O Wise and Gracious Father, The leaders of the church at Sutherland Springs need your wisdom as they begin putting together the pieces of their fellowship. Though the physical building is damaged and the organizational structure wounded, the true, spiritual body there is still alive. … Read More
Tuesday’s Prayer for Sutherland Springs
Father in Heaven, We humbly ask for your glory to shine through the darkness of the recent tragedy at FBC, Sutherland, TX. May your presence be manifest among the survivors as a blanket of peace, comfort, and hope. Your people here lift their voices to … Read More
Interceding for Sutherland Springs: Everyday This Week at 11:30
The news out of Sutherland Springs, TX is horrifying. And our hearts hurt, not only for our brothers and sisters in that church who are grieving, but for the many people in that town who have yet to believe the glorious and beautiful gospel and … Read More
5 Principles About Consequences
Consequences are the undertow of sin. They linger long after the wave of sin breaks, and can pull many away from the shore of safety. This was true in King David’s life. The undertow of his sin with Bathsheba affected many others—and himself—far longer and … Read More
7 Diagnostic Questions to Gauge Pride in Your Life
Pride plays no favorites. It cripples and ripples without regard to position, power, or past. Just ask King Saul. That being true, here are seven diagnostic questions that will help us gauge and measure the depth of pride in our life. Collectively, these can act … Read More
Q and A: Why is the Kingdom of God Not Just the Church?
One of the questions I received Sunday was in response to my assertion that the kingdom of God was not just the church, nor was it just national Israel. More specifically, they were curious if I would “expand on that idea” and show “why it … Read More
“And Grace My Fears Relieved” — A Kingdom Metaphor by Walter Wangerin
Few people write such moving metaphors as Walter Wangerin, Jr. And with today being the closing Sunday of our summer series on doctrine, especially knowing the specific topic was the Kingdom of God and eschatology, I thought this reflective piece on that very kingdom was … Read More
What to Look For In a Church
A few years ago as I was teaching from Acts 2-4, I, almost in passing, threw out some observations about what people should look for in a church. Not that these qualities are unimportant; rather, it wasn’t the bulls-eye target of the text that day. But … Read More
The Fullest ‘Empty’ I’ve Ever known
I came home to an empty house today. Oh, not ’empty’ as in the sense of unfurnished. More like unoccupied. And don’t get me wrong—Julie and I are still there. But for the first time in 27 years, we’re the only ones there. There’s no … Read More
We Were Multiplying (And I Didn’t Even Know It)
When I returned from my sabbatical in 2015, one theme from God’s Holy Spirit burned hot in my heart: Mobilize to multiply. God’s passion for the nations had never been more clear to me, and the most logical place to start doing that was with the … Read More