There are only two times in the New American Standard Version of the Bible where the word “tolerance” appears. In most translations of the Bible, it never appears. Most moderns would think that is weird. For many people in popular culture, tolerance is their preferred definition of what it means to be a Christian. And … More What Tolerance Looks Like
Calling and Passion. We often see them side by side in the lives of those whose make a real difference in bringing the good news of Christ to the world. But often, we make the mistake of thinking that such a life of blessing comes with 24-hour joy, 365 days a year. It is not … More Calling and Passion (and Crushing) Companions in Gospel Advance
This post started when someone commented on an old blog post about a bibliography about church planting that I posted in 2010! (That is ancient in the blogosphere.) Anyway, when that bibliography was updated in 2021, I included some of the comments below. But in reading that 2021 post, I thought there was room for … More A Short Apologetic for Broader Reading Patterns
There are exceptions but . . . Extended Male Adolescence is a Problem Why is it that some men act like they got dropped on their head around their 40th birthday? Good grief, for many of them (most?) of them, they didn’t even start acting semi-manly until they turned 28! Twelve years is all they … More Men Behaving Badly – an Epidemic
There is no escaping obedience in the call of Christ. No amount of tears, or feelings, or bold proclamation can replace the sure and certain call that those who follow Christ are called to a lifetime of obedience to His will. We do life by His rules not ours. Many have pointed this way but … More Obedience and the Call to Follow Jesus
I love to hear the voices of children at play. I don’t know if it because I am from a BIG family or what, but a child’s voice gleefully playing together with other children always brings a smile to my face. Maybe it is part of being the oldest of 7 children. With 26 grandchildren, … More Children at Play?
I heard a horror story yesterday. A large mega-church “hired” ten interns. One day before they were to finish their internships, they were all fired and none were given good recommendations. None. I said, “hired” in quotes because they were paid “slave wages” and worked long hours. At another church, apparently a mega-church with a … More A Pastoral Horror Story
“Whenever a man is praised it is meet for him to think about his sins and then consider, he should say ‘I am unworthy of the things that are said about me.” —Anonymous One of my professor colleagues at the seminary I taught at in California had a raw bluntness that cut through false modesty … More The Awkwardness of Praise and the Cancer it Feeds
Second in a SeriesSimple truth: When we hurt, we want to not hurt. It is universal. It is human. But as a popular worship song suggests: What if Teardrops are Blessings? I want to copy out all three short chapters related to Rule #2 and drop them in this blog post. They are that good. … More Red Sea Rules: Glory over Relief
From the first sentence to last there is enough in this one paragraph to meditate for a month. (The capitalization and color emphasis is mine.) “Let us make crystal clear at the beginning of each new day, all we will get from God as believers in Jesus is MERCY. Whatever pleasures or pains may come … More One Powerful Paragraph Saturated with Christ and Gospel Truth
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