Sometimes it just seems like you have to write something that you weren’t planning on and for which you don’t necessarily have the time…but here it goes. Recently Mark Driscoll wrote a blog piece that was generally against the notion of being single and being a pastor; and Dave Miller wrote a piece on marrying young, where some of the blog comments turned to the issue of being single and being a pastor. My Story. Having reached 33.5 years of life upon this spinning marble we call home, a lot of people still look at me as a young pup. I guess in some ways that’s true, though my hairline and … [Read more...] about Singleness and Pastoring
Resolution or Revolution? ~ A New Year’s Meditation
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 January 1, 2014 is upon us. In what has become a tradition in our culture, many people will use this day to make a new year’s resolution, in which they vow to make a significant change in their life for the coming year. For some it will be to lose weight, to eat better, to work less, to work more, to fix a certain relationship to…you get the picture. In fact, you may have even made some resolutions for the new year. Sadly, though, what tends to happen is that … [Read more...] about Resolution or Revolution? ~ A New Year’s Meditation
A Thanksgiving Devotion
1 Thessalonians 5:18 18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. The Thanksgiving season is quickly upon us, at least when we speak of the holiday with turkey and all the trimmings. Yet, for followers of Jesus, giving thanks is never out of season. As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are to give thanks (that is to God) in all circumstances. I will be the first to admit that this is not a natural inclination, which is part of the reason why Paul said it again in Ephesians 5:20: “…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father … [Read more...] about A Thanksgiving Devotion
Priesthood: A Meditation on Pastors and Congregations
A group of us pastors sat around a conference table, eating, talking, and praying. It was an interesting conversation covering a range of everything from Star Wars vs. Star Trek to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Transformers to our attitudes about church and the joys and problems we face and to baptism (we are an interesting bunch). In a church that has a historical tradition of only the pastor performing a baptism, I have recently introduced my thoughts about others doing them. In particular, I have been approached concerning two people who are ready to be baptized as a … [Read more...] about Priesthood: A Meditation on Pastors and Congregations
A Simple Faith
I love my brothers in arms. Where I’m at we have a group of associational pastors who try to get together once a month for fellowship, prayer, encouragement, challenge, and food. Let’s not forget the food. Our particular group is a mix—there’s eight of us, and we’re mostly the younger guys. One is a youth pastor in his 20’s, four of us are the four youngest “senior” pastors in our association, all in our 30’s. And then there’s the three old guys (okay, one is in his early 40’s still and he’ll likely beat me up later for calling him old, such are the trials and tribulations of pastoring! :) ). … [Read more...] about A Simple Faith
Encourage Passion
Men, where is your man? Women, where is your woman? ~ Dawson Trotman, Born to Reproduce Discipleship is essential. In Titus 2:1-8, Paul explains Christian discipleship to Titus: older men are to be faithful and sound in character that they might teach the younger men to be faithful and sound in character; and older women are to be faithful and sound in character that they might teach the younger women to be faithful and sound in character. Too often I see in churches a failure to follow Titus 2. The excuse I most often hear: “Our generation just doesn’t like the same things the other … [Read more...] about Encourage Passion
The Priority of Baptism
Admission of members is…by one of the following actions: a) Upon profession of faith in Jesus Christ and acknowledgement of his Lordship, followed by baptism… ~ Constitution and Bylaws of the church I pastor Yet it takes time to manifest whether public professions of conversion are real. False professions are made most often by those who are sincere but wrong in their claim to follow Christ. Time—whether a few weeks or a few months—will allow the pastors and others in a congregation to watch and have their initial conclusions confirmed by the continuing discipleship of the one desiring … [Read more...] about The Priority of Baptism
God Desires Our Happiness
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” ~ Isaiah 52:7 I remember the first time I visited Africa to teach at the International Bible College of Zambia, a group of freshmen from neighboring Malawi arrived with smiles on their faces. They came to the college genuinely happy, after all they were going to spend the next four years learning the Bible and learning more about Jesus so they could take the gospel to their villages, cities, homes, … [Read more...] about God Desires Our Happiness
Why do we make this so hard?
What is the whole point of our lives on this earth? What is the purpose of every church? What is the task of every Christian? Just what exactly are we supposed to do with the handful of decades that God has given to us? How many books have been written, sermons preached, and videos directed in our attempts to answer these questions? We ask these questions as if they exist as mine shafts miles deep when really the answer to each is so straightforward and simple: We are to be disciples of Jesus who live to make disciples of Jesus. Individually and collectively, the answer remains the … [Read more...] about Why do we make this so hard?
True Grace
Dave Miller wrote recently about the dangers of “hyper-grace.” I know I have seen it even in churches I’ve pastored—that when one seeks to confront another concerning sin, even in a loving way, they are met with the cry of “Grace! Grace!” It is the very thing Paul warned about in Romans 6 and elsewhere—grace, thankfully beyond words, covers our sin, both our nature and every act past, present, and future; but grace is not an excuse to dabble and dawdle in sin. Grace is the awesome favor of God bestowed upon undeserving creatures who have willfully turned against him to make themselves … [Read more...] about True Grace