My wife and I got married only eight years ago, but it feels like an eternity. We didn't know we were supposed to find a billowy field with a rustic barn for an outdoor wedding. We didn't know we were supposed to wear suspenders and mix-matched dresses. We didn't know we were supposed to have chalkboards … Continue reading Is Pinterest Changing the Way We Wed?
We are the generation that wants to change the world. Ours is the one that will tear down barriers of race, class, and gender. We will fight injustice. We will feed the hungry. We will free the sex slave. We will save the planet. Day after day, we join the millions of electronic voices raised … Continue reading Hold On…Are You Sure You’re Changing the World?
Why do we look forward to a new year? What is it about an arbitrary moment in our 365-day rotation around the sun that makes us want to shoot off fireworks and confetti in Times Square? I asked our church this question, and this was the response: "I think we like the hope of something … Continue reading About Those New Year’s Resolutions…
"If you aren't preaching on abortion, your silence is damning." "If you aren't preaching on sex trafficking, you are a part of the problem." "If you aren't preaching on racism, you are enabling racists." "If you aren't preaching on political issues, you aren't leading your people." There aren't enough weeks in a year. Not enough … Continue reading Twitter Shall Not Control the Pulpit
I live in a small rural town in South Carolina. It's a place where churches are on every street corner and every household at least claims to be longstanding members of some congregation. And yet, it is a place where defeatism reigns. Churches teeter on the edge of financial collapse. Most of the aging buildings … Continue reading Victories That Will Never Satisfy
Let me make clear from the outset that my objective is not to defend the filth and obscenity that spews forth from a certain GOP candidate's mouth. My desire is to defend a sacred space, the locker room, from going to the dogs. Organized sports have been a part of my life since age 5. … Continue reading In Defense of Locker Room Talk
Articles circulate daily--hourly--giving dating advice to couples about what they should and shouldn't do. How far is too far physically? How do you respect one another as brother and sister in Christ? How do you plan good dates? And we all love those viral tear-jerking proposal videos. Let's be honest for a moment. Not every … Continue reading The One Thing Every Dating Couple Should Do
I had the privilege of interviewing my friend Mark Hendrick of the SCBC Office of Public Policy about the newest piece of pro-life legislation in SC. Get the whole interview at Canon & Culture.
This week, I had the privilege to write for my friends at Canon & Culture, the blogging arm of the ERLC. Here's an excerpt from the article: Policy aside for a moment, perhaps a more foundational question is whether artists and entertainers have any business influencing legislation in the first place. Many Christians would rather … Continue reading “Should Artists Protest?” (New at Canon & Culture)
It's Columbus Day, the day we all learned, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Americans celebrate this day in history because we see it as a vital part of our nation's history, but God did have other projects going on elsewhere. Have you ever considered that there were some pretty famous Christians alive in … Continue reading Who Else Lived in the Days of Columbus?
Men, there are two charred craters in the Old Testament that remain as a warning to us: Ai and Gibeah. Both cities fell by the same military tactics, and although the weapons of war have changed and technology has advanced, the same strategy is being employed in Christian homes day after day. Let us take … Continue reading Onward Christian Soldiers?
Do you know what happens when you breed two animals, then you breed their offspring, and you continue to breed within the family tree? The lack of crossbreeding causes major problems. Genetic defects that were once minor recessive traits become exaggerated. A line that began with two normal animals becomes offspring with mutations, defects, and … Continue reading Are You a Theological Inbred?
The Caitlyn Jenner maelstrom has taught us one thing in particular. Our culture has one thing right that many churches have wrong. The culture at large prizes personal testimony, while many of our churches do not. We live in an age where personal experience is king. Authenticity means being true to yourself--your feelings, experiences, and beliefs. … Continue reading Brothers, We Are Rejecting Personal Experiences
It's so predictable. It might be Fifty Shades of Grey; it might be a Christianity Today article seemingly condoning the legacy of Margaret Sanger; it might be a controversial book about homosexuality; it might be a salacious Christian news tidbit. The topic doesn't really matter. The response is the same. Definition. I will define #bandwagonblogging in the following manner: … Continue reading #BandwagonBlogging
It wasn't ever preached from the mega-church pulpit. It wasn't something my parents sat down and taught me. It was never scrawled on the private school chalkboard. It was more of an ethos that pervaded the white American culture I grew up in. I heard it in adult conversations. I heard it come out of … Continue reading The Biggest Lie in White America: The Self-Made Man
