Her Weakness is Her Strength
Within every church there will be some who are especially weak.
As we relate to those who are weak, we are to ensure they do not draw our censure, our criticism, or our condemnation, all of which flow so naturally from our sinful hearts. We are to ensure we do not regard them as a trial, burden, or embarrassment. Rather, we are to accept them as... Continue Reading
Some Kindness Stings
Why Love Uses Hard Words
Nathan risked offending King David (2 Samuel 12); it’s why Paul risked offending Peter (Galatians 2:11–14); it’s why Jesus risked offending the scribes and Pharisees; and it’s why we are sometimes called to risk offending someone with a painful rebuke. In these cases, if our motive is love and our goal is to remove a stumbling block... Continue Reading
Seminary Faithfulness
While the church of Jesus Christ cannot be destroyed, the institutions serving her often are.
Standing firm has a cost. We should expect increasing marginalization. There will come a time when we ask ourselves whether we really want institutional fidelity after all. It will always seem easier to leave the battles to the next generation. Everyone, from the trustees to the staff, needs to recognize this. But the ministers we... Continue Reading
The Attributes of God: Eternal
God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.
God required no one to exist before Him. He existed before this world. He existed before the angels. He existed before there was any material things at all. There was no time before God. In fact, that is true in two senses because God even existed before time. I am the Alpha and the... Continue Reading
My Redeemer Lives
In the midst of darkness and loneliness, Job has hope.
As we remember Jesus’ death on Good Friday and celebrate the Risen Christ on Easter Sunday, let us remember the sufferers in the midst of our churches. There will be people that need us to tenderly speak to them and build them up with words of gospel hope. They may come hopeless, even feeling as... Continue Reading
What A Tangled Web
The West no longer has any consensus on what it means to be a woman or even a person.
We have abortion bills that flip-flop on fetal personhood and candidates for the Supreme Court who defer to biologists while trying to avoid gender essentialism. This conceptual chaos, rooted in a denial of reality and responsibility, can only lead to chaos. To quote Sir Walter Scott, what a tangled web we weave when first we... Continue Reading
The Joy of God in Us
This Joy of God is an eternal joy — it will outlast death and only increase in us forever.
When we experience the joy of the Holy Spirit, we taste the joy that is at the core of ultimate reality. For when we are born again by the Spirit (John 3:6–7), we receive the astounding, incredible, empowering, priceless gift of the Holy Spirit who resides in us, just as Jesus promised. As we... Continue Reading
God’s Sovereignty and Glory
To say that God is sovereign is to express His almightiness in every area.
God is the “first cause” of all things, but evil is a product of “second causes.” In the words of John Calvin, “First, it must be observed that the will of God is the cause of all things that happen in the world: and yet God is not the author of evil,” adding, “for the... Continue Reading
Christian Leaders Write Anti-Christian Trans Letter
It’s not prayer or faithful Christian teaching on transgenderism that will cause harm.
The trouble with the words used by the clerics is that, at a superficial level, they sound nice. Of course we want safety and non-judgementalism but on examination, not only are the words in this letter meaningless and contrary to the teaching of Christ; they cause harm. While attempting to create a ‘safe space’ for... Continue Reading
Why Long-Range Planning Doesn’t Work
Leaders are expected to have a vision for the future, articulated with measurable outcomes. But is that really the best way to lead?
Based on history and the shaping of cultural and market forces, I could easily speculate about what the future might hold, but I don’t plan for a specific future, nor do I work to hit specific growth targets. Having lived Opportunity Leadership for many years now, I know that when I look back to consider... Continue Reading
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