As pastors and church planters we repeat some phrases so often it’s easy to forget they are true. In fact, some things are more than true: some liturgical phrases have the power to change the world. Like children who play with a chemistry set or recite E=Mc2 we are unaware of the power on our…
Telling the Truth – Humbly
I think it’s wise to be skeptical when people talk about “the truth.” In this era (as in others) we are willing to kill for our ideas about truth. That’s why ideas about the truth are not enough. Telling the truth isn't done through argument. We must meet the truth and walk with him. The…
From Ephesians: 3 Startling Bible Statements About Church
Sometimes the big questions intersect with our everyday life. My opinions regarding large “theological” questions trickle all the way down to my ability to follow Jesus day-by-day. For example, my view of the scripture will determine how much authority it has in my life. Or, for example, my view of the church will influence my…
Eating With Sinners: the Jesus Model
In the gospels, eating with Jesus was surprisingly simple, and a great challenge to church planters today. Surely Jesus believed that prostitutes were sinners, yet he welcomed them to his table. He ate and drank with them.Surely Jesus understood that tax collectors, betrayed their countrymen by helping the brutal Roman occupiers in his homeland, yet…
Religious Arguments – Do We Need Cops in the Pulpit?
My daughter saves her deepest theological questions for bedtime. She doesn’t give a rip about theology, but she cares deeply about delaying bedtime. If Daddy is foolish enough to take the bait on Who made God-type questions, she wins. Even though her greatest need is rest, she thinks her late-night allies are unsolvable religious questions. In…
Friend of Sinners, No Friend to Sin
It’s an everyday observation now: Jesus was a friend to sinners. I read or hear it nearly everywhere I turn—so much, in fact, I wonder if we’ve thought it through completely. Let’s give it a try today: One of the most amazing (and challenging) things about Jesus is he's a friend of sinners, but no…
