Church & Culture

Church & Culture
To Everyone Who Works During Christmas: A Tribute
If you work on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day so others can celebrate, this is a big 'thank you' from all of us.
To Everyone Who Works During Christmas: A Tribute
Image: DVIDSHUB | Flickr

It's Christmas Eve as I write this post. Today and tomorrow are busy days for pastors.

While many others get a break tonight and tomorrow, pastors like me are hard at work.

We’re preparing for Christmas Eve Candlelight services, Midnight Masses and Christmas Day celebrations. ...

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Church & Culture
Yes, Your Kids Can Enjoy Santa While Honoring Jesus
Here are four simple steps and one ‘magic’ word that can help keep Jesus and Santa rightly prioritized in your family’s Christmas celebration.
Yes, Your Kids Can Enjoy Santa While Honoring Jesus
Image: Steve Mays | Flickr

How do we keep Christ in Christmas when Santa is everywhere we look? Can we have fun with the Santa story? Or is that diluting the true meaning of Christmas?

What’s a Christian parent to do?

I have good news. When it comes to Christmas, we really can have it all. Jesus and ...

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Church & Culture
Let's Stop Adding ‘Yeah, But’ to Simple Declarations of Grace
Sometimes grace needs to take an uninterrupted victory lap through our lives.
Let's Stop Adding ‘Yeah, But’ to Simple Declarations of Grace
Image: Bhope34 | Flickr

Sin is real.

But grace is stronger.

Hell exists.

But grace is greater.

Justice demands retribution.

But grace is God’s scandalous response.

Why are some Christians so quick to diminish simple statements of grace with a ‘yeah, but’ response?

Whenever ...

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Church & Culture
Why I Don’t Preach Politics (A Follow-Up with Q & R)
Last week's post on politics in the pulpit generated some great dialog. Here's a synopsis of that dialog in a Question & Response format.
Why I Don’t Preach Politics (A Follow-Up with Q & R)
Image: Benjamin Esham | Flickr

For a guy who doesn’t preach on politics, my recent post about not preaching on politics sure has me talking a lot about politics lately.

Last week, I wrote My Silence Is Not Compliance: Why I Don’t Preach Politics from the Pulpit. It generated some great responses ...

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Church & Culture
Every Idle Word: 8 Cautions for Ministers on Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for good, for evil, and for mischief. These eight ideas can help keep conversations civil and reputations intact.
Every Idle Word: 8 Cautions for Ministers on Social Media
Image: Robert Couse-Baker | Flickr

Social media has become our face to the world.

When we use it well, it can be a great tool for ministry and relationships.

When it’s done badly, it can cause massive, sometimes irreversible harm – to others, ourselves, our churches and the message of the gospel. ...

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Church & Culture
My Silence Is Not Compliance: Why I Don’t Preach Politics from the Pulpit
Preachers need to take our cue from God's Word, not the current obsession of the 24-hour news cycle.
My Silence Is Not Compliance: Why I Don’t Preach Politics from the Pulpit
Image: Peter | Flickr

I don’t speak on political issues in my church.

I don’t support candidates.

I don’t address legislation.

I never take a side on controversial news items when I'm behind the pulpit.

And I’m tired of being called a coward because of it.

On ...

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Church & Culture
7 Revolutionary Principles from the Small Church that Founded America
Struggling churches can learn a lot from the integrity and perseverance of the church members who sailed on the Mayflower and changed the world.
7 Revolutionary Principles from the Small Church that Founded America
Image: Adam Pieniazek | Flickr

The Pilgrims didn’t plan to change the world. But they did, anyway.

They began as a small church that wanted to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. They ended up founding a nation and sparking a revolution.

This week, Americans celebrate ...

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Church & Culture
When Evil Strikes: A Christian Answer to 'Isn’t Religion the Problem?'
With so much evil done in the name of religion, how is being a Christian any different?
When Evil Strikes: A Christian Answer to 'Isn’t Religion the Problem?'

There was a lot of pain and suffering in the world last weekend. Caused by horrifyingly evil acts.

Our church prayed for France, Lebanon, and Kenya yesterday.

You've heard about France. But you may not have heard about Lebanon and Kenya.

In Lebanon, 43 people were ...

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Church & Culture , Read These First – The Essentials
Six Church-and-Culture Issues I Don't Care About Any More
The church needs to build bridges to the culture if we hope to reach it. But there are some bridges I won't cross any more.
Six Church-and-Culture Issues I Don't Care About Any More
Image: Mirko Tobias Schäfer | Flickr

Well, that was ironic.

Last week I wrote a post, Six Church-Insider Issues I Don't Care About Any More. It resulted in more readers than any previous week this blog has ever had.

Apparently, being passionately apathetic is contagious.

As promised, today's post ...

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Church & Culture
11 Ways to Be the Church for Those Who Don’t Go to Church
People need to know us before they can trust us. And they need to trust us before they’ll go to church with us.
11 Ways to Be the Church for Those Who Don’t Go to Church
Image: Paul Friel | Flickr

Helping people come to faith in Jesus used to be as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Invite a friend to church.
2. The friend comes to church.
3. The preacher closes the deal.

(That’s New Testament evangelism, right? Uh, maybe not.)

It’s harder today.

In my previous ...

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