Nearly fifty percent of doctoral students in the arts (including biblical literature) fail to finish their degrees within ten years.
Keeping Ourselves—and Young People—Near the Cross
I’ve always been slightly jealous of congregations with “real” youth groups. You know the ones I’m talking about: the ones with well-painted and decorated class rooms.
The Affair That Ended My Ministry
As an undergraduate at ACU I discovered an unexpected enthusiasm for my studies of the Old Testament and the Hebrew language.
Summer ’43 (cont.), Winners, and Summer ’18
Throughout the month of July 1943, seventy-five years ago, my mother continued her fight against polio.
Conversation Skilz
talking to each other requires skill just like giving a presentation. We already know how we should talk to each other, but we rarely converse that way on our own.
(Story Day) Warning: Pastor Burning
After my fourth surgery, I began to experience dreams that I had resigned my university tenure and gone back to pastor a church, nightmares that left me panicked and afraid.
Where Are You Going, Abram?
The time has come for my family and I to finally move out of Texas and into the city of brotherly love.
The Way of Wise Leadership
Phronesis is the wisdom drawn from experience, knowledge and insight to do the good and right thing in any particular context and moment.
Breaking News... 75 Years ago: Tomorrow
On June 27th, 1943, the Hatter family drove from their home in Handley, Texas (between Arlington and Fort Worth) to Waco, Texas, to visit Granny and Grandad Hatter.
Are the Doors of Your Church Open?
We need to be very honest with ourselves. There are so many people who consider coming through the doors of our churches but choose to keep on walking.
(Story Day) And Now a Word from Our Sponsor: Pain
We now pause to bring you a word from our sponsor, the one who makes our story possible: Pain.
Seeing with Godly Eyes (Part 1)
What we see when we look in the mirror isn’t just a reflection of reality; we often see a construct of our own making, created from the thoughts, opinions, and self-evaluations in our heads.
Leaving Church: What I'm Learning (Part 1)
It seems to be true that when you work for a church, the ups and downs and gains and losses have a deeper significance than in other industries.
Refining Our Approach
Those actively involved in church leadership at any level need to be familiar with how to reach different people within their churches.
Hope, Despair, and the Suicide Disease
With a diagnosis of CRPS my best hope was physical therapy, where I would learn the true meaning of the cliché “No pain, No gain.”
Humbled Himself: A Father’s Day Reflection
Being a dad is hard. With two sons, and a third on the way, I’m learning daily just how hard this calling is.
Lessons Learned from My Dad
I invite you to share in some of the lessons I have learned from this man who in many ways has been a spiritual giant in my life.
Playful Contemplation
My daughters taught me that sometimes contemplative spirituality means silliness, laughter, joy, and play with God.
A Zombie Still Chasing Me: The Riddle of a Proverb
Whenever I taught Proverbs 10–31 and had extra time, I distributed 3 x 5 cards and asked the students or seminar participants to write down proverbs or short sayings that they recalled hearing while they were growing up
Discipling Children, Part 2: Children as Covenant People
Children are not only a blessing; they play an essential role in the divine plan and the identity of God’s people.