Friday's Catch: Long-Term Church Membership and More

7 Advantages Of Long-Term Church Membership

The best things in life don’t come in a hurry. They take time. But they’re worth the investment. Read More

Spiritual Drifters

Some Christians glory in their identity as a member of the Universal Church, while refusing to plug into any particular local church. They are not bringing any meaningful contribution to the family of God, just like a lonely, useless, 8-ft Lego man adrift at sea, washed up on a beach, claimed by no one, with no apparent purpose, function, or contribution to make. Read More

How to Make Your Church an Encouraging Place for Single Moms

For churches looking to welcome single moms, I can affirm the life-giving value of six practices. Read More

The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: A Response to the Influence of Bart Ehrman

How should Bible believing Christians respond to Ehrman’s influence? Read More

What to Do When You Can't Even Talk to God

It happens at times. Life gets so hard, and your faith is so stretched that it seems almost impossible even to talk to God. Sometimes you’re just plain angry at God; you know you need to pray, but you just don’t feel like it. Here are some suggestions if you truly want to be prayerfully obedient in those tough times.... Read More

Why Aren't Millennials Spending? They're Poorer Than Previous Generations, Fed Says

Since millennials first started entering the workforce, their spending habits have been blamed for killing off industries ranging from casual restaurant dining to starter houses. However, a new study by the Federal Reserve suggests it might be less about how they are spending their money and more about not having any to spend. Read More

Millennial university graduates are also heavily encumbered with student loan debt due to the soaring costs of a university education in the United States, even at publicly-funded state universities. My fellow students at the local state university are amazed when I tell them how much it cost to attend university and obtain a bachelor's degree in the early 1970s.

Thursday's Catch: The Book C.S. Lewis Didn't Write and More

The Book C. S. Lewis Was Dying to Write

It’s the book C. S. Lewis never wrote but wanted to: a guide for new believers to learn how to pray. But it was never to be, at least not in his lifetime. Read More

C. S. Lewis, Public Intellectual

The aspect of the book that I found most fascinating is Lewis’s handling of fame and his role as a public intellectual. Until World War II, Lewis was a little-known Oxford scholar, but The Screwtape Letters and his wartime talks on the BBC launched him into “international fame for which he was ill prepared.” Read More

Good News in Rural America: There’s More to the Story than Poverty and Disappointment

Jesus is alive and active in rural America. Read More

How to Tell the Difference Between a Prophet and a Crank

Truly biblical prophecy strengthens the church—without adding anything to the Bible. Read More

What Does Prophecy Look Like Today?

This article is the third in a series of four articles on the gift of prophecy in the New Testament. In the series, Jon Bloom will explore both of the major positions, look at examples in the church today, and answer some frequently asked questions. Read More

Seven Lessons for Evangelical Scholars in the Secular Academy

Over the last couple of weeks, many evangelical scholars (including myself) attended the annual conferences of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature (not to mention, the Institute for Biblical Research).

Many good papers were delivered (and heard), old friendships were rekindled, and everyone was asked the same question over and over: “So, what are you working on right now?”

While such conferences remind me of the joys of scholarship, they also remind me of the challenges. Sadly, there are many stories of well-intended evangelical scholars who set out to influence the academy, and the academy ends up influencing them. Some end up abandoning the very commitments that led them towards advanced study in the first place.

So, as these conferences come to a close, it seems fitting to reflect on the challenges of being an evangelical scholar in the secular academy. Or, more to the point, what lessons do we need to remember as we pursue our scholarly endeavors?

To answer that question, I turn to a story of a scholar who’s academic career took a highly unusual path. Rather than being an evangelical scholar who became liberal, he did the opposite. He abandoned his commitment to liberal thinking and actually became an evangelical. And when that happened, his eyes were opened up to a number of truths that he had never noticed before (or at least refused to notice). Read More

How Apologetics Can Address the Six Reasons Why Young People Leave the Church

After a five-year study, Barna Research president David Kinnaman found that 6 in 10 young people leave the church either permanently or for an extended period of time, beginning at age 15. This is an alarming statistic. Many people once thought the exodus from the faith started in college. Kinnaman found that it actually begins in the early teens.

This research does more than tell us when young people are leaving. It informs us as to why they are leaving.

In 2012, Christianity Today summarized Kinnaman’s findings into six reasons why young people leave the church....

As I read through this list, two things immediately jumped out at me. First, each of these reasons relates—in some degree—to apologetics. Now I realize this may sound a little self-serving coming from an apologist, but it’s true. If the church would begin to take the life of the mind more seriously and equip its young people to understand and defend their faith, we could meet these challenges head on.*

Second, we have good answers to these challenges. Let me give you one or two practical resources to help address each of these challenges. Read More

When You’re The Pastor, But They Won’t Let You Lead

A talk with a 25 year old pastor helped develop this post. He was frustrated with the church where he served. He was brought to the church because they wanted him to help the church grow again – or so the search committee convinced him – but they continually saw him as too young to make decisions on his own.

