The Pig in London and the Lamb in Israel
When I was twenty years old, I wanted to spend a summer abroad, but as a college student I could barely afford ramen noodles. I found work on a …
Getting glory
When Success Turns Sour
Fifteen years ago, a client of mine became president of his company. It all came about through a fluke (he was a mid-level manager), good luck, and a …
It’s Time for an Execution
When I was a teenager, family and friends used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. (Now they just ask me when I will grow up). I always …
Squeezing Bad News from the Good News
Last spring I attended a wedding and heard an impressive pastor preach a stirring sermon on a powerful passage called The Kenosis (or The Emptying). …
The Legacy Temptation
I’ve been sick for the last month. Sniffles turned into bronchitis; bronchitis became pneumonia; and the pneumonia was accompanied by a gut wrenching …
How Christian is Modern Self-Esteem?
The Times of London once asked leading British intellectuals to write an article that answered this simple question: “What is the biggest problem with …
Is Sunday School Destroying Our Kids?
Several years ago I met with a woman distraught over her son’s rejection of Christianity. She said, “I did everything I could to raise him right. I …
Superhero Burnout
I like hero movies. My grandsons love them. Hollywood adores them. In the last decade, about sixty superhero movies have been released, roughly one …
Let’s Become Emotional Christians
I woke up last week to the blahs, like Marie Antoinette’s claim, “Nothing tastes.” This happens to me when I’m tired, and ten restless nights had …
Let’s Become Disappearing Leaders
A couple years ago, I witnessed a well-known, incredible worship leader. His guitar strum stirred my heart, and his baritone voice felt like honey to …
What’s Your Legacy?
Babysitting two grandsons Tuesday morning, I felt discouraged. Not with them; they were great. Not even with changing their diapers—although I’m a …
Try Confession Without Repentance
Three years ago (this month) I repented to God for something dinky. I hadn’t stolen candy from a baby, oppressed a widow, or coveted a neighbor’s cow. …