One Christian Response to LGBTQ+ Pride Month

It is June 1st, 2021, and my Google calendar tells me today is the first day of LGBTQ+ pride month. I am sure you have noticed. This new tradition seems to be here to stay, and many conscientious Christians who hold to a biblical sexual ethic may wonder how to respond. I would like to…

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Let the Little Children Sing

From the time Emily and I first knew we were expecting, we sang “Jesus Loves Me” to our daughter Evelyn. She heard it in the womb, then in the first few moments after delivery, and even now she hears it every evening at bed time. Next, we immersed her sister Kyrsten in the tradition. We…

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Follow the Money

If you ever want to know what matters most to someone, simply follow the money. Money represents power and influence. It promises to give you what you want most. The same principle applies to organizations. Whether the budget is personal or public, you can learn a lot about people by looking at the numbers. That’s…

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Should You Watch the Super Bowl Halftime Show?

Last year I wrote a blunt blog about the Super Bowl halftime show. It was reactionary, partly written in frustration that so many people complained about the highly sexualized nature of the event when we should have seen it coming. That blog was also my most read piece of 2020, probably because it had the…

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The Sin of Judgmentalism

We have witnessed much violence in America last week and in the last year. The near future does not seem to offer any promise of rest. Yet in Matthew 5:9 we read these words from Jesus, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” In context, Jesus is preaching his famous…

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Hang in There, Mom & Dad

I’m up late and can’t sleep because my circadian rhythm has been thrown off yet again by our 5-month baby girl. Oh yes, you moms and dads out there know what I’m talking about. And since I have your attention, and I can’t sleep, please allow me to speak two truths of encouragement for weary…

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The Gospel and Social Justice

The rise of the political organization Black Lives Matter and the modern social justice movement has caused no small disturbance in the American church. Some people are confused, some are overwhelmed, some are overconfident, and some are deceived. I’m specifically concerned for friends of mine in conservative Christianity who are blindly accepting this movement while…

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Why I Don’t Watch TV

When I was in high school a friend of mine recommended the book Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. It was and still is a fascinating read; Postman proved to be prophetic regarding the negative influence of television and show business on our culture. I wish I could say my initial reading of that…

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The Weak Church: Making Much of Christ

Planted in Weakness Christianity has enjoyed a position of strength in Western society for a long time. The church once commanded kings, encompassed nations, and dominated the world. But things were not always this way. Before the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the Byzantine Empire through the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., Christianity was…

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What Camp Meeting Choruses Teach Us About the Gospel

“Let’s sing that chorus one more time!” the worship leader calls out. You sing it again, this time louder and with more energy, “amening” the truth of the song with your voice along with everyone around you. In today’s music world, the best part of a song is often imbedded in the chorus or refrain.…

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