Our Father in heaven, We do not come to you lightly today. Our world is on its knees before you. You are holy, and the nations are like a drop in a bucket. We recognize anew the frailty of our bodies, our lungs, our governments, our economies. We confess that we need you. Father, we … More Lord, Have Mercy: A Prayer for Our Time
Have you stopped and listened to a Christian hymn or worship song recently? Did it sound any different? Richer? Fuller? Sweeter? As we all look into an uncertain future together, wise Christians will keep turning to truth-filled music to vent our fears and strengthen our faith and renew our hearts with the faithfulness of God. … More The Sweetening of All Our Songs
I still remember when it caught me. Hurricane Harvey had devastated our city in August 2017, it was now October, and I’d been working around the clock for six weeks. Exhaustion just ran me down. I had sprinted into a marathon. Many leaders are doing the same thing right now as a worldwide disruption demands … More Sprinting into a Marathon: Leaders, Pace Yourselves
We’re all trying to make timely decisions and communicate clearly during the COVID-19 disruption. Here’s what our church is doing. … More Our Church's Coronavirus Decision
Yesterday our church’s worship service was cancelled due to COVID-19 precautions. We’ve also cancelled all activities this week except our in-home small groups. We want to honor our leading authorities and join our society in minimizing health risks for the most vulnerable among us. If you know our church’s history, you know this isn’t our … More Christian Reflections on the COVID-19 Crisis
Sometimes a gift grows on you. Several years ago, after I completed a dissertation on the Psalms, a friend gave me a small hardback copy of the Psalter. It wasn’t fancy or expensive. But over the years, it’s become one of the best gifts I’ve ever received—a book for prayer more than reading—because now, more than … More 5 Reasons Pastors Need the Psalms
I offered this prayer on Sunday during our church’s annual Missions Week. Our Father in heaven, We come to you this morning in the name of Jesus. Our hearts are bowed because you are Lord. You rose from the dead, and even now, you reign over your church. So, we’re coming to ask you to … More A Prayer for the Nations
The church of Jesus Christ hosts the only repository of pure truth that exists in our world. God’s Word is ours, the Spirit of Christ resides in us, and the knowledge of God illumines our hearts and minds. We know the truth, and the truth has set us free. Why then is the church the … More Open Church
Pride, greed, and lust never have enough. This is one of many lessons we learn from Adam and Eve’s fall into sin. In Genesis 2:9, God creates “every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.” The Creator gifts Adam and Eve a garden filled with beautiful fruit-bearing trees. These trees are … More Never Enough
Decide. The perpetual maybe, the angst and anxiety, the push-it-off, the come-back-later—these are not life. History is won, yes, in many ways, but never by those who won’t decide. “Can’t decide,” you say? No, ability isn’t the issue. You can. Decide. Weigh the options, then kill all but one. Kill them all. The death of … More Decide
Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen… 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen… the king made made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone (1 Kings 10:26–27). You’d think the narrator is describing a successful king. But he’s not. He’s describing a failure. How do we know? God’s earlier law: The king must not acquire many horses for … More Sometimes Success Isn’t
Today John Piper turns 74 years old. Four years ago, when I realized he was about to turn 70, I reflected on his influence in my life and shared 70 reasons I thank God for him. • • • • • Today—January 11, 2016—John Piper turns 70. I ‘met’ John Piper in 2000 when I … More Thank You, John Piper: 70 Reasons
Every day, we’re crawling toward Sunday. Because every seven days, the world over, the Christian church gathers to celebrate the life, death, resurrection, and soon return of Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Scripture and prayer, songs and sermons, confession and supplication, joy and lament, we haul our broken bodies and heavy souls back to the place … More Crawling to Sunday
Jesus warns Christians about sinfully judging each other (Matthew 7:1–5). But what happens when a spirit of judgment—whether silent or explicit—overtakes us? Here are twenty-two marks of a judgmental church. A judgmental church will be infected with pride. A judgmental church will be marred with conflict. A judgmental church will be controlled by fear. A … More 22 Marks of a Judgmental Church
The year is new; the last is done. Again it flew; the course is run. We start again; we set our gaze. As mortal men we plot our days. The pages pass; the story flies. The clock a class for all the wise.
We sure do want a lot out of life. By now your social media feeds have been filled with articles about New Year’s resolutions and 2020 goals—mind, body, and spirit; work, rest, and play; personal, professional, and relational. There are the optimists aiming high, and the pessimists decrying the overambitional impulses that leave people disappointed … More How to Prosper in All of Life: The Main Thing You Need to Do in 2020
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