Counterfeit Courage
I used to know a man who had been a colonel in the special forces. By the time I met him, he had left the army and led an international men’s …
Christian Leadership
Disappearing Christians
Several years ago, I witnessed a well-known, incredibly talented worship leader. His guitar strum stirred my heart, his baritone voice felt like honey …
The Fool and His Headlines
In ninth grade, my brother Andy’s locker partner was Kevin, the school’s drug dealer. One fall day Kevin had a bad trip on LSD. The bad trip continued …
Clones and Drones and Spiritual Self-Worship
I once worked with a man who had two passions: a love for model planes and a love for writing. He formed a publishing company to produce a magazine …
The Powerful Authority of Humility
My wife is not a fan of Tom Cruise. I see her point. It’s like his acting powers peaked in Top Gun (or maybe A Few Good Men), and all his subsequent …
Why Won’t We Admit the Evil of Our Deeds?
When I began Beliefs of the Heart, a friend suggested I adopt a Comment Policy. His site already had one, and I copied his policy almost word for …
When Success Fails
Twenty-five years ago, a client of mine became president of his company. It happened through a fluke (he was a mid-level manager), good luck, and a …
Dregs of Culture
I was in a college ministry that targeted its evangelism for one purpose: to select future leaders. I’m ashamed to admit we called this process, …
Celebrity Christians
We live in an age of celebrity Christians: legendary best-selling authors, venerated rock stars of worship, and renowned mega church pastors. While we …
Circumstantial Judgement
A pastor-friend of mine once experienced a colossal succession of disappointments. His favor with his followers faltered, his once fruitful ministry …
CEO Jesus
Last week a friend forwarded to me a podcast in which a megachurch pastor was interviewed about his handling of COVID. The well-known pastor had made …
Slow Burn Wrath
A month ago, my wife and I heard a sermon during a weekend trip to New Mexico. The vacation was great. The sermon was horrible. The story was Jesus …