A Pastor’s View
I heard the preacher say one Sunday morning, “Character is what you are when no one is looking.” Solid, real, transparent, Christlike character seems lacking in our churches and culture. Not one of us can claim flawlessness here. We are cracked pots on our best days (2 Corinthians 4:7). But integrity, honesty, and wholeness are […]
I don’t know where or when this started, but I think it was in high school when I was a new Christian. Many people have catchphrases that they use repeatedly. Dr. Jim Denison often says “from then till now” and “from that day till this” when he’s giving a presentation. I once imitated the hand […]
A couple of things clicked for me the last couple of days. It was the intersection of the Old and New Testament, the crossing of connected insight, I hope. I have the great privilege these days of doing ministry with and alongside Dr. Jim Denison. He is the cofounder and CEO of Denison Ministries and […]
I’m now sitting on the other side of the table so to speak. For the last thirty-five years, I helped create worship gatherings and experiences in four local churches. It’s amazing and challenging when you realize how much responsibility and freedom God gives church leaders when it comes to worship, the first and most important […]
Suicide is the tragedy of all tragedies. It is the pain of all pains for the family and friends of the victim and, of course, for the victim themselves. It is the ending of God’s first gift, earthly life, where we start the path to eternal life with him through Christ Jesus. All suicide is […]
Human efforts to bridge our racial divide cannot succeed on their own. Instead, we need a spiritual solution. That’s the message of Dr. Tony Evans’ book Kingdom Race Theology: God’s Answer to Our Racial Crisis. “We have far too many people running to sociology books before searching the Scripture,” Evans writes. He examines Black Lives […]
Context: the Story we find ourselves in. We have received the baton of faith from many people of good faith who have come ahead of us. We are standing on the faith shoulders of some we know and many we don’t. I love history. My family has had more than one instance of dragging me […]
I was in a pastor’s meeting last week. Such gatherings have become rarer since Covid broke in the US two years ago this month. Covid continued its impact by reducing the number of attendees. Some decided just before getting on a plane or even as they were checking into the hotel not to attend because […]
Do you have a favorite sermon or teaching? Something you sensed the Holy Spirit working in and through in profound ways either through you or to you or both? I believe all ministers long for this, both on the giving and receiving side. On the giving side, I hope you often have that too-rare experience […]
Several years ago, the staff at my church went through a rough patch. Personalities clashed and conflict seemed to multiply daily across multiple members of the team. If you had asked, we would have all individually endorsed the intrinsic value of unity. If quizzed, we could have given chapter and verse about the many biblical […]