Wednesday's Catch: Military Ministry and More

Three Lessons for Military Ministry

Ministry in a military community offers many unique opportunities and challenges. As we approach Veterans Day, it’s important to consider how you can effectively reach those in the military who are a part of your church and community. Here are three things to keep in mind. Read More

A community that has a National Guard armory is a military community as much as a community that is close to a military base.

The Embodied Church in a Digital Age

Should we cheer or moan when online churches perform virtual baptisms? Read More

In the Anglican tradition a baptism without water is not a valid baptism. Water is the matter of the sacrament irregardless of whether it is administered by immersion or pouring. If a home-bound person wishes others to witness the baptism, video-recording or live-streaming the administration of the sacrament may be appropriate but the virtual baptism of an avatar with virtual water would not be valid anymore than the Mormon practice of baptizing the living for the dead. Virtual church also raises questions about the nature of the Body of Christ, the nature of pastoral ministry, and other theological issues.

10 Reasons the Old Testament Is Important for Christians

If Christians are part of the new covenant, why should we seek to understand and apply the Old Testament (OT)?  I’ll give 10 reasons why the first word in the phrase Old Testament must not mean unimportant or insignificant to Christians. Read More

Churches Risk Non-Profit Status to Make Political Statements

As the contentious midterm elections approached, some churches pushed legal boundaries by displaying campaign-related signs and slogans. Although U.S. tax code prohibits churches and other non-profit organizations from engaging in politics, IRS enforcement in that area has been lax, experts say. Adding to the concerns of community members and local officials, several churches that broadcast political messages also served as polling places. Read More

In westernmost Kentucky where I now live, churches are used a polling places as well as schools, community centers, and local government buildings. In southeast Louisiana where I used to live, schools, community centers, and local government buildings were used as polling places but not churches. The federal constitutional separation of church and state was interpreted to exclude churches as polling places as it was thought that the use of churches would unduly influence the voters. Baptists were particularly strong proponents of this policy in a region of the state that had a large Roman Catholic population. 

It’s Not Our ‘Christian Responsibility’ to Be Politically Engaged

Today is election day. The midterm elections are happening as I type, after weeks of acrimony and turmoil. In about 14 hours it will all be over, thankfully. Then we can begin treating each other badly in anticipation of the 2020 election.

Every election cycle, I see the words repeated. They are spoken, typed on Facebook, and broadcast on Twitter. It has become a part of Christian culture, like the words “amen” and “after-church potluck.”

“It’s our Christian responsibility.”

“This election is crucial. It’s our Christian responsibility to vote.”

“The future of our nation is at stake. It is our Christian responsibility to be politically engaged.”

“The fate of the church is at stake. It is our Christian responsibility to elect leaders who will defend it.”

But is it really our “Christian responsibility?” Or is that simply a product of cultural Christianity instead of biblical discipleship? (And with those two questions, I have just touched the third rail of US evangelicalism. To question that core belief can get you excommunicated from some churches and cause many to call into question your very salvation. I know, because I would have been outraged by those questions not that long ago.)

But can we lay aside what we have always been told for just a moment to ask the questions? What can it hurt to check to make sure that what we believe and live is actually true to the Word of God?

So, allow me a moment to give you the following arguments against a Christ-follower’s political involvement.... Read More

In too many churches politics is displacing evangelism and mission.

Tuesday's Catch: "Care for Your Community" and More

Care for your Community; Don’t Merely Consume From It

In the summer of 2010, Kaye and I were on vacation in New York City and we attended services at Redeemer Presbyterian church. Before the sermon, a young man stood in front of the congregation and prayed to the Lord on behalf of the whole congregation. He prayed specifically for the city they lived in and he prayed that the Lord would help the church not to “use the city” but to “serve the city,” that they would be a people who would “contribute to the city” and not only “consume from the city.” The language revealed the heart of the church and it was challenging to me. Read More

What John Stott Has Said About the Social Justice Debate

We don’t have to wonder what John Stott would say about the recent debate on the role of Christians and social justice. In his classic work Christian Mission in the Modern World, John Stott offers three main ways Christians have attempted to understand the relationship between evangelism and social justice. Read More

Tips for Church Planting on the Cheap

I know what it is like to plant churches with little or no change in my pocket, and maybe you do too. Many financial wisdom posts suggest that small steps such as cutting out that morning Starbucks coffee or banking the change from monetary transactions are first steps toward financial stability. It seems we are a little bit slower to consider the small steps in church budgets, but here is a start. Read More

Warning: Every idea has actually been utilized by real church planters.

How to Involve Your Small Groups in the Great Commission

It’s no coincidence that Jesus started his ministry by forming a small group. If anyone could have handled his mission by himself, it was Jesus. But instead, Jesus gathered a group of 12 to serve with him. Here’s why it’s so important that we mobilize our small groups to fulfill the Great Commission. Read More

Pastors Say 2018 Brought Economic Turnaround to Churches

The economic recovery has reached the offering plate, according to a study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Today, 8 in 10 Protestant pastors (79 percent) say the total offerings at their church this year are at or above last year’s levels, including 42 percent who say this year is ahead of last year. Few pastors (15 percent) say giving is not keeping pace with last year. Read More

There is also a correlation between increased giving and declining attendance. Increased giving is not necessarily an indicator of church or denominational vitality, as researchers found in a study of the Episcopal Church. As Episcopal congregations lost members due to demographic changes and other factors and weekend attendance declined, the remaining members typically responded by increasing their giving.