They wouldn’t take his suggestions and regularly voted them down at business meetings.

They consistently undermined his attempts to lead.

They expected him to speak each week and visit the sick, but they wouldn’t let him make any changes he felt needed to be made.

It made for a very miserable situation and he felt helpless to do anything about it. He was ready to quit when we talked. The situation was negatively impacting every other area of his life; his marriage, his health, and his outlook towards people and ministry.

It wasn’t the first time I have heard a story such as this. I hear it frequently from young leaders in churches and the business world. I didn’t want to be the one to tell him, but I didn’t want to mislead him either. The bottom line in this young pastor’s situation:

He is the pastor of the church, but not the leader. Read More

Living on Mission Means Living on Purpose

Evangelism is something that we know we are called to do but often struggle doing. In a 2012 Lifeway study, 80 percent of those surveyed believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, but more than 60 percent have not told another person about how to become a Christian in the last six months. To make the point further, Lifeway identified eight biblical attributes that are consistently evident in the lives of maturing believers and sharing the gospel had the lowest average score among those surveyed.

What does this mean? It means that the majority of people have a biblical understanding about our responsibility for evangelism but an incorrect application of this understanding. In other words, we know what we are supposed to do but are not doing it.

It doesn’t just happen; nobody falls into evangelistic faithfulness. Living on mission means living on purpose. It looks like an embracing of a biblical identity and responding with biblical urgency.

"Like most things in life, evangelism requires personal effort, endurance through difficulty, and the regular repetition of basic (unglamorous) tasks."

Two keys to help with this are identity and urgency. Read More

You Are Blessed to be a Blessing

Probably because of the individualistic culture that we live in, but it is not infrequent that I meet a Christian who thinks about his or her Christian life in individualistic terms. Yes, your forgiveness of sins and receiving Christ are important. But there’s more to your Christian life than this. In other words, the act of God saving you is not solely for your benefit. Your salvation is not just for you. You are blessed to be a blessing. Read More

Photo by Rawpexel on Unsplash

Pastor, Show Them How to Talk About Jesus

Pastor, are you satisfied with the evangelism in your congregation? Me neither.

I’m sure every pastor wants to see more evangelism—and not just by the professional staff and unusually gifted. We want to see ordinary church people—stay-at-home parents and students, executives and retirees, mechanics and musicians, talking to their friends, co-workers, and family members about Jesus. So why aren’t they? Could it be that some of them simply don’t know how? They talk to non-Christians every day, but they have no idea how to turn daily conversations into gospel conversations.

And pastors, that’s where we can help. We need to do more than encourage and exhort our people to have gospel conversations. We need to teach them how. Below are six ways I do this in my own congregation. None of them requires elaborate programs, specialized staff, or additional meetings. Each simply requires you, as pastor or leader, to be intentional. Read More

Tuesday's Catch: "Sleep with Your Boots On" and More

Sleep with Your Boots On

Do you know that the devil is fully aware of your weaknesses? He knows your particular blind spots, your vulnerabilities. He knows which sins you struggle with the most. He knows what things irritate you, frustrate you, and distract you. He knows exactly what desire or longing is specific to your personality and wiring. And he is every day working the angles to exploit them and bring you down. Satan has a file on you, and he is working it every minute of every day to make sure you fall. Read More

How Loneliness Is Tearing America Apart

When people have a hole in their life, they often fill it with angry politics. Read More

Friendly, Caring, and Carrying Churches

Three steps to move into deeper church community. Read More

9 Common Myths Christians Believe At Christmas

Which of these nine common myths do you believe? Read More

Reading the Bible for the Ten Thousandth Time

By instinct we know that first-time readers of the Bible need guidance. But long-time readers need help too. In this article we’ll explore some of the ways to combat boredom and lethargy for experienced Bible readers. Read More

Should Worship Be Fun

More than once, I’ve heard Christians insist that worship should be fun, or act like they had a responsibility to prove that Christians knew how to “party” in church. I’ve always been uncomfortable with that connection, so I started thinking about the place of “fun” in worship, if one even exists. I’m going to address this question by answering it as I posed it, and then considering two other ways it might be phrased. Read More

It’s Not Our Job to “Finish” the Missionary Task

Is the completion of world evangelization in fact coterminous with the biblical missionary task. Read More

Nine Updated Trends about Christmas Eve Services

Christmas Eve is less than a month away. Most churches have some type of Christmas Eve services, but we are seeing clear trends in how churches approach them. Every time we write or podcast something about these services, we get a lot of comments and questions. In that context, here is an update on nine clear trends we are seeing.... Read More

Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash

Understanding The New Apathy About Church Attendance

Most people who don’t attend church are not making a conscious choice against it. Choosing requires awareness.

