Church & Culture
Evil is not a theory.
It’s not a concept created by angry, red-face preachers trying to stop people from having a good time.
Evil is what flies airplanes into buildings and drives an automobile into pedestrians.
But evil doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
No one wakes up one ...
We have to start letting go of some of our long-held ideas about church and ministry. Especially when it comes to evangelism and outreach.
But it’s not always easy.
Here’s a true story that illustrates that reality. (I’ve kept some details vague, and adjusted ...
A lot of people are talking and writing about leaving the Christian faith lately.
For many, their reasons are profound and horrifying. I have and will write about those tragedies, but this article is not about that. It’s about others who are leaving for reasons that are ...
If you were on Facebook in the last few days, you heard from Jayden K. Smith.
Actually, you didn’t hear from Jayden, you heard a lot about Jayden.
For those not on Facebook, here’s what happened.
Someone started a rumor that if you accepted a friend request from Jayden ...
Last week’s blog post, Why Some Great Churches Never Impact Their Community, got a lot of feedback on Facebook, Twitter and email.
Several readers were concerned that I had been harder on the church than I needed to be. Their primary concerns were:
1. I made a snap judgment ...
Several years ago I had the privilege of being in a great church service on a trip away from home.
The worship was dynamic, the people were friendly, the message was biblical and engaging, the sense of the presence of God was genuine.
As I drove away, I thought, “What a ...
For the first time in American history we have a generation without Christian parents or grandparents.
Many of the people – especially the youth – who give their lives to Jesus in the church I pastor were never taught Bible stories, prayed at meals or bedtime, or ...
Many churches have experienced great success and growth doing big ‘come and watch’ events.
Even if choir cantatas on Christmas and Easter have been replaced by an illustrated message with stage design, lighting and video, the idea is the same – to draw people ...
Easter is coming! All over the world, pastors are preparing to speak to what is usually the biggest church crowd of the year.
If you’re wondering how to make the wonderful, but familiar resurrection story feel fresh again, here’s an idea I’m working on.
God doesn’t do stupid things.
No matter how many times we say “please”. No matter how much faith we have. No matter how hard we pray.
He does strange things. Hard-to-understand things. Even things that can seem totally messed up and cruel from our limited vantage ...
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