Monday's Catch: "Be the Church..." and More

Be The Church Or Make Way For Something Else

Christ is not found in our institutions, he is found in the church. In people who love Jesus, love each other and gather together regularly. Read More

10 Things You Should Know About the Ten Commandments

This is an adapted excerpt from The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why We Should Obey Them, that the Gospel Coalition published in partnership with Crossway. Read More

5 Signs of a Dangerous Pastor

Trustworthy leadership is hard to find. Inside and outside Christianity, men and women with fancy letters behind their names are doing nasty things to innocent people – and children. It’s becoming more and more apparent that academic degrees (while important) and achievements (while admirable) are not the measure of success for a leader. Integrity is. Read More

4 Challenges of Pastoring in Any Language

A couple of weeks ago, a team from my church in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, traveled to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, where we partnered with retired International Mission Board missionaries. These missionaries run a medical clinic and children’s home and oversee pastors and church plants in the country....As I taught from 2 Timothy on this trip and listened to the challenges of Guatemalan Christians, I was struck by the universal challenges presented to pastoral leadership and the gospel. Paul addressed many of these challenges in his letters to Timothy. Here are four of them. Read More

Six Reasons the Role of Interim Pastor Is Changing Dramatically

In the recent past, the role of the interim pastor was simple and straightforward: Find someone who can preach for six to nine months until the new pastor comes on board. Today, the role of interim pastor is changing, becoming more complex, and carrying higher expectations. Why is this dramatic change taking place? Here are six major reasons.... Read More The Bible: 

Reading the “Ordinary” Way

Greg Koukl addresses the thorny issue of how we should take the Bible. Read More

Lord, Help Me See Their Destiny: Four Prayers for Personal Evangelism

Saving sinners is God’s delight, and it should be ours as well. But too often, we are fearful, shortsighted, and unmoved by the fact that billions of people are on their way to an eternal hell. We need God’s intervention to stir zeal in our hearts for evangelism. What follows are four simple prayers that ask God to help us join him in saving the lost. Read More

Christ United Withdrawing From UMC Over Homosexuality Debate

One of the largest United Methodist churches in South Carolina is disassociating itself from the denomination over its ongoing debate concerning homosexuality. Christ United in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has decided to leave the UMC ahead of the February 2019 meeting to determine how the denomination will move forward concerning issues of sexuality. Read More

What Is Appropriate To Wear In Church? (2 Reasons It Doesn't Matter And 3 Guidelines)

Wear what helps you think more about Jesus and less about yourself – and what will help others do the same.

Really?

Is this still a thing? People aren’t still arguing about what we wear to church, are they?

Yes. Despite the much more relaxed approach most people have, the debate about appropriate church attire still rages in some circles. So I’m going to weigh in on it.

Where angels fear.... Read More

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Photo by David Diaz on Unsplash

Practical Preaching Advice for Pastors and Lay Preachers #23

My Heart Broke When I Saw This “Preaching”

Here’s the deal: I was caught in a vulnerable moment. I must have been bored because I was in a minister’s Facebook group that I rarely venture into because most of the posts are argumentative and depressing. I don’t know why I did it, but I clicked on a post that someone shared with the group. And that’s when my heart began to break.... Read More

Expository Preaching: Scripture and the Church

In this issue of Theology for Life Magazine, you will learn about expository preaching. We make no apologies for declaring that this is the most faithful way of preaching, and commend this model to our readers. It’s because we believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, authoritative, sufficient, and clear Word of God that we commend this approach to preaching to you, because it alone addresses the significant issues of the day—including biblical illiteracy and false teaching. Read Online or Download

A Preacher's Gut-Check: Seven Hard Questions About Your Sermon

After you have your three points, consulted all the commentaries and fit in your illustrations, then it's time to get real. Read More

Is The Bible The Seasoning Or The Steak In Your Sermon?

"I have a sermon; maybe you can help me find a Scripture so that I can preach it." Read More

Read more of the newest preaching articles on the Sermon Central website.

Saturday Lagniappe: One Family of God and More

Remember, We Are Family

As Francis Schaeffer once asked, “How should we then live?” Church history reveals our fathers and mothers of the church’s infancy saw people drawn to our family based not only by the common beliefs we shared, but also by the compassion-filled behavior we displayed. The family of God in America would do well to recapture familial living. One pathway forward we can personify is found in Galatians 5:16–26. Living in step with God the Holy Spirit, who dwells inside of each believer, provides us with the ability to live like we’re family, even though we have differences in opinions and preferences. Three practical truths we can remember from this passage are.... Read More

Gratitude: The Brain’s Amazing Fertilizer

I live in Canada and we celebrated Thanksgiving in October while the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving in November. Although a few other countries celebrate similar holidays, Canada and the U.S. make a big deal of it. Many people in both countries approach Thanksgiving with a desire to be more grateful, at least on those holidays. It’s great that we highlight gratefulness through a holiday, but did you know that gratitude is actually good for your brain and your body? Consider what science has discovered about this amazing brain fertilizer. Read More

