“He Didn’t Cash In”
I was newly married, sitting in our apartment when it happened. It was October 14th, 2003, Game Six of the 2003 World Series. As a lifelong Cubs fan, it was a moment that moved from sheer joy to utter agony. A team that had not won a World Series since 1908 and had not appeared […]
Friday Five: Bradley Wright
How often have you heard, in the last year, some alarming statistics that “prove” young kids are sprinting away from the church, that Christianity in the West will die in the next generation, and that the world thinks Christians are idiots? If so, then today’s Friday Five will challenge some of those statistical assumptions. I’m delighted […]
Mini-Reviews #5
Another batch of mini-reviews: Raised Right by Alisa Harris I have mixed feelings about this book. For one, I’m always a bit jaded by memoirs from people who are young. Alisa Harris is 26 years old. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it puts a personal touch, a face, on a […]
Saying Nice Things about People With Whom You Disagree
Can you say nice things about people with whom you disagree? On the anniversary of 9/11 I posted a nice comment on Facebook about the leadership of President Bush after 9/11. It wasn’t a political statement, just a note of admiration. I was surprised at how many people (many Christians) who wrote scathing things about […]
Friday Five Interview: Sam Crabtree
Sam Crabtree is a former public school teacher and has served as executive pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis since 1997. He is the author of a wonderful new book, Practicing Affirmation. This book gives the Christian case for refreshing others through encouragement and God-centered praise. A much needed book for the Christian community. […]
Are Pre-Packaged Sermon Series a Good Idea for Pastors?
Pastoring in this age is a great blessing, because of the volume and variety of resources at our disposal. I have hundreds of books and commentaries on my computer thanks to Wordsearch software. Then I have a library full of books and a number of key websites I visit. That’s not to mention the study […]
Friday Five – Sheila Walsh
Sheila Walsh is a popular Bible teacher, singer, and best-selling author from Scotland. She’s a featured speaker with the Women of Faith conferences. Her best-selling memoir Honestly, was a Gold Medallion Award nominee. She’s also written The Heartache No One Sees, Beautiful Things Happen When A Woman Trusts God and (my daughter’s favorite) the Gigi, […]
Understanding the Hispanic Culture
I was pleased to listen to this broadcast (embedded below) on Focus on the Family, featuring Samuel Rodriguez, President of National Hispanic Leadership Conference, a Hispanic Evangelical organization. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of some of America’s leading Evangelical organizations such as: Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, National Association of Evangelicals, and Christianity […]
Trashing Politicians: The New Spectator Sport
Politicians may be the most despised people on the planet today. It’s quite fashionable to trash them and it is socially acceptable. But is it right for a Christian? I get a ton of grief on Facebook when I ever defend someone with whom the majority of evangelicals disagree. For instance, even posting “Pray for […]
Why Pastors Don’t Often “Speak Up”
A few years go I had the opportunity to volunteer for a dear friend of mine who was running for Congress in the district in which I live. I was heavily involved–my job was to rally evangelical leaders to support the candidate, whose views lined up with evangelicals, especially on the social issues like abortion, […]
Why Christians Shouldn’t Be Jerks
We’ve been studying the book of James on Sunday Mornings at Gages Lake. We just finished the third chapter on Sunday. The last section of this chapter gives a very specific definition of spiritual maturity. James tells us what it isn’t and what it is. I found it interesting that James was very specific in […]
Friday Five Interview: Scott Phelps
Scott Phelps is a leading author of a critically acclaimed abstinence curriculum used around the country, including A.C Green’s Gameplan and Navigator. He is the founder and executive director of the Abstinence & Marriage Education Partnership. Scott has worked with youth in San Francisco and Chicago and each year speaks to thousands of teens around […]