Call to Worship Our church does a call to worship each week. This week I created one by adapting...
church
Sin: Not a Reason to Refuse Communion
Enjoying communion with your local church is truly a blessed time. It is not only a sober and...
Soft Chauvinism
It seems we have ventured into a time in Christianity where every time we write about or exhort...
An Empty Seat on Christmas
I want you to consider your Christmas activities. For some of you, Christmas is a day filled with presents and joy, worshipping God, and visiting with loved ones. Maybe you’ve saved for months to get your children that perfect gift. My wife is making me one of my...
The Aim of Shame
I don't buy the argument that says Americans are worse today than we were 50 years ago, 100 years ago, or even 240 years ago. Some may be baffled at such a statement given present cultural controversies over marriage and abortion, and the general disdain we seem to...
A Word to the Hurting
2020 has been nothing short of perilous. Bloggers and preachers regularly employ hyperbole, but what we are seeing due to the coronavirus pandemic is unique. At the time of writing, I'm a 44-year-old man who was born and raised in the United States, and I can...
Is Male Headship a Gospel Issue?
Men, mean, and misogyny all start with the same letter. Obviously, guys are jerks and need to calm down. And women need to be filling the pulpit because the resurrection of Jesus was first announced to women. Believe it or not, that's the sort of argumentation you get...
Give us EARS to Hear
I am wholeheartedly committed to the priority of the preaching of God's Word in our regular church gatherings. True, I am a pastor, so I guess by default I "have" to say that, but even apart from that role, there is a deep conviction running through me that the Word...
Why We Should Have Seeker Sensitive Churches
I can't really document the dates so well, but I think most will generally agree that at the turn of the century the "Seeker Sensitive" movement was in full gear. This movement's mantra is, essentially, that churches should be designed for seekers. In my own state of...
Do You Have to Go to Church Every Sunday?
A familiar ding of the phone went off. (That's right, I still walk around with my cellular device on loud). The text message read: “So you think you have to go to church every Sunday?” The reason for this message was because I had reached out to some church members...
When Battling the Culture
Christians are in a constant battle with the culture because Christianity is opposed to the culture. A better way of saying it would be that the culture, or world, is opposed to Christ...and thus, Christianity. Many Christians seem to be particularly gifted or...
Why I Need A Church that Judges Me
If you're not a careful reader of Scripture you may have never noticed what Paul says to the church in Corinth: "For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?" 1 Corinthians 5:12 We are a society so enamored...
Psalm 119:61-64 — Companionship
The Cords of the Wicked Psalms 119:61 Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law. We have seen the psalmist proclaim the excellencies of loving God's law even in the midst of trouble (Psalm 119:23). Now we find language reminiscent of Psalm...
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....
Any Given Sunday
Frankly, I have zero desire to be a so-called “discernment blogger.” I simply don’t have the time to fulfill my God given duties of a Christian, husband, father, and pastor while also monitoring all the happenings of the evangelical world at large. Furthermore, I...
Kindly Let People Ask If Mary Knew
"Mary, Did You Know?" is a Christmas song with lyrics written by Mark Lowry and music written by Buddy Greene. It was originally recorded by Christian recording artist Michael English on his self-titled debut solo album in 1991 (English and Lowry were both members of...
If I Could Choose 3 New Year’s Resolutions for You
I don't know you. I don't know if you're the type of person who makes resolutions or not. And it's not my desire to debate whether or not Christians should make resolutions. In general, there's no harm in this, and it is actually quite biblical to think about where...
Guess Who’s Coming to Town?
This Christmas I want you to be prepared for someone who is "coming to town." And, no, I do not mean Santa Claus. It seems every Christmas a few people always appear on the scene and present situations where Christians need to respond appropriately. Four people who...
5 People Not to Be During Someone Else’s Trial
We recently began a journey through the book of James at Perryville Second Baptist. As I studied through James 1:2-12, I thought about some of the unhelpful people I’ve encountered during a personal trial, or a trial that someone else was going through. In today’s...
Ep. 005 | Christians & Sports — TAU Roundtable
In TAU Roundtable 005, the guys discuss the disposition Christians should have toward sports and give some sports hot-takes.
