Every week I pray the same thing for my wife and I. I pray that our marriage would be a picture of the Gospel. I know it is a lofty goal, perhaps unattainable, but I pray it…
A Christians Guide to Politics
With the presidential election moving towards us at the speed of politics, I want to take this time to give you advice. You should vote for…just kidding. It is not my place nor my legal right as the pastor of a church (see 170(c)(2)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code) to publicly tell you which candidate you should vote for. Furthermore, I think Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, speaks truth when he says…
Marching Outside The Church
On February 26, 1965, Jimmie Lee Jackson, died. And at his funeral Martin Luther King Jr. issued a fiery indictment, saying, “a state trooper pointed the gun, but he did not act alone.” You see, Jimmie Lee Jackson was a Black American Civil Rights activist who was…
His Proclamation
Ephesians 3:10-11, “10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Usually, in the spring, around the time of Pentecost, I do a series of sermons on the church. In the past three years I have preached Church 101, Church As…, and 7 Churches. This year I planned to do the same; my intent was to focus on the teachings about church in the book of Ephesians. My head, heart, … Read More
His Household
Ephesians 2:19-22, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Usually, in the spring, around the time of Pentecost, I do a series of sermons on the church. In the past three years … Read More
His Body
Ephesians 1::22-23, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Usually, in the spring, around the time of Pentecost, I do a series of sermons on the church. In the past three years I have preached Church 101, Church As…, and 7 Churches. This year I planned to do the same; my intent was to focus on the teachings about church in the book of Ephesians. My head, heart, and (I believe) God took me in a … Read More
I Know Too Much
Recently my wife and I were out on a date and decided to visit a church service. As I think about it now, I’m not sure why Brynn thought this was a good idea. Perhaps it is because she loves church more than most. Perhaps it is because she saw it as an opportunity for us to sit by each other and worship, something we rarely get to do at our own church services because of our numerous responsibilities. I don’t know why she thought a church service was a good idea on a date, but I know why I did. … Read More
Judgment and The Church
Four weeks ago I finished a series of sermons called Planks & Specks: the Bible on Judging Others. Of course I’d be honored if you would listen to the sermons, but here I want to provide a once sentence synopsis of each sermon: 1. Do Not Judge – While Christians must have standards and make judgment calls, it is not their job to punish, but rather lovingly help others remove sin while remembering they themselves have been saved from sin by the grace of God. 2. Christians should faithfully hold others in their church accountable to the moral standards of … Read More
A Church I Want To Be At
In my years as a pastor I have often spoken of a seminary class that radically altered the way I think about church. The class was the catalyst for my passion to do church in a way that pleases God. It helped me to see that the best approach to church isn’t following a man made path, even if it has been highly successful for someone else. Instead, the class moved me to desperately want to create a ministry model based on the will and ways of God. This isn’t to say that there is a perfect model or that examining different … Read More
I’m Back
Last year I made an effort to blog once a week, which for me was a lofty goal. This year I haven’t blogged once. Why? Church. Last Fall we realized that meeting in the Old Church at McMenamins was not going to work long term. Our time there was great! It was fun to bring church back to a church. It was cool worshiping in a place once used for worship, but now used for football games, whiskey tasting, and concerts. It was great having people visit on Sundays that simply wanted to see what church was like in the Old … Read More