Blog
Belonging to Christ
The Scriptures teach that Christians belong to Christ. He owns those whom he has bought with his own blood, and those who have believed in him are at home in His eternal family. This reality is expressed in various ways throughout the New Testament, but one of the...
More than a Checklist: The Significance of Elder Qualifications
As Paul writes to his young pastoral protégés, Timothy and Titus, he gives a sobering list of leadership qualifications that every pastor is very familiar with. First Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are foundational character traits for leadership in the church. In Titus 1:6...
What to Say: Principles for Speaking Between Songs
I often get asked by fellow church musicians how to think through what to say before, between, and after songs in corporate worship. It’s not a minor question. As leaders, we have the responsibility to intentionally point people to truth and to stir them to think and...
The Pastor’s “Typical” Week
With a stethoscope over his heart, the doctor inquired, “What’s a typical week for a pastor?” He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You see Doc, ‘typical’ doesn’t exist for the pastor. It’s a myth, a dream, and a mirage in the desert of my so-called busyness.” His...
Age of Anxiety
When live in an age of anxiety. Despite the fact that we possess more than we have ever possessed and we live longer than we have ever lived, most people have never been more anxious. There is a lingering cloud of worry that oppressively chokes the joy out of life and...
Internet Shepherds
It happens every day. A blog post, a tweet, a podcast, from someone popular and with a big evangelical footprint, telling us how all believers should think about a particular issue. It might be who you should vote for (or not) as a presidential candidate, how you...
Three Helps When Praying in Public
It just doesn’t fit. You spent many good and profitable hours preparing and then delivering your sermon. However, when it came time to lead the prayer, you backed it in like an SUV in a compact parking space. To borrow the words of Spurgeon, could it be that you are...
The Preaching Moment
Another week means two more sermons for me to prepare. And that means the weekly ritual of opening my Bible, clicking on the Logos program on the Mac, and grabbing my favorite fountain pen and the familiar canary legal pad. It’s amazing that after doing this thousands...
Courageous Spiritual Leadership
Courageous leadership is the willingness to exert influence, make decisions, and communicate clearly when circumstances are difficult, solutions are unclear, and the consequences are significant. From a Christian perspective, truly courageous leadership is not driven...
Inner Testimony of the Spirit
As believers, the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives to provide us with assurance of salvation: The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom 8:16, ESV). In historical theology this is sometimes referred to...