Stop Trying to Be Cool

Over three decades serving as a pastor I have had opportunity to witness many trends and fads in church life. Terms like “seeker” and “emergent” and “missional” and “relevant” and “contemporary” have all at various times found their way into the evangelical lexicon. While these cover a wide range of issues and involve many different…

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Entertained or Edified?

Recently I watched an intriguing YouTube video by bass player and composer Adam Neely called “Learning to Like Contemporary Christian Music (the music I hate).” Adam takes us on a interesting journey as he studies the style and form of some of the big names in modern contemporary worship. I agree with much of what…

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Review — American Gospel: Christ Crucified

If you’ve got some extra time at home due to quarantine measures, consider turning off Netflix and watching a Christian documentary instead. American Gospel: Christ Crucified would be a great use of your time! Note: American Gospel: Christ Crucified (hereafter referred to as “AG2”) is follow-up to American Gospel: Christ Alone (or, “AG1”), released in…

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Crucial Reasons Why Abortion Is Evil

It is impossible to escape moral judgments. Even in our post-modern, increasingly secular society, where many believe all truth is relative, we cannot escape making moral judgments. Words loaded with moral meaning appear in the headlines repeatedly. Reporters write about the “redemption” of Tiger Woods or about the evil of school or church shootings and…

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The Real Reason Game of Thrones Will Disappoint

Eight years ago, I tried to watch Game of Thrones: Season 1. A few episodes in, I put the DVDs back in the case and returned them. I had seen enough. Besides being disturbed by the nihilistic violence and rape, I felt the story of Westeros wasn’t going anywhere meaningful, and I was right. Over…

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Unreal Reality? Unreal!

In 2015, Rachel Dolezal became the subject of national debate when the truth materialized that this Eastern Washington University instructor was not in fact what she claimed to be – African American. Dolezal admitted that she was “born white to white parents,” but now she self-identified as black. Can a person really do that? Many…

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You Don’t Want to Have a Megapastor

The news just hit that another fabulously popular megapastor has been fired, apparently because of a long-standing, toxic culture of absolute power. I’m not very old, but I’ve already watched three cycles of this—a pastor who becomes THE guy to listen to, builds up a huge following, and then disintegrates in a blaze of glory.…

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