Reasons Not to Have Children’s Church
I sincerely appreciate the heart many of my brothers’ and sisters' have toward children, and I do not wish to attack what they are seeing as liberty and wise stewardship of their time with kids by having a "Children's Church" each Sunday during the preaching hour. I...
Praise Yahweh (the LORD) – Psalm 117
God has provided us with His Word that we might know Him and praise Him. Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter of the Bible, yet it is packed with God-glorifying wisdom, truth, and comfort. Let's take a look at it! Psalm 117 (ESV) 1 Praise Yahweh, all nations! Extol him,...
A Letter to a New Believer
I received a question about how to grow as a Christian and what advice I would offer to someone who was recently converted on how to "practically" mature in the faith. The person specifically stated "I need a literal path, not just read your Bible, attend church,...
Review: Lemuel Haynes, The Black Puritan
Christian biographies are some of the most enjoyable books to read, in my opinion. I love to hear how God saved a man (or woman), and what good work the Lord did in that person's life, and through that person. The biography of Lemuel Haynes, by Pastor Luke Walker...
Making the Best Use of the Time
The Will of the Lord In Ephesians 5:16, Paul instructs the church to make the best use of the time (commonly known as redeeming the time). The Apostle reminds his readers that the days we are living in are evil, and that only a fool would live in such a way that he is...
Time to Cut the 20 Minute Sermon
Our pastor had recently left for another church and I was taking over a lot of the preaching duties in our local congregation. One afternoon the phone rang in my Youth Pastor’s study. The conversation went something like this: “Hello?” A lady from our church on the...
The Problem with Identifying as a “Non-Denominational” Church
There is a trend that’s been around a few decades now about having a “non-denominational” church. I think I first consciously remember the terminology when I had a friend in 9th grade tell me he went to a “NonDom” church. I was not savvy to the jargon and he had to...
On the Election of Infants – Part 2
Earlier, we reviewed four of the six reasonable categories (Click here to read Part 1) one can fall in concerning their belief about the election of infants. Many folks have argued whether babies go to Heaven for centuries. For the sake of ease of writing, I will use...
On the Election of Infants – Part 1
What Happens When a Baby Dies? Many folks have argued whether babies go to Heaven for centuries. Instead of putting forth an argument, per se, I want to summarize what the possible positions one can take would be, and at least try to eliminate the ones that seem...
Recent Racist Rhetoric Reflections
Hot Take My take on the recent rhetoric about race. There really is evil in the world in the form of racism. Like abortion, some Christians are on the front lines fighting that evil as the outworking of their faith in Christ. This is a good thing. Some Christians are...
Run to Him
My older son was outside playing basketball down the street. He had stopped to wave at me as I drove past him on my way home from work. I walked in the door of my house and looked around. My wife was in the kitchen putting the final touches on dinner, and my youngest...
No, We Do Not Need to Own Hitler
1 You can hardly visit a social media thread/debate without seeing the commission of countless logical fallacies. The level at which unregenerate people and immature/uneducated Christians commit logical fallacies is only eclipsed by their perceived mastery of them....
Varieties of Gifts
One thing I've noticed over the past several decades of watching the NFL playoffs and Super Bowls is that the teams that go to the playoffs and deepest into the playoffs have the most Pro-Bowl selections. What is striking, though is the team with the NFL rushing...
2018 Arnold Classic Outreach Report
The Lord Jesus Christ blessed us with pleasant weather and friendly crowds at the 2018 Arnold Classic Outreach in Columbus, OH. The Arnold Classic is an international exposition featuring athletes from a number of different sports including, bodybuilding,...
The Ignoble Duties of a Noble Task
So you are interested in pastoring, eh? Paul says you desire a noble task (1 Tim. 3:1). And I think many of the tasks involved in pastoral ministry can be seen as noble from other believers on the outside looking in. After all, you get to stand on a platform week in...
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...
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...
Be Like Mike?
It seems everyone in the conservative evangelical world is trying to think more creatively about what to do to get people in church. Or how to 'be the church', which of course you can't 'be the church' if you're not regularly gathering as a local church. In today’s...