“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:6-7 [...]
More and more, believers use social media to have heated debates on various aspects of faith and Christianity. The most polarizing discussions seem to involve naming and shaming fallen believers; especially high-profile leaders and public figures. Reading these posts, it’s hard to tell if the goal is repentance and restoration[...]
“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Some version of this statement is attributed to Edmund Burke (1729-1797), George Santayana (1863-1952), and Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965). I think this statement is so often repeated because it’s based in truth; and it still resonates. Those words[...]
Lately I’ve been struck by the number of hyphenated-Christians emerging in the American Church. We hear the various religious views of Baptist or Presbyterian-Christians, Republican or Democrat-Christians, White or African-American Christians, and Male or Female-Christians. The most recent is LBTG-Christians. What? I guess that makes me a white-male-heterosexual-Southern Baptist-Christian.[...]
Transitions can be tricky to navigate. Unforeseen complications and obstacles inevitably arise. I’ve never seen this more clearly than during my transition from the pastorate to full-time evangelism. What I learned taught me how to pray for people contemplating a move in vocational ministry. There’s no better manual for leadership[...]
As a traveling evangelist, I talk with a variety of pastors and church members each week. If there’s one common thread to those conversations, it’s the dire condition of American society. I firmly believe, however, that the conversation needs to shift from “them” to “us”. After all, the decline of[...]
A family from New York moved West and bought a cattle ranch. When friends came to visit and inquired about the ranch’s name, the would-be-rancher replied, “I wanted to name it The Bar-J. My wife favored Suzy-Q. One of our sons wanted The Flying-W and the other liked The Lazy-Y.[...]
In each generation the Church struggles with the issues of its day. It’s interesting to watch the various responses when these issues are in direct opposition to God’s Word. Bible-believing pastors and churches who take a strong stance on Scripture find themselves under assault, but that is the exception today[...]
Do revivals still work? I get this question all the time. The answer is an overwhelming, “Yes!” I’m not sure who started the rumor that revival meetings are antiquated and ineffective, but I’m pretty sure it started about the same time the head-scratching began in relation to declining baptisms and[...]