Why are fewer people going to church? And what can we do about it?

This may be the main topic of conversation among pastors today.

For example, while scrolling through my Facebook feed last weekend, I came across multiple posts with sarcastic takes on how sad/interesting/ridiculous it is that people can get up early for a sale at Walmart or to sit on freezing seats for a sporting event, but they can’t get up for church on Sunday.

Oh my.

There are so many things wrong with that kind of thinking I hardly know where to start. Read More

Photo by Julian Howard on Unsplash

3 Internet Accusations Against Missionaries

The death of John Allen Chau in India has brought out an onslaught of internet hatred. While some of this hatred has been aimed at the methodology of this particular missionary, much of it has been against Christian missionaries in general. And as much as I would like to imagine that these comments represent only those who are not believers, I fear that such thinking has also invaded the church. So, I thought I would address some of the accusations.... Read More

Related Articles:
Was Murdered Missionary John Chau An Arrogant Fool?
Incomprehensible Evangelicals and the Death of John Allen Chau
US Missionary Killed by ‘World’s Most Isolated’ Tribe

Classism Exists in the Church—and It’s Hurting All of Us

This article, retitled "Valuing the Poor in Our Midst," also appears on the Outreach Magazine website.

“Pastor, we have a diversity problem.”

I knew where this was going. Her stern, soul-piercing stare told me all I needed to know. She did not mean what you might expect her to mean, but four years as her pastor prepared me for what followed. By “diversity,” she meant people who didn’t measure up to her standards. And she didn’t mean some swath of people. She meant one person in particular was a problem: Shelley.

I nodded and let her lay out her case. Shelley smelled. Shelley wore dirty clothes. Shelley used coarse language. Shelley smelled like pot. Shelley fell asleep during my sermons. Shelley didn’t belong.

“She’s also confessed faith in Jesus, which makes her one of us,” I said with as much grace and gentleness as a challenged pastor might muster.

“Don’t matter. It’s her way of being, it’s just too, uh, too…poor.”

There it was, the real crux of the issue: Shelley didn’t meet the standards because of any number of issues perceived as endemic to poverty in America. Read More

Members of the congregation may not say anything about the presence of someone from a different social-economic class in the church but they will evidence their distaste for that individual's presence by their actions: They will generally shun the person, avoiding any meaningful interaction with him or her. The message their actions convey is "You do not fit in here. You are not welcome." This attitude, however, is not consistent with Jesus' teachings and example. 

Bigger Is Not Necessarily Better: 3 Reasons I'm Convinced God Most Often Builds His Church Small

Bigger is not necessarily better. When I need to tighten a screw in my glasses, I need the right tool for the job—a tiny little screwdriver.

It’s the same with churches. God uses big churches for certain Kingdom jobs, and God uses little churches for specific assignments. Bigger churches can do things smaller cannot do. And little churches do things much larger churches can never do.

Statistically speaking, the vast majority of churches in America average less than 500 in weekly attendance. In fact, the best data suggests that approximately 35 percent of American churches average between 100-499, and at least 60 percent of churches in America have an average attendance between 1-99 people.

No more than 2.5 or 3 percent of American churches fall into the category of being a “megachurch.” Those that do are really phenomena of the modern cultural era. It would appear that God in His sovereignty finds small tools abundantly necessary for His work in the world. Read More

Attempt Great Things for God?

Very few of us enter the ministry with a desire to be famous. But the heart is deceitful, and it’s easy for our hearts to become proud.

I thought of this recently as I preached from Mark 3:13-19 . Jesus calls twelve disciples; seven of the twelve make their only appearance in Mark’s gospel in this passage. What a bummer. Jesus chooses you out of the crowds to be one of his twelve. You enter the stage and exit just as quickly. No fuss, no great stories, no fame. Fame and applause is not what following Jesus is about.

I wonder: am I content with being called and unknown? Am I willing to serve in obscurity but be known by Jesus? Read More

Also See
2 Dangers In Doing the Lord’s Work
Knowing When to Say ‘No’ to a Leadership Opportunity

Practical Preaching Advice for Pastors and Lay Preachers #27

Boring Preaching Is a Crime! 7 Ways to Be Interesting

"If you think the gathering of biblical facts and standing up with a Bible in your hand will automatically equip you to communicate well, you are desperately mistaken. It will not. You must work at being interesting. Boredom is a gross violation, being dull is a grave offense, and irrelevance is a disgrace to the gospel. Too often these three crimes go unpunished and we preachers are the criminals." ~ Charles Swindoll Read More

Digging Deep: How Do You Define The Ministry Of The Word?