7 Steps to Getting (and Keeping) Loyal Volunteers

If you lead a ministry, you’re probably familiar with the 80/20 rule: 20 percent of your people do 80 percent of the work. It’s a reality of ministry as persistent as it is disappointing. And as if the 80/20 rule wasn’t bad enough, the 20 percent doesn’t remain constant. Different people “rotate” through serving, so seems that just when you get a volunteer in place and on their feet, they walk away. It can be one of the most frustrating experiences of ministry. But Don Simmons has a solution. Simmons is the founder of Creative Potential Consulting and Training, where he teaches churches to use seven steps to flipping the 80/20 script. Read More

5 Foundations to Build A Strong Volunteer Culture

Either the culture of your church is volunteer friendly, or it's not. Read More

Eight Reasons Churches Need to Teach Budgeting

When churches plan their discipleship strategy, too few churches include basic budgeting in their curriculum. Perhaps they assume that most people know how to budget, or maybe they don’t have anyone prepared to teach a budgeting lesson. No matter what the reason for this omission, churches need to teach budgeting. Here’s why.... Read More

How to Avoid Being Fired When Leading a Growing Church

In my post last week, I looked at the reasons pastors were fired, even though their churches were growing. In this post, I offer ways some pastors have avoided this tragedy while leading a church to growth. Read More

Columns from Tabletalk Magazine, November 2018

The November issue of Tabletalk considers what it means for Christians to be a people of the book. Throughout the history of Christianity, the church has understood the sixty-six books of the Bible to be the infallible and inerrant Word of God, “which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.” As such, it is “the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him” (Westminster Shorter Catechism 2). Having received this revelation from God, the church is responsible for submitting to and rightly applying the Bible in all of life. This issue addresses the subject of hermeneutics and rules of interpretation. Further, it seeks to help Christians understand how to apply the Bible as we seek to be faithful Christians who study, meditate on, and love the Word of God. Learn More about Tabletalk Read This Month's Issue

Don’t Just Support Missions. Do Missions.

Today we face new challenges. Without exaggeration, we can point to the twenty-first century as a new era in Christian missions and recognize it as a vast new opportunity. Read More

Burn Your Boats: A Warning About FOMO

Columba was a sixth-century abbot who left his native Ireland with 12 men to bring the good news to the Picts, a pagan people in Scotland. The missionaries founded an abbey on Iona, which would become a vibrant center of literacy and faith for centuries to come.

But shortly after reaching Scotland in an animal-hide-wrapped wicker boat, Columba did something drastic. He knew he and his companions might be tempted to leave when life became uncomfortable or dangerous. And so, the story goes, Columba burned the boat.

After reading about this single-minded commitment, I’ve began noticing how, by contrast, I like to keep my options open, just in case.

One of the hallmarks of my generation is an aversion to commitment. We suffer perpetual FOMO (fear of missing out) and, more seriously, struggle to commit to a marriage or a career. In a world full of potential paths, we have a hard time picking one and remaining on it. Read More

Rumors of AI Wars: Where Google and the Bible Agree

An understanding of human dignity and responsibility belongs in the development of artificial intelligence for military uses.

Recently, Google hit the pause button on a military artificial intelligence project amidst thorny ethical questions raised by its own employees. Increasingly in new drone and surveillance systems, human knowledge and actions are augmented and soon might be sidelined altogether. Should we shirk our responsibility and pass authority onto these machines? For Christians, the complex conversation about how AI should be developed as weapons centers on a biblical understanding of human dignity and responsibility.

For Google employees, protest began in April 2018 over involvement in a program to continue work on an AI-based image recognition program for the Department of Defense arguing that Google should not be in the business of war since the company’s historic slogan has been “Do no evil.” Read More

5 Lessons Church Leaders Can Learn From The “All-Day Breakfast” Trend

In October 2015, McDonald’s made a significant change to its menu that made a huge difference to its bottom line and market reach. That month they added all-day breakfast to their offerings, and in many ways it ended up changing the course of history for this corporation.

For years, insiders had been saying that all-day breakfast, while a great addition to the menu, simply couldn’t be done. In fact, the turnover between the breakfast and the lunch menu kept stumping the logistics folks. It was almost a joke that you could get breakfast up until 10:29 a.m., but at 10:30 a.m. the entire kitchen had to turn over to lunch orders only.

People who follow this industry had been saying that offering an all-day breakfast menu was a potential way for McDonald’s to increase its reach and attract customers who normally wouldn’t return later in the day. I know for our little family this change meant a switch in our consumption habits. You see, my wife is the decision-maker when it comes to which restaurants we frequent. Now that she could order oatmeal or an egg McMuffin for dinner, it meant that McDonald’s was now on the list of restaurants that we could go to if we needed to make a quick stop for a meal!

The story of why McDonald’s began offering all-day breakfast is a fascinating one for church leaders to consider. For more than thirty consecutive years, the company had seen increases in its profits and stock value quarter after quarter. It was the darling of the Warren Buffet strategy to blue chip investing because of its consistent results.

However, for the first time, McDonald’s was experiencing a downturn with lower profits than the previous quarter; subsequently, their stock value fell. The company sprang into action and made a number of changes organization-wide. One of those outcomes included the introduction of the all-day breakfast menu. The rest is history: McDonald’s became wildly profitable again, their stock value increased, and they essentially set the trend for all-day breakfast menus in the fast-food industry. A&W, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and the Canadian chain Tim Hortons all eventually made the switch. The impact of this trend was profound. In fact, there was such a significant increase in the demand for eggs that the price spiked in the year following McDonald’s introduction of this change.

