What Can Westboro Baptist Teach Us About Grace?
I once talked with a group of college students, and one of them asked, “How do you explain Westboro Baptist? I can’t stand Christianity because of …
Beliefs of the Heart
Most of Us Read The Bible The Wrong Way
Have you ever been in a relationship in which everything you say is misunderstood? It’s as though the other person has a built in bias to …
Is There Any Value in Experiencing Deep Shame?
A lethal virus is infecting many believers today. It’s the pop-therapy that claims shame is bad. Shallow-shame is bad, but only deep-shame brings …
Was Esther An Unwilling Sex Slave Or A Compliant Collaborator?
I question our practice of painting biblical heroes more heroically than the Bible does. Hiding the faults of our heroes robs us of grace. That’s why …
The Hidden Side of Paying Off Church Mortgages Early—We Can’t Take It With Us
A church I know (whose leaders I once met on a trip out west) recently kicked off a Capital Campaign to pay off their building mortgage early. Their …
Do You Want To Be A Leader? Learn To Listen Not Lecture
Twenty-five years ago a client asked me to meet with her president for an hour-long lunch. Her president was an industry innovator. She warned me, …
How Scary Are The Tests Of God?
It is natural to shudder when we think about the tests of God. They seem so scary. Yet I believe the tests of God are the key to hope and joy. Let me …
Why Can’t We Admit The Evil Within?
A few months ago a woman told me about her inner life. She said she is growing in a sense of her own sinfulness: Her thought life, she admitted, is …
Why Do Our Children Leave The Church?
Why do so many people—with incredible conversions—parent children who leave Christianity? History overflows with great saints whose offspring lose …
Are We Neutering God?
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recently elected to reject “In Christ Alone” for their next hymnal. Their committee originally chose it but wanted to …
The Ugliness Of Religious-Righteousness
Hurricane Sandy was the second most devastating hurricane in United States history. On October 29th, 2012 it stormed ashore in New Jersey, leaving a …
Might Modern Worship Be Sort of Like A Cocaine Rush?
I once met with a man—let’s call him Nathan—who described himself as a, “recovering charismatic.” He was open to it; but his experience of modern …