"The ministry of the word is stewarding and heralding God's word in such a way that people encounter God through his word." Read More

12 Recommended Books On Preaching

We at Southeastern Seminary have an incredible preaching faculty, including Danny Akin, Jim Shaddix, Scott Pace, Dwayne Milioni, and Ronjour Locke. Actually, while I had good preaching professors as a student, I’m jealous of our students who get to learn from these men (especially our doctoral students who get significant interaction with them). I asked them to give me some books on preaching they would want preachers to read, and here are their recommendations in no order of preference....Read More

My Top 10 Secrets to Improve Your Public Speaking

If you’re going very far as a leader or creative professional, sooner or later you’ll need to speak to audiences. Whether it’s a conference keynote, workshop or you just need to inspire your team at the office or studio, I believe every leader should be comfortable speaking in front of a group. However, there are plenty of speakers, preachers and teachers who simply aren’t capable of captivating an audience. That’s why I created these top ten secrets that will take your public speaking to a new level. Conquer this list and you’re on your way.... Read More

Al Mohler: Expository Preaching Is The Antidote To Anemic Preaching

"The anemia of evangelical worship—all the music and energy aside—is directly attributable to the absence of genuine expository preaching." Read More

Tips to Improve Your Sermon Preparation

One of the ways I prepare for sermons is by constantly collecting content—things like news stories or statistics that might make a good illustration, anecdotes and quotes, and Bible verses based on a common theme. Read More

Why Is the Music so Loud in My Worship Service? [Podcast]

Mike Harland joins Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe to answer one of the biggest questions in church worship services today: why is it so loud? Listen Now

Two common justifications for loud music are that young people want to feel the beat of the music and loud music spares attendees of worship services the embarrassment of hearing themselves and those around them sing. A third common justification is that unchurched people have little or no interest in singing hymns and worship songs. They come to hear the band and the preacher. All three rationales for loud music ignore the fact that in order to be corporate worship, the audible vocal participation of the congregation is required. 

3 Reasons to Resist Temptation

If we’re to help our people endure temptation and overcome sin, then we need to help them understand the nature of sin. There are many places in Scripture where we could go to think through this idea, but in 1 Corinthians 10, the apostle Paul reminds us learning from the past is a very important factor in enduring temptation and overcoming sin.

Just as a child learns not to touch a hot burner after she’s been burned, we should also learn from the past consequences of our own sins. Yet for some of us, past consequences are not enough to keep us from sin.

The battle against sin can be an overwhelming struggle because we underestimate how sin operates. That’s why understanding the nature of sin is so important.

If we’re to endure temptation and overcome sin, we must understand sin is deceptive, divisive, and destructive. Read More

Climate Change Will Shrink US Economy and Kill Thousands, Government Report Warns

A new US government report delivers a dire warning about climate change and its devastating impacts, saying the economy could lose hundreds of billions of dollars -- or, in the worst-case scenario, more than 10% of its GDP -- by the end of the century.

The federally mandated study was supposed to come out in December but was released by the Trump administration on Friday, at a time when many Americans are on a long holiday weekend, distracted by family and shopping.

David Easterling, director of the Technical Support Unit at the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, emphasized that there was "no external interference in the report's development." He added that the climate change the Earth is experiencing is unlike any other. "The global average temperature is much higher and is rising more rapidly than anything modern civilization has experienced, and this warming trend can only be explained by human activities," Easterling said.

Coming from the US Global Change Research Program, a team of 13 federal agencies, the Fourth National Climate Assessment was put together with the help of 1,000 people, including 300 leading scientists, roughly half from outside the government. Read More

Related Articles:
Giant 'Waves' in the Sky Wreak Havoc on Our Weather, Study Says
Climate change will bring multiple disasters at once, study warns

This year westernmost Kentucky had snow in November. We normally  do not have snow until sometime after Christmas. The warming of the earth's atmosphere is causing a change in the air currents in the upper atmosphere and this change is affecting our weather. We are experiencing colder and longer winters because these air currents are moving frigid air south from the Arctic while moving warmer air north--an effect of atmospheric warming.

Archaeological studies reveal that humans have always had an impact on their environment even when they were hunter-gatherers, roaming the earth in small groups. We are only beginning to understand the severity and extent of that impact. These studies also show that climate change has had an impact on the human race. Arable land became desert. Rising water levels turned once habitable land into swamp or submerged it entirely.

Climate change is going to confront Christians with new challenges whatever we may believe is the principal cause. Caring for God's creation and being good stewards of what God has entrusted to us entails making wise choices--thinking through how what we are doing now will affects the lives of future generations. Loving our neighbors means loving the neighbors whom we will never see because they have not yet been born. We may not live in the same time but we share the same world. May they remember us for not greedily wasting the earth's resources, polluting its air and water, and raising its atmosphere's temperature, and thereby causing untold misery; but for selflessly showing our love for the human race by our choices.

