I'm excited to share a new free resource with you! It's a 15 week discipleship class meant to help you your church grow to understand the inner workings of a healthy church body. What does it means to be healthy church members, elders, and deacons? After all, a body is only as healthy as each … Continue reading New Resource! “Healthy Body, Healthy Members” Bible Study
Is it right to care about how many people attend a church worship service? What about those churches that seem so obsessed with metrics and growth statistics that they reduce people to faceless numbers? In a pair of companion articles at Southern Seminary's Southern Equip, I argue both for and against being all about numbers. Curious? … Continue reading Should My Church Be All About Numbers? Y/N
By now, I'm sure many of you have read or at least heard about the expansive report from the Houston Chronicle about systemic abuse among Southern Baptist churches, a report which will continue to unfold in all its wicked, heart-breaking sorrow in parts 2 and 3. This morning, Beth Moore started a thread of women … Continue reading Why Many SBC Churches Are Still Ripe for Abuse
Maybe you've thought about trying to get into Scripture memorization. Maybe you tried to start this year but got stuck. Maybe you need some motivation. Here is everything you need, the why and the how of Scripture memorization. I give some tips, tricks, and advice while also pointing out a few pitfalls to avoid! I've been … Continue reading How to Memorize Scripture 101
I'm going to do a podcast soon on Scripture memorization. But until then, I was trying to find a good time to drop this...now is as good as any. I was going to try to explain this, but really, you just need to hear it. One thing, I have not reordered, altered, or changed a … Continue reading Romans 9: An Unconventional Memory Aid
Tomorrow we will enter the year 2019. 2019. It doesn’t matter how bad the previous year is, at New Year's we all hope for better. It’s a time for confetti and champagne and resolutions and hope. It's funny really. We’ve picked an arbitrary day from our calendar year and agreed to designate it as the … Continue reading Guard Your Steps into 2019
Gifts, presents, and Christmas resources for all! In this episode, I share lots of fun seasonal articles, sermons, and resources for you to further explore! Read more about the Magi: "Seeing Ourselves in the Story of the Magi" at IMB.org"Wise Men, Magi, or Kings? It's Complicated." at Christianity Today"We _______ Kings: How Many Wise Men … Continue reading Christmas: Reformers, Unicorns, Grinches, and More!
I've packed this episode with so much content you'll never ask another question about the Magi. What should we call them? Magi? Wise men? Kings? And how many were there? 3? 10? Should we tear "We Three Kings" from the holiday section of our hymnals? Read more in my Christianity Today article Magi, Wise Men, … Continue reading Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Wise Men
I'm making progress on my last 100 miles. I ran in 35 degree weather and consistent rain for my sponsors this weekend! Will you consider joining our growing number of sponsors? All funds are going toward our local relationships and pregnancy care center: At LIFEBRIDGE, we provide essential mentoring, training, assistance, and care to storm-tossed … Continue reading Call for Sponsors! Racing to 1000 for LIFEBRIDGE!
One of the first Christmas carols ever sung wasn't written at Christmas at all--but six months earlier. And it wasn't sung at the birth of Jesus, either. It was sung at the birth of his cousin John. When it comes to recounting the Christmas story, I suspect most of us begin in Luke chapter 2: … Continue reading The Unexpected Joy of the Christmas
I'm trying to meet my goal to run 1000 miles in 2018! I've got 100 miles left to run in the month of December, and I need some cheerleaders. That's where you come in! You all can help me make it to the finish by sponsoring me for the next 100 miles. As I run … Continue reading 1000 Mile LIFEBRIDGE Year-End Challenge!
Feeding our Greatest Hunger with Spirit-filled Obedience This week, I've been meditating on Paul's seemingly straightforward and simple command to the Colossians: "And be thankful" (3:15). The word and reminded us of our privilege to offer thanksgiving as a continual refrain to what God has done for us in Christ. Be showed us the impossibility of thankfulness … Continue reading Satisfied in Giving Thanks
Joining in Thanksgivingat Christ's Table This Thanksgiving season, a short sentence from Paul’s letter to the Colossians has been stuck in my head: “And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). In yesterday’s post, we explored the first word and. And encouraged us to see how thanksgiving is related to every aspect of the Christian life. There is … Continue reading Jesus, Our Thanks-Giver
Every year as the holidays approach, I take a break from whatever book I’m preaching through and turn to something completely different. For instance, last year I preached a series entitled “A Very Reformed Christmas”, preaching a text from the Christmas narrative each week of Advent and pairing it with one of the five solas … Continue reading Thanksgiving: The One Thing We Add to the Gospel
Scrolling through the news. Scarfing down meals. Shuttling kids to programs and practices. After a frantic autumn, I feel like I'm doing everything half-cocked. I'm trying to slow down this holiday season by rediscovering what it looks like to feast with the King.
