You are not defined by your desires. God designed sex as a gift. Outside of biblical marriage, sex always devours love.
God speaks to us through his Word, the Bible. Amazingly, we have the privilege of speaking to God through prayer. There are good ways to pray. There are bad ways to pray. Our prayers can grow our faith. The selfless prayers of a dedicated Christian can change history. Our prayers can also be misdirected and selfish. We can beg God for things we don’t need. It takes work to pray well, which means anything we can use to help our prayer life is worth considering. Somewhere between 1950 Read more [...]
The reason we welcome diversity now is because it’s a glimpse of what is to come. The more diverse a church is, the more gifted a church is. Jesus gets angry when we prevent His family from growing. Being a diverse church is harder, but it’s healthier.
Is child abuse really a problem in our culture? Absolutely, the problem is real. About 686,000 children were abused in the United States in 2012, and over 1,600 children died from abuse the same year. Approximately 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men have been sexually abused as a child. From a biblical perspective, we live in a hyper-sexual culture in which children are exposed to a repeated and perverse narrative. Pastors and church leaders who ignore this issue are disregarding one of the most Read more [...]
Good freedom submits to Truth. Good freedom requires discipline. Good freedom comes with boundaries. Neither the oppressive nor permissive offer freedom. Self-rule is enslaving. Self-denial is freeing.
I’ve witnessed some spectacular church productions. I’ll never forget the Easter play I watched when I was a child. Jesus just ascended right into the church rafters. I remember wondering how he would get down, but Acts 1 is clear: “This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going . . .” Sure enough, he rappelled right back down after the performance. The real second coming won’t be nearly as anti-climactic. When a Read more [...]
The Lord’s Supper is a time for sinners to remember the Sinless. In this sermon, I answer three important questions about the Lord’s Supper.
A pastor spends hours researching a sermon, then someone in the church challenges one of the main points. A pastor prays for months about a new vision, then someone in the church disagrees with the proposed direction. A pastor studies in seminary for years, then a person in the church takes issue with a doctrinal stance. Most pastors know these frustrations. While pastors should care deeply about preaching, doctrine, and vision, it’s unreasonable to expect everyone to agree with everything Read more [...]
Righteous courage comes from patience and prayer. Patience increases your capacity for righteous courage. Righteous prayer is powerful and effective.
Three notable articles I read this week: Michael Kelley – Lord, help me raise children with a backbone. “Their mettle will be tested. Their faith will be challenged. They will be pressured to succumb on any number of fronts. By God’s grace, we will raise them not to shrink back into the shadows, nor to be intentionally argumentative and betray Christian kindness and compassion. That they will stand, and stand firmly.” Joe Carter – 9 things you should know about the opioid epidemic. Read more [...]
Five Ways to Heal the Negativity of the Election Season in Your Church
How Many Extra Hours Are Pastors Working During COVID-19?
Pastor, You’re Tired. Maybe It’s Right Where You Need to Be
EST.church Podcast: When Pastors and Deacons Do Ministry Together
What Happened When We Changed the Order of Our Worship Services
Leading a Whiteboard Session with Your Staff or Church Leaders