It happened right after a Saturday night message at a church I was visiting. I had just finished my third message for a youth retreat when a 14-year-old I’ll call “Megan” found me at the back of the auditorium. She had heard me say the night before that I knew serious things were going on … More Drops of Grace: The Limits and Opportunities of Momentary Ministry
The Christian tradition has a complicated relationship with justice. In some situations, Christianized systems have been terribly unjust; in other situations, Christians have led the way toward justice. Sometimes Christians have denied that societal justice should be a concern of the faithful; at other times, Christians have decried any model of Christian theology that downplays … More Chains Shall He Break: The Jewish Messiah, the Christian Church, and the Hope of Justice
BridgePoint Bible Church Ray and Hollington Architects Fretz Construction Photo: John Lindy We are thrilled to announce that God has called me to serve as Lead Pastor at BridgePoint Bible Church in Houston, Texas. Cindi and I just returned from a 5-day candidating trip, and the church voted overwhelmingly to invite us to serve with … More Following the Cloud and Flame: A New Gundersen Journey
Now’s about the time when Christmas-lovers and snow-enthusiasts around the country start checking the 5-day weather forecast, united in their hope that Christmas Day will be marked by a freshly fallen snow. I should know — I married a snow-lover. I can still remember the sparks of excitement and the impromptu dances at windows and … More Why I’m Not Dreaming of a White Christmas
The prophet doesn’t have much if he doesn’t have his conscience. The Christian church in the United States, like the church in every other time and place, is called to announce to the principalities and powers that Christ is risen. We are called to summon the nations, including our nation, to faith and repentance, holding … More The Prophet’s Conscience
When an idol begins dissolving in your hands, do you clench tighter, or do you let go, look up, and grasp something truly stable? American Christians are facing a watershed moment. Any presidential clout we hoped to regain in this election is slowly proving to be a mirage. Elect Hillary Clinton, and we sanction a … More The Nation and the Kingdom: Re-enchanting the Political Mind
Good morning, Christian. Today, you and I and all who are united with Christ rise from sleep to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, son of Mary and son of God. As we rise from sleep, we are reminded of two other risings — one past, and one future. We rise this morning and gather with … More O Church, Arise
“Should my personality influence my ministry?” A female student recently asked this question in a discussion about counseling, but it applies to any responsibility a person might hold. Whether leading, managing, preaching, organizing, parenting, or discipling, we often wonder how our personalities should affect our Christian responsibilities. The longer we live, the more we see that … More ASKED: Should my personality influence my ministry?
The following is the manuscript of a sermon I preached at Fellowship Church in Louisville, Kentucky (audio here). Psalm 78:1-8 (ESV) 1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of … More Lesson and Legacy: Tell the Coming Generation (Sermon from Psalm 78:1-8)
The satirical Babylon Bee could and does write handfuls of articles about worship leaders. Apparently there’s a lot of material to work with. They’re mocked for their skinny jeans, their black-frame glasses, their chronological snobbery, their hipster tendencies. Or they’re knocked for their old-guard mentality, their antiquated ways, their refusal to get with the times whether … More The Sacred Teaching Task of the Christian Worship Leader
What makes ministry effective? How are people changed? What has the greatest impact? In the annals of war, certain leaders and strategies and weapons get the most attention: the tanks and the bombers, the gold and the generals, the noble sacrifices that rightly earn chests of medals and leave loud legacies ringing out to the far … More Seven Secret Weapons in Ministry
The most important time to be at church is when you don’t feel like it. I’ve talked with three Christians this past week — two struggling with depression, and a third who just went through a tough break-up — who’ve all stopped gathering with God’s people during a difficult season. Whether for weeks or for … More The Most Important Time to Be at Church
Every seven days a rebirthed humanity, inflamed with a shared Spirit, gathers around a common table to hear the true story of the world. Church isn’t merely steeples and Sunday School classes, pulpits and pews, praise bands and bulletins. The church is a risen and rising humanity of ex-corpses and ex-slaves testifying to the Messianic … More Ode to the Church
This morning our nation awakens to the second official holiday of the year: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Our other federal holidays include New Year’s Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day (in most states), Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Our kids have no school, my son will attend a midday birthday party, and … More Let Justice Roll: White Americans, White Christians, and the Martin Luther King Holiday
Today — January 11, 2016 — John Piper turns 70. I ‘met’ John Piper in 2000 when I was 19 years old and my summer mission trip leader had us read The Pleasures of God together. I was transfixed, and transformed. Never had I encountered such an explicitly God-centered worldview or such compellingly clear theological prose. My way … More Thank You, John Piper: 70 Reasons on Your 70th Birthday
I took my first preaching class thirteen years ago: Sermon Preparation and Delivery with Dr. Michael Boys. Hundreds of sermons, lectures, and lessons later, the two pillars he established still stand tallest in my mind. Pastor Boys taught us that accuracy and clarity are the most essential elements of biblical preaching. Accuracy is like air, … More True and Clear: A Call to Biblical Preaching
davidagundersen.com 