Baptism has been a hotly debated topic for centuries now and in episode 50 of the roundtable,...
Missions
Ep. 049 | Conley Owens and The Dorean Principle — TAU Roundtable
It gives us great joy to return to a roundtable episode with an interview with Conley Owens,...
Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
I received a card in the mail from Legacy Church on the east side of Columbus, OH. I posted a...
Go, Therefore: Family Worship
"Go, Therefore" posts are quick tips to help Christians live lives of evangelism. Family Worship As Evangelism Daily family worship ought to be observed by families for many reasons. To name a few: God is worthy to be worshipped, it is a way men ought to lead their...
Manga Messiah (children’s book review)
Manga Messiah is the first to be published in a series of manga books that covers the narrative biblical canon. Manga Messiah in particular is a harmonization of the Gospels, starting with the birth story in Luke and ending with Acts 1:8, John 20:30; 21:25. The other...
Psalm 96:10-13 God Will Judge!
Do you know that feeling when you start to tell someone about the Lord and you realize they do not already know Him? Do you get a pit in your stomach sometimes—a warning not to go there? Our natural response to difficulty is sometimes “flight.” Telling your neighbor that God will not only judge him or her but that God is right to do so can be frightening! It is no wonder we fail so many times in our evangelism—it is truly counter to our flesh’s desires for comfort!
Pray for USS Bonhomme Richard
Many questions remain following the major fire that consumed much of the inside of USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6). I served seven years in the surface side of the Navy and even visited Bonhomme Richard herself at one point (not as a tourist), but it would be...
Psalm 96:1-2 Sing of His Salvation
In part 1 of this series, I challenged anyone reading this to commit to memorizing Psalm 96. I hope if you have not started that endeavor you will start now. If you want my recommended smartphone app for Bible memory: here is a 20% discount code for it. Psalm 96 is an...
Psalm 96: Introduction
Psalm 96 is a wonderful song written by David as part of a larger song of thanks which is introduced to us in 1 Chronicles 16. I was scheduled to preach a topical sermon at the 2020 Psalms & Worship conference in Canton, OH on the topic of "Worship in Evangelism,"...
Are You Reaching Out To Your Neighbors?
Last week, new neighbors moved into the house across the street from us. I wrote them a note and I thought other people may benefit from it. If you are not actively trying to reach your neighbors with the gospel, why not? What is holding you back? Here is the letter....
Rightly Dividing the Popular Culture: TGC Fumbles Frozen II
Once upon a tyme, in the cold, dark for'sts of New York and Quebec, a pair of well-respected Reformed theologians did found a Coalition to advocate for and restore trust in the biblical Gospel. 'Twas to be "a fellowshipe of evangelical churches in the Reformed...
I Have Found Great Joy
I'm far from the perfect parent. In fact, I'd say the things I must improve on far outnumber the things I'm good at. That makes me hesitant to write today and tell you of a good decision I've made. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to tell you about our attempt at family...
Go, Therefore: Christmas Cards
But the month of December is still a special month for most. The secular and religious alike buy trees and presents and send greeting cards to one another. This is your chance! Buy (or design) a Christmas card with a gospel message and give it to everyone you can. Even if you give people a card with only a Bible verse printed on it like Luke 2:11 or Matthew 1:21, that’s a good start.
From the Mailbag: “Judge Not”
A woman contacted us through our contact us form and expressed some concerns with an article Justin wrote about The Send. I believe her assertions and my responses could be helpful to you, so here they are. For the sake of the post, I'll call her Holly. Hi, Hope...
That Ain’t Your Mama’s Hyssop
David is guilty of the death of Uriah (2 Samuel 11:15). Although he hadn’t physically touched Uriah’s dead body, there is a sense of uncleanness because of his involvement in Uriah’s death. So when David cries out to the Lord to be purged with hyssop, he is calling on God to cleanse him from his sin. David could have offered more sacrifices than nearly anyone who has ever lived. He was a rich man! But he knew that God delights in “a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart,” rather than animal sacrifices (Psalm 51:16-17), and certainly hyssop is similarly a prefigurement of something…or Someone.
Answered Prayers – Ministry Report for Sept 21, 2019
On September 21, 2019, I was joined by a faithful group of evangelists and an old friend. Andrew Jones, Jason Roberts, Miri Roberts, and Wesley Coughlin are regulars at Ohio State football games. Cory Wasmus, an old friend was able to come as well! It was a great day...