How does this pertain to church leaders? It’s important that we try to glean lessons from an organization like McDonald’s as they discover the changing trends in their industry and ask ourselves if there’s anything we can learn as we lead our churches. When considering the all-day breakfast trend, I see at least five clear lessons that you and I can apply to our churches. Read More

Alas, McDonald's does not yet serve a full English breakfast! And no mushy peas to go with the egg and chips!

Who Are the Religious Orphans? Three Things to Know

“For God love the world in the way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” –John 3:16 (CSB)

This renowned verse wasn’t first spoken to a far away tribe in an African jungle. It wasn’t saved for the pagan idolater of Athens. It was reserved for a ruling class Jewish man bound in a religion that claimed God as its own, but denied His power.

A man familiar with religious things, but unfamiliar with redeeming love.

A man near to God, but still too far away to experience a new life.

Nicodemus wasn’t an outlier. He represents most of the people we will ever meet. He possessed an awareness of God, grappled with his own religious heritage, and continued searching for answers.

He was, like most people in the world, a religious orphan—generally aware of God, respectful of God, but separated from Him. And rather than move on to someone with less baggage, Jesus cared about him, honored his coy efforts, gave him room to believe, and showed us how to love people just like him.

Here are some things to remember as non-religious people enter our neighborhoods, workplaces, and church buildings.... Read More

Two Churches, One Roof

Can congregations share space without butting heads?

We live in a cultural milieu where maturing congregations frequently consider closing their doors while a surge of young, under-resourced church plants are without a set of doors to call their own. The former group often under-utilizes their facilities while the latter struggles to find affordable space. By partnering together, these two groups are discovering that they can meet one another’s needs.

According to a recent Barna study of multisite and planting churches, 18 percent of the pastors surveyed reported sharing a facility and resources with another church. That number is likely to keep growing as congregations of various traditions, ages, and cultures decide to share space with one another.

These relationships aren’t simple, however. They often come with frustrations that could be avoided by renting from a secular landlord. Why would a growing church choose to rent space from another congregation? Read More

The Very Heart of the Reformation

Hevitz Church - a Lutheran Church Community

At the very heart of the controversy in the sixteenth century was the question of the ground by which God declares anyone righteous in His sight. The psalmist asked, “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (Ps. 130:3). In other words, if we have to stand before God and face His perfect justice and perfect judgment of our performance, none of us would be able to pass review. We all would fall, because as Paul reiterates, all of us have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). So, the pressing question of justification is how can an unjust person ever be justified in the presence of a righteous and holy God?

The Roman Catholic view is known as analytical justification. This means that God will declare a person just only when, under His perfect analysis, He finds that he is just, that righteousness is inherent in him. The person cannot have that righteousness without faith, without grace, and without the assistance of Christ. Nevertheless, in the final analysis, true righteousness must be present in the soul of a person before God will ever declare him just.

Whereas the Roman view is analytical, the Reformation view is that justification is synthetic. A synthetic statement is one in which something new is added in the predicate that is not contained in the subject. If I said to you, “The bachelor was a poor man,” I have told you something new in the second part of the sentence that was not already contained in the word bachelor. All bachelors are men by definition, but not all bachelors are poor men. There are many wealthy bachelors. Poverty and wealth are concepts that are not inherent in the idea of bachelorhood. So, when we say, “The bachelor was a poor man,” there is a synthesis, as it were. Read More

Related Article:
Semper Reformanda Doesn’t Mean ‘Always Morphing’

What’s the Purpose of … Pastors?

The Bible knows nothing of lone Christians, of believers who are willfully independent from a local church. Rather, Christians gather in communities to worship together and serve one another. And as God commands his people to gather in community, he also commands them to be led—led by men called and qualified as pastors or elders (terms the Bible uses interchangeably). As we progress through a series of questions about things we as Christians often take for granted, we now come to the question of church leadership and ask, “What’s the purpose of pastors?” Read More

Africa, Animism and the Dangers of the Prosperity Gospel

The PG movement is nothing more than humans seeking to discover the forces that are influencing them and then manipulate their power. This is animism at its core, with a few Bible verses and Jesus attached.

If we want to see a reformation among African churches, we must intentionally and fervently ground our ministry efforts in a grace-alone gospel. Read More

A fascinating article.

Wednesday's Catch: Women Who Bore Good News and More

Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and her companions

The First Female Evangelists

Mary Magdalene and the woman at the well couldn’t help but share their good news. Read More

Should Prostitution Be Legal? [Video]

Legal prostitution makes women in the sex industry more vulnerable to harm and fuels sex trafficking. Sadly, there are many who think that legalizing prostitution would somehow make it safer for the women being sold. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Watch Now

Share this video with your church or small group.

5 Reasons Church Lighting Matters to Older Adults

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m now in the older generation at my church. I don’t feel old, though, and I prefer contemporary praise choruses or well-done hymns with a contemporary feel. To be honest, I most think about my age when the lighting is so low in a church that it’s tough for me to see. Here are some reasons the lighting really does matter to older folks.... Read More

Why We Sing With The Lights On

Why do we sing with the lights on and why would I consider this important enough to be the topic of this article? Here are a few reasons.... Read More

The Pastor and Pornography

The latest issue of 9Marks Journal is now on the Internet. Download or Read Online

In her research the late Dr. Judianne Densen-Gerber found a connection between pornography and child sexual abuse.

