James K. A. Smith on the importance of the dinner table
I’m reading through James K. A. Smith’s excellent new book, You Are What You Love. I highly recommend this book. Here are some of Smith’s thoughts on the formative power of families eating dinner together: For example: never underestimate the formative power of the family supper table. This vanishing liturgy is a powerful site of formation. Most […]
Do You Really Believe This? On Santa Claus, Jesus, and the Unbelievable
It is during this season, the glorious Christmas season, that my wife watches her favorite channel the most. Unfortunately for me, that channel is not one of the ESPN family of networks, but the Hallmark Channel. I’m generally a fan of Hallmark’s usually wholesome television programming, stuff you can actually watch with your nine-year-old in […]
The Way Home featuring Ray Ortlund
What do good fathers give to their children and why is marriage a picture of the gospel? Ray Ortlund joins us to talk about his childhood, what he learned from his father’s example, and why he has, recently, been speaking out on racial justice. Ray Ortlund is a the Senior Pastor of Immanuel Church in […]
The Way Home featuring Nancy Guthrie
What do you say to a grieving friend? Nancy Guthrie, Bible study teacher and author, shares from her own seasons of grief to help others both find comfort and to comfort. Nancy and her husband, David, have a twenty-something son, Matt, and have had two children, a daughter, Hope, and a son, Gabriel, who were […]
What is Advent, and Why Should We Celebrate It?
There is something really wonderful about the word, advent. We know this word from other contexts besides religion. We say things like, “Since the advent of the automobile…” Or “Since the advent of the modern era…” Advent signals something new is coming. The dawn of a new and better era. This is really what Christmas […]
The Way Home featuring Scott Sauls
Is it possible to listen and learn from people with whom we disagree? In an age of connectedness, why are we so lonely? I invited my good friend Scott Sauls back to the podcast to talk about his important new book, Befriend. Scott is the senior minister at Christ Presbyterian Church in the Nashville area. […]
Equipping Students for Ministry in a Post-Christian Age
Facebook may not seem like a discipleship tool to most pastors. But when I served my congregation in northern Illinois, this social networking tool provided me with an unexpected assist in discerning the spiritual lives of my parishioners, particularly the students. Facebook provides a platform for young people to share what they really think, liberating […]
The Way Home featuring Bryan Chapell
How is the idea of grace worked out in the life of a church? Bryan Chapell joins me to discuss his new book, Unlimited Grace. Chapell is the senior pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, Ill. For many years he served in leadership at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, the last 20 as its president. […]
Some Things I’m Reading Right Now
First I tweeted this and then I got the idea to share a short post on some things I’m reading lately. As for books, I just finished the brilliant Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance. I highly recommend it. I did the audiobook version. Now I’m onto another audio book, this time, Churchill, A Life by Martin […]
My New Project on Human Dignity
I’m pleased to announce that I’ve just signed a contract for my next book project. I’m pleased to be working with The Good Book Company on a book on human dignity. I’m deeply grateful for my agent, Erik Wolgemuth and for The Good Book Company for believing in this idea. I’ve been impressed with TGBC, […]
Evangelism After the Bible Belt: Why Sharing Christ is Both Easier and Harder in a Post-Christian culture
Evangelism is the one topic that is guaranteed to get the most amens in church and yet produces the most fear and guilt in those of us called to share the good news of the gospel. And today, in an increasingly post-Christian culture, the job of fulfilling the Great Commission seems more impossible than it […]
The Way Home featuring Leslie Leyland Fields
Many of the narratives in the gospels center around water. Leslie Leyland Fields shares with us why that is important. Leslie is an author and editor. She and her family live in Kodak Island, Alaska where their commercial fishing business helps them better relate to the Jesus who both walked on and calmed the water. […]