Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.— John 6:24

You and I live daily within an external — and internal — clash of two worldviews. This tension is the exact tension Jesus himself ministered throughout. here is the...

Perhaps the shift began when children stopped saying they wanted to be doctors, firemen, and teachers when they grow up and started saying actors, singers, and sports stars. Maybe it began with the manufactured reality of reality TV. Maybe it began when we stopped “going onto the...

We were pleased to host the 2nd Normal Pastor Conference at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, MO last weekend, and I’ve been really blessed by the feedback from those who attended. The audio of the messages — from D.A. Horton, John Onwuchekwa, Won Kwak, Nathan Rose, and me —...

Every Christian must be a theologian. In a variety of ways, I used to tell this to my church often. And the looks I got from some surprised souls are the evidence that I had not yet adequately communicated that the purposeful theological study of God by laypeople is important.

Many times the...

After speaking at a conference once, I spoke with a young man who had suffered from a mental disability all his life. But what he lacked in intellectual capability he did not in theological insight. He said to me that sometimes he asks God why he had to be born with his disability. His brother, he...

A couple of years ago, I took up the brilliant biography of George Whitefield by Thomas Kidd and was reminded afresh of the spiritual anointing that granted Whitefield unprecedented response to his simple gospel preaching.

When Whitefield preached, the crowds went crazy. Some came to heckle him....

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. — Psalm 1:5-6

You and I are starving for the glory of God. Underneath all the desires, all the...

I just wrapped up my first experience with ministry coaching (via Tailored Coach), and had a great time with some great guys. I enjoyed it so much, I decided to go another round. So, beginning next month (August), I will be offering another 6 months of ministry coaching via Tailored Coach. The...

I went with my family earlier this week to see the new Fred Rogers documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Overall it was an excellent film, and we enjoyed it very much. As I said in my night-of , you and I could quibble with portions of it — the filmmaker seems intent on...

I know I’m dating myself here, but I just don’t think the Church has produced a musician in the last 30 years equally passionate as talented as the late Keith Green. He’s probably not my favorite Christian artist, but he was certainly the most influential on me, particularly over...

Every now and then, for those who are interested, I share selections from my upcoming speaking dates. If you’re in any of these areas and able to attend, would be great to meet you.

Tomorrow I’ll be heading down undah for the second time this year. I’ll be speaking at the Oxygen...

Can I tell you that I hate the folktale of “The Little Red Hen”? I remember it from my childhood, and I remember coming across it in little storybooks when my kids were little, and I always skipped it. I just don’t like it. I know the morals it hopes to teach are good ones...

The late pioneer of Christian rock Larry Norman once sang, “Everybody has to choose whether they will win or lose, follow God or sing the blues, and who they’re gonna sin with.” I’ve always thought that was pretty clever. Because when you get right down to it, we are all...

Ever feel like the average pastors’ conference wasn’t quite for you? Wish the average pastors’ conference spoke to the pastors who were a little more . . . well, average? Last year we introduced The Normal Pastor Conference in Orlando for any church leader who may feel a little...

Insecurity doesn’t always manifest itself in the same way. For many people, it looks like anxiety, nervousness, or timidity. But did you know that arrogance, domineering, and short-temperedness are also signs of insecurity? (Both timidity and domination have at their roots a concern about...

Even though I have been out of the pastorate now three years, I’m still asked quite frequently what a pastor’s normal work week should look like. The answer is always, “It depends.” It depends on one’s missional context, the size of one’s church and support team,...

“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.” – 2 Timothy 4:13

One thing we see looking back at great movements of God (revivals and reformations) prompted by gospel preaching is that the preachers weren’t...

I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.– Micah 7:9

How long does the Lord’s indignation land on us for our sin? Until our cause...

I have made no secret of how impactful—yes I know that’s not a word—Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together has been in my life. I have read it a few times over the last several years, but the first time I read it was in the context of a men’s small group in my church...

How do we preach toward good evangelistic engagement? If, as many younger evangelicals of the gospel-centered persuasion believe, we aren’t to turn our Sunday service into a seeker-targeted evangelistic event, in what sense might the sermon time fuel the missional impulse in our churches to...

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth. — John 4:24

One of the problems with “mysticism” as it pertains to Christian life and ministry is just how hard-to-define the concept actually is. In one breath, a person may refer to the classical...

God forbids pastoral domineering but commands instead “being examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3). Therefore, pastor, whatever you are, your church will eventually become. If you are a loudmouth boaster, your church will gradually become known for loudmouth boasting. If you are a...

It is impossible to be ambivalent about Jesus. He said so himself (Matt. 12:30). It should come as no surprise, then, to see that as Jesus traveled around preaching, teaching, and doing ministry, he had an immensely polarizing effect on those he encountered. Some responded in loving awe and others...

My publisher Thomas Nelson has made available a FREE study guide for readers of my new book Supernatural Power for Everyday People: Experiencing God’s Extraordinary Spirit in Your Ordinary Life. You can download the guide (pdf) at the book’s page on my author website here.

And thanks for...

So we urged Titus that just as he had begun, so he should also complete among you this act of grace. — 2 Corinthians 8:6

Paul uses a curious phrase here, saying that Titus could “complete the grace” given to him by passing on what he’d been given. It sounds on the surface...