Saturday Lagniappe: Church Revitalization Resourcing and More

Four Steps For Denominations to Resource Church Revitalization

Resourcing isn’t always monetary. Read More

Three Ways Churches Think They're Known in Their Communities

What is your church known for in the community? What are your members actually doing in the community and for the community? Read More

7 Keys to Growing Your Church's Midweek Services

With the rapid changes happening in church culture and church norms it should be no surprise that many midweek services can now be more appropriately labeled mid-weak services.... However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Midweek gatherings can still be a vibrant part of the life of your church if done well and tailored to fit your context. Here are seven things you can do to keep your midweek services from being mid-weak.... Read More

Take note of the niche that Brentwod Baptist in Nashville Tennessee found when it started a Tuesday night young adult service. We can create entry points for the church with a weeknight service for those who for various reasons may never come on a Sunday morning.

Make The Most Of Your Christmas Tree

While this wonderful holiday season is about a tree, it’s not about the beautiful tree in your living room that you’ve so carefully decorated. Read More

How to Write a Life Plan for the New Year

As we head into a new year, I want to help you think through life planning. I believe in purposeful living. Read More

This article is part 1 in a five-part article. If you scroll down to just after the last paragraph of the article, you will find links to parts 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the article.

10 Differences Between Baby Believers and Believers Who Are Babies

I suspect all churches have at least one of these persons. Baby believers are those young believers who are just now learning how to walk with Christ, but who are fresh in their faith. Believers who are babies, on the other hand, are usually longer-term believers (often undiscipled) who don’t act like mature believers. Here are some of the differences I see.... Read More

8 Types of Christians Whose Online Behavior Hurts Their Witness

Excerpted From Christians in the Age of Outrage

We live in a world that is bombarded by technological developments, and our habits are being developed long before we stop to think whether these advancements and practices are helpful. In a study charting the well-being among American adolescents (measured by self-esteem, life satisfaction and happiness), psychologists discovered a significant decline beginning after 2012.

In exploring the underlying causes, researchers observed that increased use of smartphones by teenagers is likely a contributor to the trend. They found that teenagers who spent more time engaged in screen activities (e.g., social media, the internet, texting and gaming) registered lower levels of psychological well-being. On the other hand, teenagers who limited smartphone use and regularly engaged in nonscreen activities such as in-person social interactions, sports or exercise, homework and attending church activities had higher psychological well-being. In essence, technology use is having a noticeable and negative effect on our kids. Now I’m not suggesting we should return to the days of landlines or carrier pigeons, but it’s worth considering how our technology is shaping us.

Christians often have the same bad habits as everyone else, which not only damage their well-being and relationships, but also their spiritual vitality and witness.

There are several kinds of Christians who hurt our witness through their online behavior. Not all these categories are equally destructive, but they all carry inherent risk that needs to be understood. Though I can think of many Christian leaders who fall into each of these groups, my objective is not to call out examples of specific Christian leaders. In fact, people throughout the church—pastors and laypeople, theologians and students, elders and greeters—fall into these patterns. Our eyes will be drawn to find categories for the people who annoy us, but I’d encourage you to think through these examples in two ways. First, what category do those whom you are allowing to influence you fall? Second, where do you fit? Read More

Read Like an Apostle

The early disciples gave evidence of the concept of Christ as the target of the Old Testament; but, should we read the Old Testament like they did? That is an ever pressing hermeneutical question. I want to suggest that the answer is a resounding "yes!" Consider John 2:13-22 as a case study.... Read More

Brits’ Top Response to Theology Questions? ‘Don’t Know’

Uncertainty and heresy are common in the UK, but evangelicals stand out for fidelity to orthodoxy.

A third of people in the United Kingdom say they don’t know whether the Resurrection actually occurred, whether God counts a person righteous based on faith alone, or whether trust in Jesus alone leads to salvation.

In Ligonier Ministries’ first-ever State of Theology survey conducted in the UK, “I don’t know” was the top response to numerous questions about Jesus, sin, the Bible, salvation, and other rudimentary theological concepts. (CT has covered the US version of the survey in 2014, 2016, and 2018.)

Many Brits remain ambivalent on matters of faith. About a third were unsure about the nature of the Trinity (31%), Jesus’ bodily resurrection (33%), the existence of hell (30%), and Jesus’ return (31%). Even more, 36 percent, said they didn’t know whether to agree or disagree with the statement, “God counts a person as righteous not because of one’s own works but only because of one’s faith in Jesus Christ.” Read More

Fostering an Attitude of Gratitude

Changing our posture towards God’s goodness in our lives will begin us on the path towards a changed heart.

It’s that time of year again. Each year when late November starts rolling around, churchgoers everywhere can expect a sermon (or a series of sermons) on the same topic: giving thanks.

I have one coming up this weekend at my church, Highpoint Church.

