On the Internet: "Why I Am Not Atheist" and More

Why I Am Not Atheist

Today I embark on the first part of my promised series “Why I Am Not.” This series was provoked by the question of how I came by my religious beliefs. Why do I believe so strongly in the existence of a God instead of doubting or denying it? Why am I Protestant instead of Roman Catholic? I began to think about these questions and many more and, naturally, my thoughts worked themselves out in writing. Today I want to begin with the broadest question of all and tell why I am not an atheist. My goal is not first to persuade but simply to explain. Read More

Five Signs Your Church Has Gone Too Far with Marketing

Our church should be more about the substance than the image. But when we boil it all down, is it really? Read More

Church "fills in the gaps" for people dealing with hunger

According to data compiled by the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research, 19 percent of Kentuckians were "food insecure" in 2014, the last year of available data. That means they were limited in their ability to acquire adequate food and may have gone hungry because there wasn't enough money for food. God's Kitchen provides free breakfast and lunch for people in the Shelbyville community three days a week. The ministry is a partnership between 12 area churches that work together to provide meals, as well as a short devotion, every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Read More

What is your church, Sunday school class, or small group doing to fill in the gaps in your community? What else could it do?

Three Essentials in Evaluating Chemistry During an Interview

How do you evaluate fit or chemistry during an interview? Read More

7 Surprises Since Becoming a Pastor

There are some similarities it seems with all pastors. And some of these, or at least the degree to which they exist, has been surprising. Read More

3 Ways We Miss the Mark in Church Worship

When the substance of our worship drifts off course, it’s worth reflecting on our practice to consider whether God is nudging us in a different direction. With that possibility in mind, I want to offer three common ways we miss the boat when it comes to worship. Read More

Charles Finney Was Not a Fan of Babies (or Dogs) in Church

The revival preacher had no patience for distractions. But was he right? Read More

The Power of Public Prayer in the Church

Our public prayers in our corporate worship services have a massive impact on the prayer lives of God’s people, in that such prayers teach the church how to approach our transcendent but immanent God. They also bring power to our churches. The immense importance of the corporate prayers of the body of Christ rests on Scripture’s direct accounts of the power wrought by such prayers and the apostolic dependence on the prayers of the church. Read More

Cultivating Virtue in Pursuit of Knowledge

The cultivation of virtue is essential to healthy intellectual life. The virtues make us better learners and better thinkers. Beyond the historic cardinal virtues—and one can easily envision how the practice of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice would aid one in the pursuit of knowledge—there are other Christian virtues that not only contribute to one’s sanctification but also are essential to the pursuit of knowledge. Read More

United Kingdom: Most people who stop going to Church retain their Christian faith, researchers say

The story told is one of continual Church decline, with secularisation and other faiths on the rise against the retreating tide of Christianity. But latest research in Britain shows the future might be brighter than many fear or imagine. Read More

As many as 4 in 10 gay men have HIV in some Southern cities

Three out of every 10 gay or bisexual men in several cities in the U.S. South have been diagnosed with the AIDS virus, three times the national rate, according to a study about how common HIV infections are in metro areas. Read More

Among the implications is a much higher number of gay men are infected with HIV/AIDS in these Southern cities but have not yet been diagnosed as having the disease. 

Photo: Old State Capitol, Baton Rouge, Louisiana