A number of folk from places far and wide are asking me about the election results. There are a handful of things that readily come to my mind that I would like to pass along. These are very important, I think, particularly as we disciples move forward from here. First, regardless of which “side” we READ MORE
Church
Embarking on a Great Mission: Encouragement from the Father
With a gentle nod toward General Dwight D. Eisenhower and his powerful message to the Allied forces just before they landed at Normandy in June 1944, the following statement, reframed as if from our Heavenly Father for our marvelous ministry team at New Hope Church, but poignant for the ministry laborer wherever she or he may READ MORE
Behold the Man!
Our world is starving for real men to step up and lead. Not empty-suits, vacant behind the eyes and the ties. Not passive fools whose life ambition is to be nothing more than the sex-starved, beer-crazed baffoons in the average commercial or sitcom. Not the guys who spend their time feeling sorry for themselves and READ MORE
When Your Adversary Roars
I was asked recently to share about the way spiritual warfare works in my own life. What a tough thing to tackle! Dare I be brutally honest, conveying the depths that I can go in my own struggle against the “cosmic powers over this present darkness” (Ephesians 6:12)? Generally speaking I shared along two lines. READ MORE
A Cursory Theology of the Arts
Every third Tuesday of the month our elders from Bethel Church and I gather in one of our homes for an evening of fellowship, discussion and prayer. While meeting a couple of evenings ago we processed together the dynamics of the arts and the manner in which the arts can be a tool for making READ MORE
Thom Rainer on the Sentence Pastors Hate
Thom Rainer just put out a compelling piece that strikes a deep sounding chord with every single pastor I know. It gets to the dirty underworld of pastoral ministry, touching on one of the most challenging, painful, and discouraging aspects of the entire calling. His article speaks to when someone comes up—elders, laypeople, other staff, READ MORE