I should have seen the wave coming. Like a yearly tsunami, I naively opened social media on June 1 and was hit with a wave of rainbows. Living through June forces the inevitable—our society overwhelmingly celebrates sin. Pride Month is a yearly challenge of how Christians ought to respond to LGBTQ issues. We can’t ignore it; it’s blatantly all around us. We can’t give in to despair; God calls us to always be filled with hope. And we can’t angrily treat people unkindly; we’re called to be … [Read more...]
How to pastor well during an election year
Presidential election years are a strain for pastors. Pastors cannot escape the God-given responsibility of faithfully shepherding Christ’s flock through every season—including election season. Pastors often weary from political pressures and uncertainties even within the church. If honest, most pastors are ready for the presidential political cycle to quickly conclude so we can move on with ministry life. Pastor, I would encourage you to view this upcoming presidential election season as a … [Read more...]
Do we live in gospel disconnect?
Is Christianity just for Sunday mornings? Or is the Christian worldview meant to pervade all aspects of human life? In my nearly seven years serving as a senior pastor, I have encountered what I call “gospel disconnect”—the lack of applying the gospel to all areas of life. My sense is most Christians have no problem listening, talking, and applying the gospel at church on Sunday mornings. But what about the rest of the week? What about in the areas of our life not normally associated with … [Read more...]
Why do people deconstruct their faith?
A recent phenomenon has hit evangelicalism. People who grew up attending church and expressing faith early in life are walking away from their previous professions. The inevitable result is young millennials either completely rejecting Christianity or severely wavering in what they still believe. The movement is called faith deconstruction, the process of unpacking, rethinking, and reexamining previously held beliefs. With such a significant shift taking place in our churches, how should … [Read more...]
Why do humans instinctively pray?
One of the most disconcerting moments in a football game recently occurred when Damar Hamlin suddenly collapsed. For the next ten minutes, he received life-saving CPR before being rushed to the hospital. Though the scene was astonishing enough, a secondary event simultaneously occurred on the football field that Christians should note—an entire football team (and likely majority of viewership) knelt to pray. Even the next morning a football analyst prayed on live television as he and his … [Read more...]
What does the Bible say about marijuana?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Read more about this issue here and here and here. On Nov. 8, Missouri voters chose to legalize recreational marijuana possession and use. Christian proponents argue that marijuana should be decriminalized because it is naturally created by God and allows for freedom of conscience. As Christians, how should we view the legalization of marijuana? Does the Bible speak to cannabis use? Though the literal words for marijuana aren’t in Scripture, the applicable principles are. … [Read more...]
The gospel and student loan forgiveness
The federal government recently moved to forgive some portion of collegiate student loans for qualified borrowers. Though this policy ought to be analyzed from an economic and political viewpoint, Christians would be wise to consider it from a biblical standpoint. Should Christians support this policy because of the gospel, as some have suggested? Is student loan forgiveness an accurate application of biblical grace, forgiveness, and justice? More important than getting a federal policy … [Read more...]
What does the Bible say about abortion?
When the Supreme Court recently reversed Roe v. Wade, the issue of abortion exploded into the national consciousness. Now, more than ever, Christians must be clear that abortion is a moral question rather than a political one. As a moral issue, we must confidently know how Scripture addresses it. As Christians, our authority on abortion comes from the Word of God. God is not silent on the value of life, and we need to know what He says about it. Scripture offers three general principles to … [Read more...]
An eternal perspective
If you’re like me, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. We easily become distracted by lesser things and miss the forest for the trees. We especially struggle with this in church life by becoming shortsighted. Instead of having an eternal perspective, we often focus on the minutiae of life. We know we’re struggling with a biblical perspective when we focus more on our preferences, feelings, and worldly measures of success than God’s bigger picture. The reality is, our goals are … [Read more...]
Who should be our next SBC president?
It was recently announced that current SBC president, Ed Litton, would not seek a second term of office. His announcement guarantees that a new president will be elected this year in Anaheim. Southern Baptists would be wise to carefully consider the type of biblical leader who should lead us in grace and truth through difficult days. As Anaheim draws closer, I would humbly recommend Southern Baptists remember three biblical principles when prayerfully considering our next convention … [Read more...]
Three lessons from a quarantined Christmas
Christmas is my most anticipated season of the year. After all, who doesn’t look forward to gifts, gaiety, and celebrations? Yet this past Christmas was unlike any other – my family was quarantined for Christmas. The January blues came early when my son tested positive for Covid-19 shortly before Christmas. In an instant, our carefully made Christmas plans came crashing down and we were forced into isolation. Our Christmas plans were instantly cancelled. Through the initial disappointment … [Read more...]
Always keep the main thing the main thing
We live in undeniably polarizing times. We often know more of what people oppose than what they support. This polarization has entered the church as Christians often divide into various ideological camps. Perhaps the most surprising division hasn’t come from convictional differences but from methodological ones. Rather than disagreeing on biblical principles, we’ve found ourselves disagreeing on pragmatic solutions. Whereas once we divided solely on biblical convictions, anymore we divide … [Read more...]