Why write this post? I could give more, but I will limit myself to five reasons. I know of too many good men who have been forced out of positions for non-biblical reasons. In my ministry to pastors, I have felt and seen the pain and devastation of these men and their families due to … More Forced Exits – Musical Pulpits
Yesterday, I read the news that a “major” (sic) prosperity preacher, after a month of reading Spurgeon and listening to Ray Comfort, repented of his false gospel and committed to preaching the truth of the grace of God and that all men and women are “not called to their best life now”, but instead, are … More The Gospel, Not the Preacher, is Powerful
This past Friday and Saturday I attended and spoke at the annual Disciple-Makers Conference dreamed up and organized by one of my former students and staff members, Tom McElroy. Years ago Tom and I got connected through the church planting classes I taught for 14-15 years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. … More When the Gospel Creates Unity
We just purchased a house and the boxes we packed in Illinois are beginning to be unboxed and now adorn our new home in South Carolina. With a busy schedule, life unfolds out of the boxes in our garage in slow stages of discovery. Today I found the last box of my over 4,000 volume library and … More I Found Some Old Friends in a Box Today
“God has already determined which Christian should best assume which ministries in the church. The role of church leadership is to help its members identify their gifts and integrate them into ministries that match their gifts.” ~Christian Schwarz The ABC’s of Natural Church Development, 11. Such a statement only makes sense if you are a … More Mobilizing Saints for Powerful Ministry
Tuesday is for Discipleship People think a lot of ridiculous things about Christian discipleship. They don’t know any better because they don’t read their Bibles. Or they read their Bibles but never examine their assumptions about what they read. Any reading material, but especially the Bible, is best read as an interrogator of reality. So … More What Interrogates Your Reality?
For the second time this year (July and December) our little town is under water on the West side of town. Please pray for our neighbors, and for our stamina and that of the Red Cross volunteers. Our church is located on the East side of town and is on higher ground and we function as … More The Second Flood at Watseka
Tuesday is for Political Engagement The following is an excerpt from chapter 5 of my 2012 book, Picking a President: Or Any Other Elected Official. We are working with Thomas Nelson/Zondervan on bringing out a second and fully revised edition (projected April 2016). I would appreciate your prayers that all goes well and that the … More The Right to Vote is a Responsibility to Vote
Great quotes from classic texts. “God’s love is an exercise of His goodness towards individual sinners whereby, having identified Himself with their welfare, He has given His Son to be their Saviour, and now brings them to know and enjoy Him in a covenant relation.” J.I. Packer, Knowing God, 111. How wonderful and marvelous is … More The Marvelous and Dangerous Love of God
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