Reflecting the Character of God
As a former youth pastor, I learned what makes parents proud. Parents love to hear how their children reflect them . . . He looks so much like you. She has your eyes. She has your intelligence. He has your business savvy. She definitely has your athletic ability. I see you in him every time I […]
A Holy Cause and Effect
Cause and Effect — [kawz-uh nd-i-fekt] adjective — noting a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others. Kids learn about cause and effect every year in elementary school. The learning is deemed critical because understanding cause and effect helps children make wise choices. For example, kids […]
Do We Worship the Creation or the Creator?
On May 27, 2009, the world’s largest worship venue opened in Arlington, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. With close to 30,000 parking spaces, the ability to hold 110,000 people, a state-of-the-art sound system, and a gigantic center-hung, high-definition television screen that measures 160 x 72 feet, it is the perfect location to gather, sing, shout, […]
Trust in the Father
Jesus utilized children as an object lesson for true faith. He told the crowd of adults that they must become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:2–3). What was His point? What was He suggesting? Children are extremely trusting, often too trusting. When Jesus invited children to come to Him, they eagerly […]
Transformed Affections
Jonathan Edwards preached during the first Great Awakening, the greatest revival in American history. God used him uniquely, and many people came to faith in Christ through his ministry. But several years later many believed that some who claimed to have become Christians during the Great Awakening were not true disciples. There was no change, […]
Transformation Is Only Possible Through Jesus
Discipleship apart from Jesus is nontransformational. It may bring changes, but it essentially leaves you in the same spiritual state as it found you. The discipleship may provide education, improve behavior, increase happiness, add value, or make the disciple more skilled at a craft. But these are just changes. It’s the reskinning of the same […]
Group Life and Personal Evangelism
I’m currently working with Ed Stetzer on a new book, Transformational Groups. In the book we will share some significant lessons learned from a massive research project conducted on small groups. Ed and I recently sat down with Micah Fries, the Director of Ministry Development at LifeWay, to discuss some of the insights we’re gleaning from […]
Longing for Dad
Adrian Greiner is best known for playing Vince on the HBO series Entourage. Growing up in Brooklyn, Adrian struggled with the void of a fatherless home. In his early twenties he produced a documentary entitled A Shot in the Dark chronicling his search for his father. HBO aired the documentary in 2007, presenting the intense […]
His Name Is His Character
In the Jewish culture and thought, naming something was not done casually. A name was much more than a word or a combination of sounds. The name was intended to convey the nature and the essence of the thing or the person being named. Thus Jesus was given the name Jesus “because He will save […]
His Name Is His Mission
Each time Kaye and I discovered we were having a kid, the naming process began. Each time, we picked out a girl name and a guy name so that we would be prepared regardless. We talked about middle names, put the initials together to see what would be spelled, and sounded out the whole name. […]