Go, Therefore: Once a Day
"Go, Therefore" posts are quick tips to help Christians live lives of evangelism. Do the Bare Minimum? We all have busy schedules, but this cannot be an obstacle to taking part in the Great Commission. One way to begin to overcome excuses and fears in giving out the...
Summer 2019 Ministry Reflections
I remember a few months after my first son was born that I was going to school 40 hours a week (I was student teaching to finish my undergrad). In addition to that, I worked 3-4 days every week at a Community Center and was a bi-vocational youth pastor. That was...
Go, Therefore: Praying Before Meals
"Go, Therefore" posts are quick tips to help Christians live lives of evangelism. At a Restaurant When you go to a restaurant to eat and pray publicly, folks around you will notice. Now this isn't necessarily evangelism, but when we pray publicly, it does remind...
Go, Therefore: Nursing Home
"Go, Therefore" posts are quick tips to help Christians live lives of evangelism. Nursing Home Visits Visiting a nursing home or assisted living facility is a great way to minister the gospel! In many cases, you may simply walk around and knock on doors, and people...
Go, Therefore: Thank You Tracts
"Go, Therefore" posts are quick tips to help Christians live lives of evangelism. Thank You Tracts One of the hardest things about giving out gospel tracts is that people don't often want to take one. Having something they would actually desire to take can be tricky....
A Jolly Missionary Report
I made a new friend recently as the result of reading about his faithfulness through a trial. I found myself praising the Lord so much while reading his letter that I wanted to share it with you. My wife and I signed up to begin supporting this mission monthly, and I...
Particular Effects of Particular Atonement
What? Particular atonement is the historic Christian doctrine that Christ only effectively satisfied the wrath of God toward sin on behalf of His people. In other words, anyone who is thrown into hell cannot say, "But Jesus paid for my sins." This is a staple belief...
“The Send” Was A Satanic Assault On The Great Commission
We believe this day, something will transfer and bring us into, I believe, worldwide transition into the greatest Jesus movement we have ever seen. Lou Engle "The Send" was an all-day conference that launched Saturday, February 23rd and featured Benny Hinn, Bill...
Here and There: A Truly Ridiculous Christian Parody Video, James MacDonald Fired, Praying for Slow Church Growth, The Chibok Girls Sing To Jesus
In "Here and There," we'll take a brief look at some things I like, random and important news in the Evangelical, political, and sports world. It's been way too long since I've done one of these, so here we go. In this edition of "Here and There": A Ridiculous Parody...
Discipleship is Not a Luxury – It’s a Necessity
If you could cut me and examine my blood, I imagine aside from the physical components, you would find four elements in there. You'd find love for Christ, love for my wife, love for my football team (or soccer for my American friends), and a love for making disciples....
46 Years of Failure
It will be known as one of the most truly wicked and shameful moments in United States history. Cheers filled the legislature as a package of legislation had passed with fawning approval. In a moment, New York became the most lethal state in the nation for pre-born...
Free Will, God’s Grace, and a Carrot on a Stick
For a long time, Christians have been debating the nature of man’s will (is it free?), the totality of depravity, whether or not man is “able” to come to Christ on his own, and the extent and function of God's grace. For many, God’s grace is like a carrot on a stick...
2018 End of Season Ministry Report for tOSU
Just four months ago I was getting ready to do evangelism at the Ohio State University's home football games. Four months later, I fulfilled my commitment by preaching at all 7 home games. By God's grace, I was also able to preach at an away game in Ann Arbor with...
A(nother) Surprising Work of God
I was actually beginning to be a little depressed near the end of the morning of November 2nd. Only 3 people had committed to meeting me at Ohio State for evangelism the next day. Please don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful for all those who accompany me and labor...
When Prioritizing Family
In today's Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon, the morning reading touched on the tendency of some men to withhold their finances from the work of God, in order that they may take care of their families. You can read the entire devotional here (and I recommend...
Isaac’s Dilemma
"I'm homosexual," Isaac told me, "and I don't think I could give up the happiness it brings me and deny who I am — for something I am not certain about." This was Isaac's response to a question I asked him. What preceded and what followed the above response is the...
The Saddest Day in Church History NO ONE Talks About
Christ's bride has had many dark days throughout its history. We've survived persecution in every century. We overcame theological falsehoods asserted as facts. We've been downgraded, liberalized, made mystical, and became seeker sensitive. Charlatans, popes, and...