Not only does Thanksgiving create an opportunity to enjoy large amounts of delicious food with friends and family, but the holiday also serves as a convenient reminder to pause and reflect. Thanksgiving makes a seasonally appropriate time for all of us to think about the ways that God has so generously blessed us. Read More

Also See:
This Thanksgiving, I’m Thankful for Difficult People
10 Ways to Show Gratitude the Rest of the Year
A Simple Prayer to Pray This Thanksgiving

Five Examples of Small Victories in Struggling Churches - Revitalize & Replant #068

Churches often underestimate how small wins can create momentum—to the point where they don’t even recognize the victories. Today Thom Rainer, Mark Clifton, and Jonathan Howe discuss what small wins to look for, what to do, and how to celebrate them. Listen Now

When Others Don't See Your Calling

“Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not” (Acts 7:25).

Your calling is revealed to you before it is revealed to others. God often gives us a glimpse of the future long before it is actualized. Consider Moses as an example. We are told, “Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel” (Acts 7:23).

When Moses was forty, “it came into his heart” to visit his people. Destiny had been awakened within him. He felt a burden toward his brethren, the children of Israel. He knew he was called to deliver them from Egyptian bondage. Immediately, he was compelled to action. Read More

The Psalms on True Praise and Thanksgiving

BARAK: Blessing the Lord • This Hebrew word for praise (pronounced baw-rak’), refers to making an action of thanksgiving (a verb) rather than a thing to be given or created. It is most commonly translated to mean either “kneel” or “bless.” It is contained in 289 verses, only 68 of which are in the Psalms.

One unique feature about this biblical word for praise is it is something we do for God, He does this for us and we do it for one another. It takes place in both formal and informal settings, publicly and privately. It is a form of praise that God commands us to do. God blessed the Sabbath day itself and made it holy. Generally when the Bible refers to God doing this for others, it is in a tangible form, as in a gift. When we do this for God, it is more of an act of thanksgiving and acknowledgment for who God is and what He has done. God specifically promises to do this for people who are generous and for those who trust in Him.

In the various scriptural examples of people doing this, it is generally described as bowing down, lying down or kneeling while lifting hands and doing homage verbally. When it was done for other people, the person doing the action typically stood with raised hands, and the recipient often bowed or knelt. (Picture someone being knighted by a king.) In the early middle ages, the church depicted this by crossing their arms over their chests as a sign of reverence. This later turned into folding one’s hands. While we still occasionally kneel, other actions that depict this includes bowing our heads. Read More

Let Your Internet Yes Be Your Real-Life Yes

The Problem with Online Persona

Perhaps the shift began when children stopped saying they wanted to be doctors, firemen, and teachers when they grow up and started saying actors, singers, and sports stars. Maybe it began with the manufactured reality of reality TV. Maybe it began when we stopped “going onto the internet” and the internet became the water we swim in. Maybe it began when, out of a need to be viral, every stay-at-home-mom turned her sassy-rants into YouTube shows and every upper-middle-class suburban family turned their life into a reality TV program. I don’t know when it began, but at some point we stopped living like persons and started living like personas.

And the persona has taken over.

The persona allows us to say and do whatever it is our desired audience desires, whatever it takes in fact to maintain the persona and—fingers crossed—turn the persona into a brand. Meanwhile, the person shrinks, and his or her soul along with it. Read More

How to Start a Conversation About Jesus

A friend of mine likes to say, “The best gospel presentation is the one given.” That’s true. And convicting. Many good books, sermons, and seminars can help us prepare to share our faith. But none of these resources can do for us what we often find the hardest thing to do: just start the conversation.

We often feel helpless when it comes to our friends and their eternities. We justify the self-centeredness that ignores our neighbors. We subtly, maybe even subconsciously, question the truths that would loose our tongues and break other peoples’ chains — all in favor of maintaining a more comfortable silence. If we’re brutally honest with ourselves, we’re content to avoid our fears, accept our obstacles, and nurture our self-centeredness. So, we tell ourselves that someone else will share the gospel; or that the potential awkwardness, rejection, or persecution are not worth it; or that God is not likely to save those people anyway. God help us.

