are all working to reap a harvest through the gospel. We plant, we water, and we harvest. However, we don’t always get to do all three things with the same person. Sometimes we’re the one who plants the gospel in a person’s life. At other times we’re the one who […]
When One Wife Isn’t Enough: The Problems of Polygamy
Polygamy is the next battleground for marriage in the United States. In fact, just last month a federal judge declared laws on the books in Utah that guard against polygamy to be unconstitutional. The state may still outlaw plural marriages, but it cannot prohibit polygamous cohabitating, thus weakening anti-polygamy law. The plaintiff in the case […]
The Lost Book: The Wesleyan Quadrilateral Conundrum
There was great joy in Israel during the days of King Josiah (2 Kings 22-23). The lost book of truth had been found! Truth is of utmost importance. But, it’s not enough to simply claim truth. It’s important to critically reflect on how we come to know that our “truth” is really true. Through a […]
Is the Bible Clay in Our Hands?: The Importance of Authorial Intent
Recently, I began preaching through the book of Philippians. What an awesome word from God to us! For my first sermon, I focused in on v1:6, For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. That verse is […]
Merry Xmas!!!???
Well, December 25 is almost here. I pray that you have a Merry Xmas!!! Oh wait, did I just unintentionally take Christ out of Christmas? Every year we as Christians endure what feels like a jab from people replacing the word “Christmas” with the word “Xmas.” Given the increasing secularization of our great winter festival […]
Why Did Jesus Take on Flesh?
At the center of this and every Christian season is the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. This mysterious bundle of joy is none other than the eternal Son of God who took on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). That’s the very thing we celebrate here at Christmas—the enfleshing […]