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 embarking on this journey with your kids, the road is clear, but it is not easy....
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 are unintended consequences in an approach to children’s church....
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 subject of my job as a pastor came up. The man told me he listened to Joel Osteen and wanted to know my thoughts. ...
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 slightly exaggeratingTry and remember those days for a moment. If you were like me, in your teen years you would think things like,...
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. Or the resurrection of Jesus in Gandalf’s plummeting to certain death and coming back as Gandalf the White. ...
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 “doing evangelism,” many approaches to evangelism are far from appropriate, and in fact are unhealthy and rooted in bad theology....
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 manner of some is.” (Hebrews 10:25)...
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. ...
I am a perfectionist is some areas of life. I am not advocating theological perfectionism, but rather confessing to the personality construct of feeling like you always have more to do in a certain area and you are never satisfied with it. This is something many people deal with, but more on that in a moment....
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In short, yes! I guess I could end there, but that would be a really short blog, would it not? It is clear that everything is not black and white in the Scriptures and clinging tightly to one’s interpretation or preference on every matter imaginable is not wise or charitable. However, this one is a matter I think is important for your spiritual health and that of your fa...
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Ending a sermon well has always been difficult for me. Preaching can be likened to flying an airplane. The introduction is the takeoff. The exposition is the actual flight. The conclusion is the landing. And oh, my, have I had some crash-and-burn landings! Maybe at the top of the list was the time I forgot the lyrics to a song I was going to recite! After fumbling and mu...
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One passage in the Bible that is rather hard to reconcile is the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11, during the infant stages of the Jerusalem church as the apostles were leading the body. Desiring to impress other church members, Ananias and Sapphira sold property they owned and donated a portion of the proceeds. While this was a noble move, they lied in saying ...
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I can never remember a time in my life when I did not love the game of basketball. Some of my earliest memories are basketball games that I played in or went to watch. In the spring of 1992, I can still remember watching Christian Laettner hit the game-winning basket to send Duke to the Final Four against Kentucky in one of the greatest college basketball games of all time...
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In my last post, I talked about what I believe is the best method of exposing the people of God to the Word of God on the Lord’s Day. I am convinced that this is done through expository preaching. However, I am not so naïve to think that every expository sermon is done in a 5-star fashion and there are times when it is not modeled well. I want to help correct some misco...
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A decisive factor in choosing a church is the preaching – and rightly so because sound doctrine and healthy teaching are referenced frequently in the New Testament. Yet all too often we judge preaching based on the style and the communication skills of the preacher and not necessarily his content or method. Is the preacher funny? Does he inspire me? But better question...
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Human beings have always wanted someone to look up to who is bigger than themselves. The infatuation we have with superheroes in America proves the point. We realize that as frail, feeble human beings, someone else must provide what we indeed do not have for ourselves. This celebrity status of vesting our hopes and dreams in another is something we are all tempted to do. ...
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One of the most lethal forms of spiritual corrosion is bitterness that leads to a grudge. I have never yet known a person who did not either hold a grudge against someone or felt he or she had a reason to. Yet examples and admonitions from Scripture show us why holding a grudge is wrong and how dangerous it can be in the life of a Christian:...
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Stereotypes are rarely true and often offensive, which means they should be challenged whenever possible. That’s especially true of the stereotypes about “preachers’ kids.” This is a subject I can address with some confidence since I have been a pastor’s son since age 11, and my children have known nothing but their dad being a pastor. ...
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