Monday's Catch: All Hallows Eve and More

Don’t Worry, There Are More Demons Than You Think

What Halloween gets right about spirits and why Christians have nothing to be afraid of. Read 
More

6 Ideas for Thinking about Halloween with Your Kids

What’s a Christian to do, anyway, when October 31 rolls around? Read More

It is okay to "celebrate"Halloween as we would "celebrate" the eve of any Christian feast day. Halloween is not Samain, the old Celtic festival marking the end of the old year and the beginning of the new, even though a number of its customs have migrated to Halloween. It is the eve of Hallowmas, or All Hallows Day, a Christian feast day on which all saints, known and unknown, are honored. It is also a feast day on which all the faithful departed are remembered. "Hallow" is an old English way of saying "saint" and Halloween is derived from All Hallows Even, which became Hallowe'en and then Halloween over the centuries. Halloween and Hallowmas form together the liturgical season of Hallowtide. In Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States a number of churches are named All Hallows Church or the Church of All Hallows. All Hallows by the Tower is the oldest church in the city of London and and was founded by the Abbey of Barking in 675 AD, 300 years before the Tower of London. Parents need to teach their children about the real Halloween and why Christians celebrate Halloween and Hallowmas.

Anti-Semitism and Unforgivable Sin

Hate is weak. Mercy is strong. Read More

The FAQs: What Christians Should Know About Antisemitism

Joe Carter explains what antisemitism is and what Christians can do about it. Read More

Jerks for Jesus

Does the Bible support acting like a jerk online? Read More

Didn't Jesus tell his disciples to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves?

Wicca: An Old Deception in a New Form

The news story couldn’t have been more direct: “There may now be more Americans who identify as practicing witches … than there are members of mainline Presbyterianism.”

Oh my.

Even worse:

“… Wicca has effectively repackaged witchcraft for millennial consumption. No longer are witchcraft and paganism satanic and demonic … it’s a ‘pre-Christian tradition’ that promotes ‘free thought’ and ‘understanding of earth and nature.’”

Now for the worst of the worst:

“Despite biblical warnings against the practice of witchcraft, the Rev. Valerie Love, who describes herself as a practicing Christian witch and an ordained minister of spiritual consciousness, is insisting that there is nothing wrong with Christians being witches and has recently launched a school to help Christians tap into magic.

“‘Stop thinking you can tell people how to worship. Stop thinking you can tell people how to connect with the divine. I could tell you how many people have told me, “You can’t be a Christian witch” but here I am. See, you can’t tell me how to worship. You cannot tell me how to connect with the divine. That’s between me and God. You cannot tell me how to pray,’ a defiant Love declared in a recent rant on Facebook.”

I think it’s time for some biblical theology. Read More

Related Article:
3 Warning Signs Someone Is Dabbling in the Occult

Wicca has certainly gained a foothold here in the Southern Bible Belt. But then the Bible Belt has always had a segment of the population that practiced witchcraft in one form or another. Their clientele included churchgoers as well as non-churchgoers and they themselves may also have attended church and even may have been pillars of their local church. Many so-called "folk remedies" may involve the recitation of a charm or spell and may employ the principles of sympathetic magic. 

In The Land Of Dracula, Witches Work As 'Life Coaches' Of The Supernatural

Transylvania

Magic "is beautiful and dangerous — it is a fight between good and evil," says third-generation witch Mihaela Minca. A 2014 survey found that in Romania, one in five people believe witches have powers.

The witch lives in the suburbs of the Romanian capital, Bucharest, in a busy village with a Renaissance palace.

There's a poster of her outside her house in Mogoșoaia: "The most powerful witch from Europe," the poster reads, "Mihaela Minca."

"Welcome, welcome!" she says, emerging through a beaded curtain at the front entrance. She's in a floor-length, black dress with bright flowers. Her hair, also black, is pulled back in a baby-blue headscarf.

"I can solve any kind of problem — with love, success, anything," she insists, leading us to a dining room with gold-painted chairs that resemble thrones. "I am a witch who gets results." Read More

Related Article:
What The Real Witches Of America Eat

Our local psychic has relocated from the town's main street to a location near the edge of town and now advertises that she is a "life coach." I don't know how large a clientele she has but she has been in business for more than 25 years.

If You Hate Jews, You Hate Jesus

Jesus unrolls the scroll of the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue

On the Jewish Sabbath this week, a white nationalist terrorist murdered eleven worshippers within Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, in what is being called the deadliest attack on Jewish people in American history. Sadly, in a time when it seems that every week brings more bloodshed and terror in this country, we should not let the news cycle move on without a sober reflection of what this attack means for us as Christians.

Such is especially true as we look out a world surging with resurgent “blood-and-soil” ethno-nationalism, much of it anti-Semitic in nature. As Christians, we should have a clear message of rejection of every kind of bigotry and hatred, but we should especially note what anti-Semitism means for people who are followers of Jesus Christ. We should say clearly to anyone who would claim the name “Christian” the following truth: If you hate Jews, you hate Jesus.

Anti-Semitism is, by definition, a repudiation of Christianity as well as of Judaism. This ought to be obvious, but world history, even church history, shows us this is not the case. Christians reject anti-Semitism because we love Jesus. Read More

Last week I overheard a conversation in the hall of the building in which I take classes at the local university. A young man was telling a young woman that he was a member of the National Socialist Workers Party. In other words, he was telling her that he was a Nazi. What was unusual about this young man for a university student was that he was clean cut and wearing a jacket and bow tie. I don't think that the young woman grasped what he was saying. I believe that I have heard on a previous occasion the same young man tell a different student that he came from an evangelical Christian background and at one time planned to attend seminary and to become a pastor.

