Cold, clammy, and shaking, my hands revealed more about my nerves than my face let on. Sitting in a small room at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, surrounded by bright young minds and the brilliant but piercing gaze of my PhD supervisor, I presented my first exegetical paper in a seminar on the Trinity. Yes, we … Continue reading The Critical Difference between Error and Heresy
Sinning in the Name of Christ: Ravi Zacharias, Paul Tillich, and the Skeletons under the Altar
Christian Apologist Ravi Zacharias (1946–2020) and Liberal Theologian Paul Tillich (1886–1965) share several things in common: Both men were considered premier Christian apologists. Both men rose to fame later in life. And both men used a superior position to prey upon women. Allegations against Zacharias first came to public attention in 2017, when Lori Anne … Continue reading Sinning in the Name of Christ: Ravi Zacharias, Paul Tillich, and the Skeletons under the Altar
Ministry in the Dark Winter
It’s common knowledge that the holidays are an especially-sensitive time. As we approach late-November, families wrestle with increased stress and anxiety. Money gets tight. The schedule gets full. The days grow darker and the nights grow longer. For many, the holidays aren’t the most wonderful time of year. Instead, they’re a time of increased stress, … Continue reading Ministry in the Dark Winter
When Things Don’t Go According to Plan: Attendance
I can remember my first six months as a student pastor so clearly. It was my first full-time staff position at a church. I was ready to do the hard work of ministry and see God move in powerful ways, or so I thought. One month in, we had thirty students in Sunday school. To … Continue reading When Things Don’t Go According to Plan: Attendance
When Events Don’t Go According to Plan
We've all been there. Your ministry team worked hard to put an event together. You prayed it through and knew that God would bless it. You dreamed about how many would come to know Jesus and join the church through the event. But when the time came, the event flopped. No one from the event … Continue reading When Events Don’t Go According to Plan
Let’s Get Back To Church!
After the initial freak out over the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be scary for a pastor to lead his people back to church. Because there are many opinions and so much information out there, the process of how to get back to church is not clear. While every church is different, I believe we have … Continue reading Let’s Get Back To Church!
Let’s Talk about Planning Events for the New Year
As the calendar year or the church year draws to a close, every minister is faced with the question in the next year: What are we going to do? This is a question that very well may cause anxiety on the part of the minister, but in a church walking through a revitalization process, this … Continue reading Let’s Talk about Planning Events for the New Year
Let’s Talk about Planning Church Evangelism for the New Year
All pastors know that they need to lead their churches in some form of evangelism. The issue that I find is that many pastors lose the effect of evangelism by forgetting to plan for it. Pastors are busy, and church life can be busy. Between all the pastoral duties and church events, church-wide evangelistic efforts … Continue reading Let’s Talk about Planning Church Evangelism for the New Year
How to Read Authors and Theologians with Whom You Disagree
In light of recent conversations spurred on by the Founder’s cinedoc, By What Standard?, I thought it might be of some service to offer a brief post expressing my thoughts on reading authors and theologians with whom you disagree. Frankly, I could be more specific in the title, I suppose. “How to Read James Cone,” … Continue reading How to Read Authors and Theologians with Whom You Disagree
Planning Worship Services for the New Year
Eleven plus hours on a plane is a long time! Along with the deluge of thoughts, experiences, and conversations from my time in the Horn of Africa, I was overwhelmed with the reality that a new year was quickly approaching. I was leaving a context that did not have a complete Bible translation; a context … Continue reading Planning Worship Services for the New Year