Thankfully, he does help us! We need God’s help to lift our eyes and see we are surrounded by dead people who desperately need us to preach the gospel and live out the life of Christ in their midst. When we focus on what’s really real — the facts that God exists, his wrath against sin is coming, his gospel is the only way to eternal joy, souls are precious and perishing, and the lost sheep will hear their Shepherd’s voice — then evangelism becomes utterly exciting. Read More

Photo by Trung Thanh on Unsplash

What the Church in the West Should Know about Missions in Africa

A few months ago I was engaged in a conversation with an American pastor who is slowly becoming a dear friend. His church has sent and supports missions in Europe, South America and Africa. Upon hearing that I am from Africa he wanted to hear my thoughts about missions in Africa and what his church should know about the state of the church on the continent. What started off as a one on one conversation ended up being a group talk with a few other brothers joining in. This prompted me to put my thoughts into writing for the sake of clarity. Two caveats are wise at this point. Firstly, I will largely draw my thoughts from the Zambian scene, and secondly, I will speak in general terms. So, there are exceptions to every point that follows. Read More

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Ukrainian Church Breaks 300+ Year Subordination to Russia

Following a historic power struggle in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the religion’s highest body has declared that Ukraine’s Orthodox churches will officially unify in December. That move will end a 359-year subordination of the Ukrainian church to the Russian church.

After the Unification Council of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine occurs next month (on a date still to be determined), the Ukrainian church will be subordinate only to central Orthodox officials in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). A patriarch of Kiev will be named at the December council. Read More

Are We Really in Danger of Making an Idol of the Family?

“One of the acceptable idolatries among evangelical Christians is the idolatry of the family.”

That’s what I tweeted last week. To be honest, I didn’t think much about it. I’ve said similar things in sermons for the past decade, and I’ve tweeted similar things before. But this time—I was later told by friends who track with Twitter more closely than I do—the statement took on a life of its own as this one sentence was liked 1,600 times and bandied about on social media for the next few days. Unknown to me, I was (depending on who you ask) suddenly saying something wonderfully courageous or terribly misguided.

So let me clarify.

As far as I can tell, I first uttered this statement (or something close to it) in a 2010 sermon on Mark 3:31-35 entitled Jesus’s Real Family. The tweet itself comes from a more recent sermon on the miracle at Cana in Galilee. My point in both cases was that a commitment to family must not come before a commitment to God. Read More

Also See:
Do Christians Focus Too Much on the Family?

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Revitalize and Replant: Is Relaunch a Third Way?

As we seek to work with churches around the world, we use two words regularly to describe the efforts toward greater health: revitalize or replant. In simple terms, revitalize represents the church attempting to move toward greater health by making changes from within. Replant means an external entity, such as another church, essentially takes over the church and starts it anew.

Is relaunch a possible third way? I think so.

Some define relaunch as an extreme form of revitalization. The existing congregation may close the church for a few weeks and re-open it with a new commitment and, perhaps, a new identity. Others, like my friend Mark Clifton, see relaunch as an internal replant.

Because relaunch is often defined in terms of either revitalization or replanting, it gets little attention. It does not have its own identity and, therefore, does not get the focus of the other two emphases.

Let’s look at some issues we might consider if we look at relaunching as a distinct and viable third way to move churches toward greater health. Read More

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Top 10 Reasons Leaders Stop Leading: And How to Get Going Again

Just because you have a leadership position doesn’t mean you are leading. That’s a sobering thought.

All of us who carry the responsibility to lead must be honest about the question, “Are you leading?”

It’s so easy to be busy, work hard, even feel exhausted, and not actually be leading. In fact, in many cases the leader is working so hard and is so busy, they don’t realize they are not leading. Read More

Also See:
6 Keys to Starting Your Next Ministry Season Right
5 Reasons Why a Handwritten "Thank You" Note Can Make a Difference

The Only Way To Promote And Sustain Necessary Change In The Church

Changing because the mission demands it is the only way to make changes that last.

There’s only one good reason to move a church toward change.

Because the mission demands it.

This is also the only way to sustain the change in the long term.

This is why, despite all the bad reasons for and against change, the church must constantly be in a state of mission-driven change. Read More

Also See:
How Can You Tell If A Church Is On Offense Or Defense?
One Simple Step To Create A Year-End Giving Bump In Your Church

Church Planter, Change Is Hard. And Good.

It’s easy to take for granted the familiar. When the status quo is maintained, we can drift into unawareness of what’s really important to us—what we’re living for, what’s driving our decisions, what we’re placing a premium on. When the status quo is interrupted, though, everything changes.

Moving to a new place makes you realize what you took for granted in your previous community. Losing a loved one confronts us with what really matters in life. Bringing home your first child turns your priorities upside-down (and makes you treasure sleep in a new way).

Simply put, change can show us where we’re placing our value—and where that value is perhaps misplaced. It’s no wonder, then, that God often uses change to both reveal and also refine our value systems. We all know our priorities are not always in line with God’s. Change can be a good, albeit difficult, way of aligning them.

And few things require the hard work of change like the crucible of church planting. Read More

8 Characteristics of a 1 Corinthians 12 Church

Many of us grew up in churches where the pastors did most of the work, and few of us were challenged to find our place in the church. These churches weren’t what I call “1 Corinthians 12” churches – churches that understand what it means to be the Body of Christ. Use these markers to determine if your church is a 1 Corinthians 12 church.... Read More

Also See:
6 Implications of 1 Cor. 12:14--"Not One Part but Many"

The Necessity of Teachability for Mission

The church needs a resurgence in teachability if we’re going to see a movement of evangelism in our day.

