My Surprising Experience with Glenn Beck
Finally Hearing Beck So, believe it or not, I went and heard Glen Beck speak live this past Saturday night. If you know anything about me, you’ll know that over the last couple of years, I’ve become less focused on politics and more focused on ministry. I’ve also grown disinterested in the shouting, debates, and […]
To the Church: You Will Prevail – Eighth Letter Project
I submitted the following letter to The Eight Letter Project. It’s a letter to the North American Church: Dear Church in North America, I write to you at a time of severe duress, when many are beating you up. You’re the object of endless handwringing inside your walls. Much is being written and said about […]
Friday Five Interview: Tullian Tchividjian
Its a great privilege to interview Tullian Tchividjian. William Graham Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced cha-vi-jin) is the Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Tullian comes from a very famous family. He is the grandson of Billy and Ruth Graham. I first learned about Tullian Tchividjian after reading his terrific book, Unfashionable: Making […]
Resources for Studying John
I’ve been preaching through the gospel of John at Gages Lake Bible Church for two, going on three years. I’m on chapter fifteen at the moment. I’ve been blessed with some incredibly helpful resources for study. I’m a guy who likes to dive in and really soak up what the text is saying. I like […]
Awesome Men’s Conference
Hey guys, hurry up and register for this incredible men’s conference hosted by Gages Lake Bible Church. And don’t just do it because we’re going to enjoy Chicago’s very own, deep-dish Lou Malnati’s pizza. Do it because we’re going to hear from incredible speakers, like Mark Elfstrand, morning show host at WMBI 90.1 Chicago and […]
Hating on the Church
It has become rather fashionable these days for Christians to hate on the church. Almost every day, a new book is put out by someone who is disolutioned with, has a lengthy critique of, and has a new solution for the church. But I wonder if it is spiritually and intellectually easy, and I dare […]
Guess What? If it’s Online, It’s Live
I have over 1,000 friends on Facebook now and a growing number of Twitter followers. The world is much different now than it was even five years ago. We’re all social; we’re all sharing stuff with our little tribes. I don’t think this is a bad thing and these tools are incredibly useful in getting […]
Friday Five Interview – Charles Stone
Several years ago, when I was working for a Christian organization and the editor of their monthly devotional magazine, I had the chance to meet Charles Stone, Senior Pastor of Ginger Creek Community Church. Actually I “met” him via email. We had the opportunity to print an excerpt from his then-new book, [amazon ASIN=”084990434X”]Daughters Gone […]
Can We Stop Bashing the Church Now?
This is an early preview of my Crosswalk Column for next week: If I had a dollar for every Debbie Downer book on the American church, I’d make Warren Buffet look like a poverty-stricken college freshman. It seems every single day, Christian pollsters, pastors, authors, and just ordinary folks are telling us that the American […]
Book Review – 5 Ministry Killers by Dr. Charles Stone
What if you could give a pastor truth serum and ask him what ministry is really like? Behind the plastered-on smile and steady handshake are often men of God who struggle with depression, burnout, disappointment, and sin. And yet, God continues to call ordinary men to the most extraordinary position as shepherd of God’s people. […]
Love as a Fruit of the Spirit
There is nothing quite like sermon prep to really push you deep into a passage of Scripture. Like most Christians I’ve known and memorized and quoted and written Jesus words in John 13 to the disciples (and to us): A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you. […]
Expecting Crosses
Here is my weekly Crosswalk.com column: Expecting Crosses I’ve read John 12:25 quite a few times in my Christian journey and yet I never fully grasped its meaning until recently. We all know Jesus is reminding his followers that to be a disciples means to sacrifice, to take up the cross, to surrender. And I […]