Friday Five – Alex Chediak

Today more kids go to college than ever before and yet many wonder if kids are truly ready. How do parents and pastors and influencers prepare young people for this important phase of their lives? Today I’m blessed to chat with Alex Chediak, author of the newly released book, Thriving at College. Alex is an […]

Mini Book Reviews

I’ve been reading a lot lately. Here are two mini-reviews of two rather excellent books: A God Sized Vision by Collin Hansen and John Woodbridge. I loved this book for many reasons. It’s a novel idea–to present a basic history of revival. Revival is a subject I had little knowledge of, other than being part […]

Can We Retire This Word?

I’ve only been preaching for three years, so technically I’m a “rookie pastor.” But already I’ve seen some tendencies I’m working to correct. One I find in myself and also see in other Christian communicators is an over- use of the word, “most.” We arrive at a countercultural truth in our study, perhaps a doctrine […]

Easter Meditation: What Am I Doing With Jesus?

I’m writing this as I’m meditating on the most beautiful moment in the history of the world. It is the moment when the risen Jesus says, “Mary.” Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows the names of his sheep. And Mary was a most earnest seeker of Jesus. She had a past to be ashamed of, baggage […]

Good Friday Meditation: Psalm 22

This Good Friday I’m preaching on perhaps the most powerful passage regarding Jesus on the Cross. It’s actually found in the Old Testament in Psalm 22. What I found amazing about this passage is that it is the psalm of David, a mixture of lament and celebration. But none of the details David describes are […]

Why Reading Books Still Matters

photo © 2008 ladyb | more info (via: Wylio)One of the big questions we’re facing in the 21st Century is the question of books. Will we still need books? Or does everyone simply read blogs. In a world of iPads, Kindles, and Wii, are books important or are they an analog relic of the ancient […]

My Books Available in New Formats

excited to announce that my books are available in some new formats. First, my two teen devotionals, Teen People of the Bible and Crash Course are now available in the popular Bible study program, WordSearch. I have long used WordSearch for Bible study for preaching and writing. It is an indispensable tool for me. I highly recommend […]

Courage at the Cross

At Gages Lake Bible Church, we’re going through the gospel of John. This Sunday, we’re finishing up chapter 19, covering verses 31-42. This is an interesting part of Scripture where John describes, with great detail, the burial of Jesus. There are great themes here with Jesus fulfilling prophecy even in his burial, the symbolism of […]

Friday Five – Tim Sinclair

One of the ongoing conversations in the evangelical church is about marketing the gospel. There’s a tension. On the one hand, the gospel is decidedly countercultural. On the other hand, we want to contextualize the gospel to a modern world, so more people hear the message in their language and come to faith in Christ. […]

Why the Internet is Full of Temptations (and what we can do about it)

A few weeks ago, I signed up for the service, Covenant Eyes as a way of holding myself accountable for my online activity. The reason I chose Covenant Eyes is because it came highly recommended by pastors and Christian leaders. I like Covenant Eyes because it’s more than simply a filter, it’s accountability. Today, Luke […]

Friday Five Interview – Dr. Johnny Hunt

Dr. Johnny Hunt is a well-known pastor, especially to America’s largest body of evangelical churches, the 44 million member Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Hunt is the Senior Pastor of one of the largest SBC churches in America, 1st Baptist Church of Woodstock (Georgia) and has served as President of the Pastor’s Conference. In 2008, he […]

Resources for Graduation

photo © 2010 Ralph Daily | more info (via: Wylio)     We’re coming up on graduation day, that fateful day when you step across the aisle and enter into life. I’ll never forget the day I nervously stumbled down the aisle, sweating profusely and wondering what I was going to say in my speech. […]