Every day in my role in Student Life at Boyce College, I enjoy rich conversations with students and staff about the nature and dynamics of spiritual life. I only wish that I had an hour at the end of each day to reflect on all that I learned. Today, my late afternoon conversation with an enjoyable young … More From Anxiety to Gratitude
When the pastor closes in prayer, the service ends, and the congregation is dismissed, what’s the first thing you say about a great sermon? One thing I hear (and say) far too often: “That was a great sermon.” “He did a great job.” “He’s a great preacher.” These are ways of communicating our conviction over the message … More A Great Sermon or a Great Savior?
Thrones are not where you go for grace. “The rulers of the Gentiles,” Jesus said, “lord it over them” (Mark 10:42). Sovereigns are not often known for their sympathy. So when we read that we have (a) a “great high priest” (b) “who has passed through the heavens” (c) as the very “Son of God” … More The Sympathy of Christ and the Throne of Grace
I often cannot see the guiding hand of God over the days, weeks, and months, but over the years it is crystal clear. I often identify any cascade of consecutive trials as an erosion of his covenant promises, but the dusk of each season of life finds him faithful once again. “God doesn’t play games with … More The Sight of Faith
I’m glad I’m not famous. I’ve never worried about the possibility, but now and then I eyeball the perks from afar. Something about status, influence, and attention attracts the human psyche. It’s easy to envy the dominant athlete, the stunning actress, the chart-topping artist, the powerful mogul, the soul-moving preacher. “Man, I’d really love to … More Glad I’m Not Famous
Four years ago, on August 11, 2008, I preached my first message as Associate Dean of Men at The Master’s College. With 14 pages of single-spaced notes on a music stand and 45 staffers and student leaders packed into the corner of a dorm lounge, I told “The Story Above All Stories” — my first … More The Story Above All Stories
Remember Jeremy Lin? This undrafted, unheralded, 6’3″ Asian-American put the sputtering New York Knicks on his rookie shoulders and took the NBA by storm back in February. Gushing headlines about the 23-year-old Harvard grad consumed one of the few industries where being a Harvard grad puts you behind, not ahead. His 38-point, 7-assist explosion (a) against … More Linsanity (or, Why We All Claimed Jeremy Lin): Ethnicity, Status, Religion, and the Search for Vindication
If you want to be a scholar, you have to know your field. The seminal works, the major contributions, the game-changing periods, the ebb and flow of dialogue throughout the decades or centuries or millennia. You have to join the conversation. There’s one problem with this (well, more than one, but one I’m going to … More Controlling the Questions: Circular Scholarship and the Cul-de-Sac of Inquiry
Few experiences are more maddening than discovering that someone’s been gossiping about you. But if we’re so disturbed when we discover that people (especially friends) are speaking negatively about us, why do we so freely speak disparagingly about others? I mentioned in the last post that (1) gossip is often our misguided attempt at justice … More Why Do We Gossip? (Part 3)
Gossip is a weapon of mass destruction. It bites, claws, and maims its unsuspecting victims. The gossip is a murderer of reputations and a divider of relationships. Yet if gossip is so destructive and divisive, why do we do it? Why are our news feeds and our communities and our conversations so saturated with gossip? … More Why Do We Gossip? (Part 2)
I wonder what percentage of my words each day either function as gossip or flow from a gossip’s heart? What if I valued others’ reputations more than my own? What if I silently asked for a pure heart before speaking negatively about someone? How much would I edit my words if I determined only … More 11 Questions about Gossip
The power of our thoughts cannot be overestimated. The mind is our headquarters, our war room, our Oval Office. Our mental processes drive our attitudes, guide our decisions, and shape our community. Here thoughts coalesce into worldviews, seeds of selfishness or service incubate and blossom into sin or righteousness, and plans are hatched whether for good or … More Stop and Think: The Mind in Life and Ministry (Part 4)
Our mind is mission control center. It fuels, drives, and directs us. The dynamics at play are legion, and are well-worth our careful reflection. In Part 1, I shared the need to tie up the loose ends of our minds (1 Peter 1:13) due to the worldview-creating power of our thoughts. Then in Part 2, … More Stop and Think: The Mind in Life and Ministry (Part 3)
Our thinking drives our priorities, our priorities dictate our actions, our actions form our habits, and our habits reflect our destiny. Therefore, knowing the dynamics of the mind is fundamental for living wisely. 1. The mind is a spiritual battlefield (Gen 4:6-7; Ps 77:1-9, 11-20; Gal 5:16-17; 1 Pet 5:6-7). Conflicting thoughts rage and war … More Stop and Think: The Mind in Life and Ministry (Part 2)
How much of your life is affected by your mind? How much do your thoughts affect your day? To what extent are your attitudes, your perspectives, your relationships, and your communication shaped by your thinking? In 1 Peter 1:13, Peter draws a powerful picture: “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope … More Stop and Think: The Mind in Life and Ministry (Part 1)
Teaching big truths to little minds simplifies our thinking. Some day I’d like to reach the place where my thinking and teaching could fit Jonathan Pennington’s description of renowned New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham: “He’s on the other side of complexity.” Like any other parent, I’d tried and tried to get our kids (4, 4, 5, 6) to look people … More Praise You, Thank You, Sorry, Help Us: Teaching the Little Ones to Pray
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