Recapturing a Love for Public Scripture Reading

One of the startling ironies facing our church culture is the simple fact that as access to the Bible has increased biblical literacy has decreased. In recent years, many have observed this growing problem (see Lifeway study here) and some, such as Ed Stetzer, have proposed solutions (see here and here) that advocate for, among other things, more intensive discipleship and small groups Bible studies. Certainly these practices will help and I pray that more churches implement them.

But I also want to propose an additional remedy: recapturing a love for the public reading of Scripture.[i]

I don’t assume that corporate Scripture reading alone will cure the problem, but it can’t hurt either. If only for a few moments, it will unite the entire church in a communal act of listening and engaging the word of God, which might just help us take some incremental steps toward hiding the word in our hearts. Read More

Because their liturgies include Scripture readings, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Orthodox, and Roman Catholics may be tempted to dismiss this article. But we need to ask ourselves how the Scriptures are read in our services? Are they read indifferently or prayerfully, from the heart, with a palpable reverence for God's Word? I think that we would be wise to take our cue from Stephen Presley's closing words: "The example of public Scripture reading in the early church reminds us that cultivating this art does not happen by chance, it requires careful reflection and preparation."

To Follow Jesus Is to Live Mission

What a Parable Teaches Us about Evangelism

The Lord calls us to spread the seed of His Word as we go, trusting Him with the growth. Only God knows the conditions of the soils and the souls we meet. We’re simply called to sow. Read More

The Benefits of Sharing Your Story

There are so many kingdom benefits to sharing what God has done in you. And one of those benefits is your freedom. When you share your story, it gives you opportunity for deeper healing and freedom in your life. Read More

Fighting Fear When It Comes to Sharing Your Faith

We think we’re chasing happiness when we follow our fearful heart, but fear sabotages our joy every time. Read More

Evidence through Action

How do we know God loves us when we can't feel it?

...Then I remembered St. Patrick’s ministry in Ireland.

Way back in the mid-400s, Patrick began traveling in that country, moving from settlement to settlement, staying with the people, loving them and working among them. Through his ministry, monastic communities sprang up. These communities were different from what we normally think of when we think of monastic communities where monks separated themselves from the rest of society for a life of solitude and prayer.

These were communities of committed Christ followers who lived and worked together, sharing resources, love, and life together. There were men and women, adults, and kids; some were single, some were married, some had families—some were priests, but most weren't, and they were all together in community.

One of the things that made these communities so cool was the way they treated outsiders.

There was always a gatekeeper, not to keep anybody out, but to be on duty all the time so that anyone who wanted to come in could come in, no matter what time of the day or night it was.

If you visited the community, the gatekeeper would welcome you first and then call everyone to come greet you. The abbot or abbess (head of the community) would immediately come out to make sure you felt at home.

It wouldn't matter what people were doing; they would stop because making guests feel welcome was more important than anything else. Then they'd show you to the guest house—the best accommodations in the whole place.

When it was time to eat, you'd eat at the head table with the abbot/abbess. It would be clear that you could stay as long as you wanted, but you were also free to leave at any time. You could eat with the community, work with the community, worship with the community—always welcome to share in everything about the community.

If you stayed for a while, they'd assign you a ‘soul friend’ to talk to—no agenda—just about whatever was on your mind. Eventually, if you continued to stay they'd talk to you about God's love and offer you the opportunity to become more than a guest.

It was a slow process of revealing God's love—a process that started with the concept of belonging and acceptance and moved only gradually toward commitment. It was a process that took time because it was about providing evidence of God's love. Not evidence in the form of skilled argument or tight logic; not even the evidence of a specific feeling even though that was probably part of it for most people.

It was the evidence of action—consistent actions of love, continued day in and day out, actions that made God's love visible and tangible and real through the welcoming, caring, support, and nurture of people. Evidence through action that God loves people and values them simply because they are. Read More

5 Myths about Evangelism

This article is part of the 5 Myths series.

Myth #1: Evangelism is something I do myself.

The call to carry out the Great Commission feels heavy when we picture ourselves alone, laboring away to share good news. Anything in the Christian life feels heavy if I’m envisioning a rough road and myself walking along it by myself.

Stories from fellow travelers help light up the landscape. Stories, for example, of those who are reaching from Christ’s body outward—those who invite neighbors to a church Bible study group and who see those neighbors and their families gradually transformed by the gospel; those who host international students in their home, regularly bring them to church, and see some of them believe in Jesus; women whose brothers and sisters in Christ’s body have prayed for years with them for their husbands to come to faith. Interwoven through these stories are the hospitality and prayers of God’s people—specific prayers for the salvation of those they name together in God’s presence.

As a redeemed people, we bear witness to the good news that Jesus died on the cross, bore our sin, and rose from the grave, conquering death. Believing this good news makes us part of a body that lives and moves together toward seeing Jesus. We don’t do this evangelism thing alone.

Better to picture a road full of people walking together, sort of like we picture the Israelites walking up to the Jerusalem temple at feast time—whole groups and families, talking and singing and taking in others along the way. We’re God’s people. This is all God’s work. By his Spirit, God calls people to himself and gives them new life through faith in Christ. Those who have believed get to participate. He uses us. He uses us. Read More

6 Ways to Engage Your Neighbors on Halloween

For some Christians, “Halloween” is a dreaded word that can bring up questions and debate.

