Did you know I host a podcast on writing? I never thought anyone else would listen to it. But, you guys, I’m so encouraged by the emails and tweets, and even handshakes at conferences, from listeners. Thanks for listening. You are the reason I keep it going.
3 Ways to Deal with Church Bullies
Bullies are the worst. When I see a kid being picked on by a bully, I barge in and confront the punk—even if it’s at the Chick-fil-a playground. (Yes, I really did confront a bully in the playground.)
Church bullies are just as sinister. I can’t stand it.
Jesus Can’t Be Boxed by the Bible Belt
“‘Teacher,’ they said to him, ‘this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?’” (John 8:4–5 CSB)
The Bible Belt often presents a Jesus that is foreign to the faith once for all delivered to the saints. One of the great tasks of ministry in the Bible Belt, or any “churched” area, is to untangle the wrong views and thoughts of Jesus that people have accumulated or assumed. Living as disciples of Christ in the Christ-haunted suburbs and rural communities means we will constantly confront the false Jesuses of the people.
Don’t Ruin Your Life For An Orgasm
When a pastor, professor, or friend in the church falls from sexual sin, does it make a sound? Yes. And it’s louder than when a tree falls.
Why You Shouldn’t Skip The Genealogies
Who doesn’t love a lengthy list of difficult to pronounce names? I’m sure the genealogies sprinkled throughout the Old Testament are some of the most precious parts of the Bible to you. And I bet you’ve never passed over them in your Bible reading or in a sermon series.
Record scratch
Who am I kidding? If we are honest, the genealogies often cause our eyes to glaze over. So many names. So many consonants oddly arranged in those names. So few vowels. So hard to say. “I’ll just flip the page.”
What is a Book?
Book |bo͝ok| noun
A written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers.
A book is much more than pages chained together. A book is a portal to another dimension. A book is a life jacket in the storm. A book is a conduit for transformation.
So, what is a book? The Good Book Company answers:
Go to https://www.thegoodbook.com/renew to see which book God used to change my life.
Don’t Title People “Pastor” If They Aren’t An Elder
Ministry titles abound in the church today.
Student Pastor. Children’s Pastor. Creative Environment Pastor (No idea). Senior Pastor and Worship Pastor are pretty standard fair on the leadership page of a church’s site. And what is also becoming standard is the willy-nilly way people use the word pastor.
I don’t think we should put Pastor on people just because they are on a church staff. A pastor isn’t someone who gets a paycheck from a church and is responsible for running events for certain age groups while holding a Bible.
Preachers, Offend People This Sunday
When you preach the gospel, you are preaching the most offensive point in your sermon. Paul preached the “offense of the cross” knowing the “word of the cross is foolishness” in the eyes of the world (Gal. 5:11; 1 Cor. 1:18).
You know why the gospel is so offensive?
Heaven Isn’t An Eternal Worship Service
You read the title right. Heaven and the New Earth won’t be a never-ending church service. Now, we will sing about his love forever, but it won’t be the only thing we do.