Saturday August 31 is a day Odessans and Midlanders will never forget. It was the start of Labor Day weekend, and a ‘routine’ traffic stop on I-20 turned into a nightmare scenario. By the end of the day, more than 20 people had been shot and 7 people had been killed.

Like many Odessans...

My church just wrapped up another year of VBS. This was my sixth VBS at Immanuel. During my time as pastor, we’ve hosted Agency D3, Journey off the Map, Submerged, Galactic Starveyors, Game On, and most recently In the Wild.

I think our volunteers and staff would agree with me when I say,...

Acts 13 tells the story of Barnabas and Saul being sent out by the church at Antioch. The church was gathered for worship and fasting. The Holy Spirit set apart Barnabas and Saul for a special work. The church fasted, prayed, and sent them off. In a real sense, this was the first mission team in...

In an age of video preaching, podcasts, and social media, regular pastors are tempted to chase a number of ministry goals. These goals can include platform building, a strong social media presence, denominational recognition, publishing contracts, speaking invitations, and even quasi-celebrity...

If you’re involved with the strange, online world of evangelical Christianity, you may have noticed a trend over the last several years. Many websites, social media platforms, blogs, and podcasts have taken a page right out of the playbook of American politics. It’s a page straight out...

“I think my child is ready to be baptized.” Regular pastors hear these words regularly. Little Johnny has asked a question about heaven, angels, death, or something remotely spiritual, and now Johnny’s parents think he’s ready to be baptized.

Setting all skepticism aside,...

Genesis 3 is a story of sin, transgression, rebellion, defiance, and treason. It’s also a story of fig leaves, hide and seek, and blame. Rather than walking the path of confession, Adam and Eve chose the path of sewing fig leaf clothing, hiding from the presence of God, and  blaming...

Human beings instinctively long for justice. Our definitions of justice may be rooted in different value systems, but we all long for justice. We want things to be set right.

Case in point, consider the Saints-Rams NFC championship game a few weeks back. The end of the game will live in infamy...

Pornography is a major problem in the 21st century. It’s certainly not a new problem, but it is definitely a problem that has intensified with the rise of the internet and smart phones. Technology has essentially poured gasoline on the fire of our lust.

The statistics about pornography...

To close the year, I’m sharing the top blog posts and top podcasts of 2018.

Top blog posts:

1. 4 Church Trends That Make Me Uncomfortable
2. Our Deadly Obsession with Celebrity Culture
3. 5 Ways to Make the Most of 936 Weekends
4. 10 Thoughts about “God and the Gay Christian” by Matthew Vines
5. 5...

William Chatterton Dix lived in the 1800s. He made his living as a manager of an insurance company. When he was 29 years old, Dix experienced a near-fatal illness that left him confined to bed for months. During this time of illness, Dix grew in his faith, began writing poetry, and composed several...

/2018/12/S2-E8-Nourishing-the-Nations-Chris-Harrington.mp3

Authors: Landon Coleman...

I teach a young adult Sunday school class at my church. This fall we started off on our second trek through the Gospel Project. Yesterday we talked about Joseph and his early days in Egypt.

When I read this story, I’m always struck by the obedience and faithfulness of Joseph. Certainly I...

/2018/11/s2-e7-teaching-the-ten-commandments-corey-and-hunter.mp3

Recently a friend recommended that I read A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson. The book isn’t directed specifically towards pastors. Peterson writes for all Christians, urging them to press on in faithful, ordinary discipleship. However, as a regular pastor I...

/2018/11/s2-e6-advice-for-a-new-pastor-zach-crook.mp3

Recently my personal Bible reading took me through the book of Romans. What a remarkable book! So much rich doctrine! So much practical advice!

Martin Luther offered high praise for the book of Romans when he wrote, “It is the chief part of the New Testament and the perfect gospel.”

John...

/2018/10/s2-e5-regular-pastors-and-sabbatical.mp3

Last night my church (Immanuel) had a joint worship night with another local church (Redemption). We gathered together to read Scripture and respond in worship. As we sang praises to God, I was reminded of the value of congregational singing.

• Congregational singing is valuable for expression. Human...

The words “idol” and “idolatry” evoke different thoughts for different people. Many in the west hear these words and picture primitive worshipers bowing down to man-made statues. The Bible certainly describes this kind of idolatry. Just think of Aaron and the golden calf in...

/2018/10/s2-e4-when-is-a-church-member-allowed-to-leave-their-church.mp3

If you’ve been around church for any length of time, you’ve probably been encouraged to practice “spiritual disciplines.” Pastors want their people to read the Bible, and pastors want their people to pray. Colloquially, the disciplines of Bible reading and prayer are often...

/2018/09/s2-e3-regular-pastors-and-video-games-drew-dixon.mp3

Two weeks back I wrote a post titled, “5 Things I Want to Hear in a Sermon.” This week I’m writing a follow-up-post. The same premise applies today. That is, as a regular pastor I get excited about the occasional opportunity to “go” to church with my family, and I...

/2018/09/s2-e2-why-do-vacation-bible-school-corey-and-hunter.mp3