As we have gone through this series of articles together, I am sure anyone with a child in worship looked in anticipation to this one more than any other. There is a desire in us that says, “tell me what to do”— but we must learn why first. We need to be driven by our convictions so when things get tough, we will not abandon the course. May I say, if you are embarkin...

In the last article, we looked at what the Bible says about children being present in corporate worship. Here we address the unintended consequences, along with a brief history of how children’s church was developed. Again, I want to reiterate, I am not seeking to insult people who serve in children’s church, and I do not think this is a tier one issue. However, there ...

While the topic of children’s church is not forbidden in Scripture, we certainly cannot take a cavalier attitude to the topic. It is most certain that the Israel’s worship in the Old Testament and churches of the New Testament knew nothing of an age-segregated worship or “children’s church.”...

I must confess it has been some time since I went to the barbershop. About four years ago, I began shaving my head completely because my forehead kept growing and my bald spot was about to meet my forehead. But about 10 years ago when I was still visiting stylists, I sat down in the chair of a barber who was cutting my then-remaining hair for the first time, and the sub...

The teenage years are ones that, if honest, most parents will admit they dread. Why? We all know about the vulnerabilities of teen life and remember our own struggles during those formative years. Many people have told me that they would not go back and relive their teen years for “all the money in the world,” a sentiment with which I heartily concur (and we’re only...

I must confess that although I love the Lord of the Rings series, I have not completed the books! It remains on my unending list of things to do and read. This well-loved classic from J.R.R. Tolkien is not only a great story, but for believers, a delight in seeing Christian themes embedded throughout the series. For example: the bearing of sin in Frodo carrying the ring. O...

Christians in most American churches are encouraged to evangelize – which means sharing the gospel with unbelievers and calling them to faith and repentance in Jesus Christ. This highly appropriate activity is rooted in the words of the New Testament and obedience to our Lord who commands us to make disciples. Yet while we see many circles and pockets of Christendom “...

I want to share just a few things a church and its members should consider in relating to a pastor’s wife, because honestly few people know what it is like to be in a pastor’s home. Unless you hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, how could you know? So here goes....

The other day my son asked me why people who used to go to church stop going, presenting a “teachable moment” on the importance of church in the Christian life. My son was observing a behavior that was already a tendency in the first-century church, as seen when the writer of Hebrews instructed his readers to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the ...

Last week we sought to define legalism, with an emphasis on the particular form of legalism that I have experienced in my former life as an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist: elevating one’s personal preferences to the level of doctrine, or insisting on them to bind the conscience of another believer. ...