Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law Psalm 119:18 Before preaching a sermon, I normally climb into the pulpit and pray at the beginning. My pre-sermon pray is pretty consistent, asking God for help as we come to his Word. Specifically, I’d pray like this: “Father, give us eyes to…
For those who follow Jesus, we should celebrate what Biden/Harris do well and we should stand in humble and loving opposition when they make missteps. No doubt, there will be reasons to celebrate. For all the rhetoric surrounding the Trump presidency, he did some things that benefited our nation. And on the other side, there…
*This post is by Stacy Thorpe, Ministerial Coordinator for Care & Counseling, South Campus (Bethlehem Baptist Church). Empathy is being talked about a lot in our culture right now. It is simply defined as the ability to understand and share in the feelings of others. This sounds like a good thing, yet as Christians, how…
I sat down in the hallway, exhausted. I had finally put all four children down for a nap after a very difficult morning. One child was screaming and crying in protest, throwing things at me from his bed. I released a deep sigh, trying to shut out the screaming, and opened my Bible. I sat…
In walks Mr. or Mrs./Ms. Narcissism. I’m wise. You’re not. I’m in charge. You’re not. Shut your mouth while I’m talking. Don’t ever talk to me that way? Do you know who I am? You don’t have the right or freedom to ask me questions or question my authority. Intimidation. Threats. Long stares. Biting sarcasm.…
Over the course of a few years, Nathan Millican and I worked on a book with several other friends. The book is aimed at pastors and releases in June. Below is an excerpt from the introduction I wrote to the book. Links to pre-order the book, if you’re inclined, are at the end of this…
There are these moments. These situations where your conversation enters into the realm of debate. The disagreement is clear. Debate ensues. You hold one position, your friend another. On the inside, you are convinced of your position. You have studied the issue, read your Bible, formulated careful conclusions, and are ready to stand your ground.…
Recently, I was captivated with To the Golden Shore, a biography of Adoniram Judson, one of the first American missionaries. His story is rife with suffering and yet his life is still having an impact centuries later. Adoniram had already experienced the death of his first wife and three children by the time he penned…
I was in college when I began following Jesus. My life was radically changed and I could think of nothing that I wanted more than to serve the Lord in ministry. When the opportunity came almost a year later, I jumped at the chance. I couldn’t believe that I actually got to work in the…
Theology Along the Way 