Anyone who writes for public consumption on a regular basis is forced to wonder whether readers’ views are shaped, or even changed, by the steady consumption of pieces like this one. I often fear that, rather than altering anyone’s perception, most writing merely reinforces previously held presuppositions and creates an unending echo-chamber among those who already think alike. Read More

Generation Z Is The Most Racially And Ethnically Diverse Yet

The youngest generation in the U.S. is entering adulthood as the country's most racially and ethnically diverse generation and is on its way to becoming the best educated generation yet, according to a Pew Research Center report released Thursday.

While there is no agreement so far on what to call these young people born after 1996 — some say Generation Z, others iGen — researchers say there are demographic trends that separate them from millennials, who were once also heralded for their broad racial and ethnic makeup.

The researchers analyzed post-millennials who are currently between the ages of 6 and 21. They found nearly half — 48 percent — are from communities of color. Read More

Also See:
Why Are Young People Having So Little Sex?
Alcohol Is Killing More People Per Year than the Opioid Crisis, and Most Deaths Are Young Women

Photo by Hansi Lo Wang on NPR

Tuesday's Catch: The Trauma-Informed Church and More

How to Become a Trauma-Informed Congregation

These suggestions will help your church better care for survivors of abuse. Read More

Give Thanks for What Others Have That You Don’t

This Thanksgiving, praise God for other people’s blessings—even the ones you wish for. Read More

12 Tips for Navigating the Holidays While Hurting

Take a moment during this season of “good cheer” and consider people in your congregation or small group who may be in the wake of loss. Read More

Populism vs. Progressivism: Who Knows Best?

Opposing types of knowledge are at the heart of today’s polarization. How does a Christian decide? Read More

Penal Substitution and Gospel Proclamation

It is one thing to accept that a doctrine is true; it is quite another for it to shape the life and ministry of the church. The doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement (PSA) is a controversial doctrine in some circles. But those of us who affirm that it is a truly biblical doctrine need to grapple carefully with how it should shape and inform our ministry. Read More

The “Softer” Side of Leadership May Be Stronger Than You Think

It’s true that no one wants to follow an insecure, indecisive, or ineffective leader. Qualities like confident, decisive and courageous are essential and needed. Great leaders can handle the tough circumstances that come their way. But tough-minded leaders must also be tender-hearted, or their leadership becomes cold and hard. Read More

Why Cool Church Doesn't Work Anymore (More on the Future Church)

Everything has its season.

And the season of the cool church is, in many ways, coming to an end.

Recently, I wrote a post that generated a lot of discussion online and offline about why charismatic churches are growing and attractional churches are past peak. You can read that post here.

To drill down further, here’s more on what’s been happening as the culture changes around us.

So flip back a few decades…There was an era when simply being a cooler, more relevant church than the church down the road helped churches reach unchurched people.

There was a day when all you had to do was improve the church you led to gain traction.

Trade in the choir for a band. Turn the chancel into a platform. Add some lights, some sound, some haze. Get some great teaching in the room. And voila, you had a growing church.

But we’re quickly moving into a season where having a cool church is like having the best choir in town: it’s wonderful for the handful of people who still listen to choral music.

Somethings changing. And hundreds of thousands of dollars in lights and great sound gear are probably not going to impact your community like they used to.

So what’s changing? Plenty. Read More

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Four Key Attitudes That Are Killing Church Attendance

There has been much written on declining attendance in churches. Specifically, many of us have addressed the issue of attendance frequency where even “active” church members attend less frequently.

Many pundits have rightly observed the impact of culture on the church, where church is, at best, just another activity. We have also addressed the issue of increasing choices. Many church members and attendees have so many opportunities to do other activities, and they can often afford them like never before. Still others note the increasing numbers of people working on Sunday, precluding them from attending worship services that day. Even more lament the reality that many children’s sports have been moved to Sundays.

These reasons are sound. But behind many of these reasons are attitudinal issues. These attitudinal issues are really the sources of the problem. And there are four attitudes in particular that have a devastating effect on church attendance. Read More

The Bible Is Better than Basic Instructions

Early on in my faith, I started to realize that something was missing. I was growing in my faith without question, but I saw a tension between what I was being taught and what I read in my Bible. Lots of principles—good principles, even biblical ones—commands, and values. There was an idea of this book being, essentially, basic instructions before leaving earth.1

Now, I’m all for teaching wisdom. I’m all about helping people to grow and live faithfully. But when we only teach wisdom or principles, I have to wonder if we’re missing something. If by taking that approach, we might be a little bit like the Pharisees, the group Jesus often encountered during His ministry. Read More