Last week saw the beginning of Lent, and with it, Mardi Gras. "Fat Tuesday." All around the world there are festivals and parties with one main goal: Overindulge in whatever you can. Traditionally Mardi Gras grew into a huge feast because it was the night before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, which is marked…
Devotions
One Pastor’s Daily Prayer
Let me recommend a pastor's daily prayer: “Grant me joy and peace as I humbly trust You with the outcome of my life and ministry.” I’ve been praying that over myself for what must be something like 6 years now. Maybe more. That’s well over 2,000 times at least. Like any prayer, there is a…
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…
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…
Church Planters: Get Near to Jesus
When you feel like you're dying inside, get near to Jesus. Sorry if that sounds like some toothless religious platitude. It’s not. It’s got jaws like a gator that won’t let go. The reason is that the antidote to Death is Life. The remedy for Decay is Resurrection. The solution isn’t to stir up more gusto for…