Is it OK for a Christian to celebrate Halloween?

Should I call it “Reformation Day” in order to make it more acceptable to my evangelical friends?

Should I only attend the “Trunk-or-Treat” at my church?

Should my kids’ costumes resemble only beloved Bible characters?

Putting aside all the differing opinions, Halloween offers an opportunity to engage your neighbors who don’t know Jesus. We can be present and involved with our neighbors in order to build relationships with them.

At this point you may be thinking, OK, what gospel tract should I place in every trick-or-treat bag? Gospel tracts have a time and place, but I would recommend an approach that requires a little more investment.

Halloween is a time when we have the chance to open up our lives to our neighbors, with the hope of open doors for gospel conversations. Here a few steps to consider this Halloween.... Read More

Related Article:
Nine Ways to Get Outside the Christian Bubble

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4 Ways to Engage My Spiritual Insecurity

The African and Christian worldview stand in stark contrast to one another. Conversion often requires a painful wrenching from the African worldview, upbringing and experiences, which can result in spiritual insecurity for the new convert. Here are four Biblical pillars that every African Christian can use to help them stand firm against spiritual fear and doubt.... Read More

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What to Do When You Meet a Beggar

C.S. Lewis's stepson Douglas Gresham tells the story of Lewis and a friend walking along the street one day when a beggar approached them asking for money. Lewis's friend kept walking, but Lewis stopped and emptied his wallet, giving the beggar its contents. After rejoining his friend, he was chastised. "You shouldn't have done that, Jack. He'll only spend it all on drink." Lewis joked, "Well, that's what I was going to do."

The situation is a common one and ages old. We are no more faced with beggars today than the disciples were in the first century. In urban settings or rural, the specific approach and contexts may differ, but the neediness and the opportunities do not. What is your response when a stranger asks for money?

You are walking down the street or pulling out of the grocery store parking lot and you are confronted by a haggard figure, perhaps holding a sign, perhaps telling a familiar story about being homeless or hungry or needing to travel to a certain location or having a car out of gas. The stories can be eerily similar. I've heard the "I'm trying to get to _______ but don't have money for gas" story quite a bit. I have offered before to go to the gas station and put gas in their car. Sometimes they agree. Sometimes they don't. I have offered to get food instead of giving them cash for food. Sometimes they agree. Sometimes they don't.

Let's make the options simple for the sake of the gist of the argument. A hand is outstretched before you. Do you put money in it or do you decline? Read More

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Why Christians Need a Better Debate About Alcohol

The Story: About 1 in 20 deaths around the world result from harmful use of alcohol, according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO). This represents more than 5 percent of the global disease burden. What can Christians do about this epidemic?

The Background: The WHO’s global status report on alcohol and health 2018 looks at alcohol consumption and the disease burden attributable to alcohol worldwide, as well as what countries are doing to reduce this burden.

As the report notes, despite some positive global trends in the prevalence of heavy episodic drinking and number of alcohol-related deaths since 2010, the overall burden of disease and injuries caused by the harmful use of alcohol is unacceptably high, particularly in the Americas and Europe.

An estimated 237 million men and 46 million women suffer from alcohol-use disorders, with the highest prevalence among men and women in the European region (14.8 percent and 3.5 percent) and the Americas (11.5 percent and 5.1 percent). Alcohol-use disorders are more common in high-income countries.

Of all deaths attributable to alcohol, 28 percent were due to injuries, such as those from traffic crashes, self-harm, and interpersonal violence; 21 percent due to digestive disorders; 19 percent due to cardiovascular diseases; and the remainder due to infectious diseases, cancers, mental disorders and other health conditions.

“Far too many people, their families, and communities suffer the consequences of the harmful use of alcohol through violence, injuries, mental health problems and diseases like cancer and stroke,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO. “It’s time to step up action to prevent this serious threat to the development of healthy societies.” Read More

The harmful use of alcohol is far too common in the student population of the university town in which I live. Unfortunately drinking and even drinking to excess is seen as a rite of passage. There has been at least one alcohol-related death this year. The student in question consumed a large quantity of alcohol in a very short period of time at a fraternity party, lost consciousness, and died. Sexual assaults, sexually transmitted diseases, and unplanned pregnancies, in which the consumption of alcohol is a factor, are also a problem.

Photo by Drew Farwell on Unsplash 

The Russian/Ukrainian Orthodox Split: What You Need to Know

A power struggle underway in the Eastern Orthodox Church could have significant religious and political implications. Bartholomew I, the patriarch of Constantinople and one of the Orthodox Church’s highest-ranking leaders, declared on October 11 that he will grant the Ukrainian Orthodox Church independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. Such autocephaly, or “self-headship,” is a response to ongoing political tensions between Russia and the Ukraine.

Bartholomew hasn’t yet made a formal edict about the move, which would revoke a 1686 decree giving the church in Moscow power over the one in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.

