In light of today's mid-term elections, I wanted to remind you of some very important truths to keep things in perspective. It is a long standing tradition in this country for pastors to preach election-day sermons, but an email exhortation will have to suffice this time.I know I sound like a broken record, but this is one foundational truth t...

One very important benefit of a robust, traditional liturgy is that it recalibrates our perspective of the world and reorients our priorities. Just like Asaph in Ps. 73, we often get discouraged when we observe the apparent triumph of evil in the world around us. We can easily fall into despair and bitterness when we see how the wicked seem to get ...

There are many points of biblical truth under attack in our culture today, but I think it's safe to say that God's design for human sexuality, marriage, and family are at the center of the conflict. This might be new in our culture in our lifetimes, but it is certainly not new for Christian families to be completely out of step with society. The ea...

To many in our society, especially in the church, it seems that being "nice" is the ultimate virtue and being "rude" is the ultimate vice. This is especially true for men and, most especially, for pastors. Pastors who are nice, sweet, empathetic, apologetic, and polite are often praised by the people in their congregations for being very "pastoral"...

Made a Little While Lower than the Angels From the very beginning, man was created as God's steward and vice-regent to exercise dominion under God's authority. Although Adam and his wife were created in God's image and "very good", they needed to grow in faith, maturity, and wisdom until God granted access to the tree of the knowledge of good and e...

 What is the cross of Jesus all about? Depends on who you ask. Many evangelical churches in America these days speak of the cross of Jesus primarily, if not exclusively, in terms of His suffering, agony, and death. In popular piety the cross has been turned into a tool to make you feel guilty for how rotten and wretched you. It was your sins, ...

Here's a little thought experiment: could your version of the gospel get you thrown in jail, beaten, accused of treason, or killed? Could you start a riot by publicly proclaiming the gospel? Could any pastors today be accused of turning the world upside-down like Paul was in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9)? What's so scandalous about the ...