“Practical” isn’t the way we make decisions in the Kingdom of God. We follow a Lord who did the impractical and died on our behalf. And he tells us to take up our cross and follow him.
You Mean I Have to Go Back Next Week Too?
It is--and always has been--a problem. But I do think we can be more intentional with our new disciples in order to help them understand what God expects of them.
A Tale of Two Kingdoms
Gone are the days of civil conversation. Discussion for the sake of learning from others’ perspectives seems to be a thing of the past. Now everyone talks, but no one listens.
Three Metaphors for a Missional Church, Part 3: Terminal
Consistently, Christians experience the various blessings of God, such as salvation in Christ, a loving family in his church, and physical provisions.
White-Colored Glasses
Stop talking and listen. And God willing, we will give a better answer than Cain: “Here they are, I see and I hear my brother and sisters.”
World without Me
Still, I can somewhat imagine the world before I was born, and I somehow can contemplate the world many years after I have died, but I falter at imaging it tomorrow, or even next week, without me.
Why Did You Do That?
We, the humans, make immediate assumptions about why people do things constantly, and it happens so quickly, it leads to a bad character judgment in the blink of an eye.
Healthy Responses for Church Leaders: How to Stop Playing Tennis with Yourself
”Your system is perfectly designed to get the results you are now getting!” Something is going to have to change in the system to produce a change in the outcomes.
Five Keys to Reviving a Dying Church
Some churches have to die, allowing its members to use their talents and resources elsewhere. Many churches, however, still have life in them.
Baggage
It is tempting to pretend that your baggage isn’t heavy or that you just don’t have any. It feels too vulnerable to expose our personal pain when people are trusting us to have the answers.
Warnings and Prescriptions from a Christian Intellectual
we are often a thinking people. Rarely are we accused of being overly emotional. Personally, as a working minister, I sometime wish our congregations would do a bit more thinking
Looking for Millennials, Part Two
Not all young adults are the same, but Sachs and Bos identify major trends, encouraging churches to realign in several ways.
Three Metaphors for a Missional Church, Part 2: Sailboat
God may send his people to minister to a certain group or in a certain section of town that some do not want to go. He might call his people to bring a message that some don’t want to give.
Unclean Hands, Bodies Intact
Let God cleanse you now. Yes, it will be painful. Yes, it will get messy. But your life will be better for it. Remember that all faithful believers must beat their bodies into submission, like an athlete.
When Did "Friend" Become a Verb?
I want to awaken us to the need to preserve the special quality of the noun friend. What follows are some thoughts on how a friend is not the same as friending.
Differing from Ourselves
Every person considering life in Christ does so with a host of competing group loyalties and social expectations bearing down on them.
They Are Weak, but He Is Strong
There is something about faith in Christ that causes us to be the most at peace, when the world thinks we should be the most disturbed.
Black Rage: A Contemporary Christian Conversation
Steven Moore shares his personal experiences and perspectives on Black rage and the complexities of being followers of Christ amid racial injustice.
Three Metaphors for a Missional Church, Part 1: Lizard
Slowly, over the past several decades, church and the Christian faith have moved from the center of society to the margin of society.
The Power of Sharing Our Stories
Stories are non-threatening. Asking to tell a story is natural. Asking someone if you can study the Bible with them can be intimidating. Almost everyone says yes to hearing a story.