The High Calling of Foster Care
I crept into the room for the 4th time that evening. She was asleep in a bed we bought earlier in the summer, hoping to put it to good use. It was now 2 in the morning, and I just couldn't help but look in on her one last time before bed to make sure she was warm,...
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
If you don’t choose Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you won’t go to heaven. That’s right. I said it. A sinner must choose Christ by faith in order to become a Christian. I don’t know if you’ve been in some of the circles I have before, but there are pockets of people...
When Was The Last Time You Genuinely, Prayerfully Considered Full-Time Missions?
This is a letter from Eric Kaisoa of Papua New Guinea (PNG), sent to New Tribes Mission (NTM): “I’m writing again for the 7th time to ask if you will come to my village or not…The people are saying that you must come. I’m saying this again. I think you all didn’t get...
Podcasts: The Why and the How
I was in my mid-twenties when I found my introverted self driving a Fed Ex truck for 8-10 hours a day. It's not exactly the kind of job that engages one's mind. In fact, while not a bad job, it's quite boring and, with the exception of the occasional customer and...
Everyone is an Evangelist
Christianity seems to be marked by a divide between people who actively evangelize and those who do not. Clearly, some folks are particularly burdened about and gifted concerning the dissemination of the Christian gospel. But it is also generally understood that ALL...
Ministry Update – College Football
On the 25th of June, 2018, the Lord Jesus Christ granted me an opportunity to preach the Word to a college football team. There's a school in Ohio that is not a Christian University, but, due to some Christian faculty in the athletic department, I was asked to bring a...
A Christian View of Immigration
What a mess. That, really, is the only way to describe what is happening on the southern border of the United States right now and, frankly, for several decades. In no rational world can the situation there be described as anything other than a complete mess. It is a...
I Am Resolved: One Southern Baptist’s Apathy toward Annual Resolutions
My wife and I are excited to be attending the SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas, TX less than two weeks from now. This will be her first annual meeting and only my second. Despite the controversy controversies surrounding our denomination at present, Stephanie and I are...
How to Evangelize a City
How would you go about evangelizing a city? What are some strategic ideas for reaching God's elect in the town where God has placed you or your church? Photo by malcolm lightbody on Unsplash The Foundation According to Romans 10:13–17 (and the rest of the Bible), it...
Miles Wide and Inches Deep? How Discipleship Failure is Ruining Us – Part 1
One of the great passions of my life is discipleship – “teaching [believers] to observe all that [Christ] has commanded [us]”. There is something powerful about the truth taking ground in the heart of another believer who then takes that truth and passes it on to...
The Bible is Sufficient for Calling People to Jesus
We had a great bible study on a recent Wednesday night on Matthew 7:13-14. We've been going through the Sermon on the Mount and seeking to think deeply about how Jesus wanted His followers to understand Kingdom living. But this post isn't about the Sermon on the...
From Death to Life – Book Update
(Photo Credit: Stephen J. Melniszyn) I've had several people asking me about where I am on my current book project, so I thought I'd have a place where I could point folks to give them the latest on how things are progressing. I'm pretty new to this book...
6 Questions I’d Ask a Missionary Before I Supported Them
Unfortunately, in Papua New Guinea, especially within the people group where I worked, it's easy to see the destruction that untrained, undisciplined missionary-efforts do to cultures and lives. Here’s a quick example: Around our village years ago, 6-8 different...
Things Above Us?
Colossians 3:1-2 is, in essence, the theme of this blog. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of...
An Open Letter to Affinity and Attractional Based Church Planters in the SBC
Dear Church Planter, I’ve been sitting on this letter for a while. I’ve thought through and prayed through the wisdom in writing this and gone back and forth several times on whether or not I should make this public. I have some important things to say I think, but...
8 Reasons Why The Next Missionary You Support Should Be A Cessationist – Part 2
The Prelude This series is predicated on the important truth that the continuationism vs. cessationism debate is no small deal. You are either one or the other, and there is no squishy middle (though some might lead you to believe there is). The key question is...
8 Reasons Why The Next Missionary You Support Should Be A Cessationist – Part 1
As my coworker and I walked down the muddy trail, working intently on the very difficult Kuman language, a young man approached us. "Wagai We!" he yelled. In case you need it later, this means "hello" in the Chimbu Province of Papua New Guinea. We exchanged...