Days after Bartholomew’s announcement, the Russian Orthodox Church cut ties with Constantinople. Even before that, when the Ukrainian Church’s intentions of seeking independence became clear, the Russian Church, or Moscow Patriarchate, began taking action. It suspended liturgical prayers for Bartholomew, banned priests from co-presiding with Constantinople bishops at worship services, and stopped participating in gatherings, conversations and commissions led by representatives from Constantinople. Read More

Since the days of the tsars the Russian Orthodox Church has been an organ of the Russian state. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union the Russian Orthodox Church has enjoyed a privileged position in the Russian Federation, a position that it is reluctant to relinquish in light of the oppression that the Russian Orthodox Church suffered during the days of the Soviet Union. Other Christian denominations are barely tolerated if they are tolerated at all and are subject to severe restrictions.

The unity of Eastern Orthodoxy is tenuous at best. The two main branches of the Eastern Orthodox Church are the Russian Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Church which are at odds with each other over a range of issues. It is not surprising that after Bartholomew announced his intention to grant autocephalous status to the Ukranian Orthodox Church, the Moscow Patriarchate reacted negatively to the announcement.

Practical Preaching Advice for Pastors and Lay Preachers #22

Quit Trying To Become A Great Preacher

Becoming a great preacher is about me. Preaching more effectively is about Jesus. Read More

How to Start a Sermon for Maximum Impact

The opening words of your sermon can fall flat if you don’t have a good plan. It’s good to be intentional about the way you introduce a message. I will walk you through exactly how to start your sermon for maximum impact and engagement. We’ll focus on how to capture and maintain the interest of your listeners in the first 5-6 minutes of your message. Let’s jump in to the most important part – the first 1.5 minutes. Read More

How to Overcome Preaching Nerves

Do you have a fear of preaching? Or maybe you wouldn’t say it’s a fear, but your nerves are on edge. You are not alone. Public speaking is commonly listed as one of the greatest fears that people have. Read More

How Do I Find My Own Voice in Preaching?

Disembodied voices don’t preach. Real people do—people with personalities, stories, fears, and convictions uniquely woven by God into the person who proclaims, “Thus says the Lord.” Read More

Why We Don’t Preach Gospel-Centered Sermons

Lately I’ve had numerous discussions with ministry leaders about why it’s so difficult to find truly gospel-centered preaching. Even among those who otherwise affirm the biblical necessity of prioritizing Christ in our preaching, it is sometimes rare to encounter sermons that do not treat Christ and his grace as an option or afterthought. Why is this so? Why, despite an abundance of helpful resources and exemplary models, do we still have a hard time turning the homiletical corner to preaching Christ? Here are three possible explanations.... Read More

Why I Need to Preach More about Hell

ever struggled with preaching on the reality of eternal judgment. I believed it, and I taught it. Over the years, though, I realize that I’ve given less attention to this topic—perhaps because I’ve learned that scaring people into Christianity seldom brings lasting results. Still, I’ve been burdened lately that my omission is problematic. Here’s why.... Read More

5 Truths About the Wrath of God [Podcast]

“With his whole nature in combination and harmony, God acts out his own completely consistent opposition to evil. He opposes it with every fiber of his being. And this opposition is his wrath.” — Mark Dever Listen Now

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Saturday Lagniappe: Pitfalls of Church Revitalization and More

"Every path has a puddle" Jacula Prudentum

When Does a Pastor Leave a Revitalization Effort? Six Questions to Ask [Podcast]

Lack of progress in church revitalization can lead to frustration and a desire to leave. But before you do, you should ask yourself the six questions we cover today. Listen Now

Seven Reasons Pastors Get Fired When a Church Is Growing

Even in “successful” revitalizations, it does not always turn out well for the pastor. Why is that? My list is not exhaustive, but here are seven common reasons....Read More

To Post, Or Not To Post

I like social media. I like that it helps me keep a slight connection with friends who I rarely see in person; I like that it often gives me something to have a good laugh about, and I like that it points me to interesting news, articles, and videos. But recently I’ve been posting less and less, and that’s because I’ve been asking myself a different question before clicking ‘post’. I’ve been asking, ‘What good might this do, and what harm might it do?’ Read More

When the Spiritual Gift of Discernment Turns Sour

Too often, people think they have the gift of discernment when in fact they have a critical, fault-finding, cynical, and negative spirit. They think they have the gift of discernment when they’re actually sinning! Read More

Stop Worrying about Your Reputation

Reputation is who people think you are. Character is who God knows you to be. While there should be little difference between the two, we all know that is often far from the case. Read More

When You Feel Like a (Christian) Imposter

The Bible is...deeply realistic about the continuing presence of sinful tendencies in our lives. We aren’t yet rid of our sinful nature. But that’s not all there is to say on this point. Yes, the sinful nature is still kicking around, but it’s not who we now truly are. Read More

I recommend taking time to read and digest this article. The sins of the past may haunt us throughout our lives. But who we are is not defined by what we may have done in the past or the sinful tendencies with which we struggle in our present life. It is defined by who we are "in" Christ. It is an insight that can make a difference in our lives if we take it to heart.

What Does It Mean to Be An “Unprofitable Servant”?

On a related theme the late R.C. Sprouls provides this insight: "When Jesus said that we are unprofitable servants, He did not mean that our service is of no value. Jesus frequently called His disciples to be productive. Rather, He meant that we gain no “bonus points” or merit from our service." Read More

God Calls for Spiritual Leaders, So Where Are They?

The church was commissioned to make disciples. But we seem to be seriously lacking in that department. Some may call it a discipleship deficit.

More than one concerned leader has asked regarding spiritual formation, “What should we do?” and “How should we do it?” They want to know the best ways to turn this discipleship deficit into the kind of robust discipleship that will matter along the way. Read More