The Lord has gifted every Christian to serve the local church by uniquely forming them and equipping them with gifts only they can employ. Therefore, serving in the local church is a biblical and enriching expression of engagement towards the church family the Lord has given you.

The Lord has gifted every Christian to serve the local church by uniquely forming them and equipping them with gifts only they can employ. Therefore, serving in the local church is a biblical and enriching expression of engagement towards the church family the Lord has given you.

Fasting is a lost art in pursuit of the spiritual disciplines and one that seems quite distant from everyday life in modern Western culture. However, when we look to Scripture, there is an expectation that believers would fast as a part of the Christian life (Matt. 6:16; 9:15). So before you dismiss this practice as only for Tibetan monks…let’s explore a few of the “whys and hows” of fasting so that we might enrich our spiritual development and the lives of those whom we walk alongside.

“But there is no verse prohibiting abortion!”

Now that I have your attention with that radical opening statement, allow me to point out that it is in quotation marks. It is a sad comment we sometimes hear from a sincere but deluded soul who desires to hold onto the Bible while being open to taking the life of a little one in the womb.

This trio of Psalms, all from the mind, heart, and pen of Israel’s King David, has long been seen as summarizing the redemptive ministry of our Messiah, God the Son Incarnate. The themes of these three psalms are often labeled in this way: The Cross (Ps. 22), The (Shepherd’s) Crook (Ps. 23), and The Crown (Ps. 24) signifying Christ’s redemptive work as the Redeemer who died, the Shepherd who leads, and the King of Glory who rules over all.

We can all tell when someone does something nice for us out of obligation, rather than personal choice. They can dress it up with kind words and plastered-on smiles, but the veneer of contrived kindness is see-through. And few things taint kind actions and words like the stink of coercion.

The birth of Jesus is the most significant event in the history of the world. His entrance was not what would have been expected. It was unassuming and unceremonious. The people of God who had not heard from God through the prophets for 500 years could have been tempted to believe the day of the Messiah's coming would never arrive.

Ask anyone “What is the Kingdom of God?” and you’re likely to get responses ranging from “What do you mean by ‘Kingdom’?” to any of a number of wide-ranging options presented and defended by professional theologians and preachers. Given that the subject is complex, hotly debated, and often controversial, my hope here is to simply present a broad understanding of God’s sovereign rule overall and suggest that there are several expressions of that Kingdom which testify to his power and grace.

We live in a world with an ever-diminishing sense of hope. When negative circumstances of life amass, people often react with despondence, bitterness, apathy, and cynicism about the future. However, God’s Word instructs those who belong to Christ not to share this same gloomy outlook.

In the fabric of Christian virtues one thread stands out distinctly and weaves through the core of our faith: thankfulness. It sets us apart and reminds us that everything we have and all that we are is a gift. As Christians, our duty and joy are not only to receive these gifts with gratitude but also to embrace this call wholeheartedly. Thankfulness, profound and essential, is at the heart of our faith, shaping our outlook and infusing our lives with meaning and purpose.

Counseling is a loaded term. Depending on your experiences, the term can feel cold and clinical, like something that reminds you of a bad visit to the dentist. Perhaps you’re familiar with this statement: “Certainly, counseling can be good for some people. But I would never have any use for it.”

Let’s not pretend it isn’t a problem. It always has been. The carnage that evil creates is all around us. And its endless media presence has lulled us into accepting a new norm. We are only jolted awake when an outdated version of evil is replaced with fresh depictions of a new travesty.

I'm actually not an expert on dying inasmuch as I'm still mostly alive. Moreover, the number of people interested in the musings of a 37-year-old on death could fit in a thimble. In one of my first hospital visits as a pastor, I was pulled aside by a family member and asked if there were any older pastors available. So, understand that I'm writing today not as someone well-versed in death or even (hopefully) close to having to wrestle with my own mortality.

When Charles Eliot, then President of Harvard University, was deciding how we would dedicate the Emerson Building of Philosophy at Harvard, he needed a suitable inscription to put over the main entrance. One of the other professors suggested a quote from the Greek philosopher Protagoras, “Man is the measure of all things.”

Some years ago, I was rushing through a grocery store on my way home from work, hoping to be in and out as quickly as possible. As I darted into an aisle, I noticed a small boy completely engrossed in a toy he had in his hand, and he was alone. I looked around, but his parent was nowhere to be seen. I knew that as soon as he became aware of that reality, his peaceful mood would change drastically.

There are many truisms in life that have been handed down from one generation to another. To name a few: “Don’t run with scissors,” “Back up your hard drive,” and my favorite, “It takes two to tango.” In life, interpersonal conflict happens when two people at odds with one another are combative and seek only to fulfill their unmet ruling desires (James 4:1-5).

It seems to me that people have lost hope these days. This loss has not happened overnight but over time. The things that promise human flourishing have become shallow expressions of their presented self. No one wakes up and desires to be hopeless. But, when seemingly insurmountable challenges blockade the end road of their hope, the energy and desire to hope again become less and less attractive. The hope that comes through government, physical health, ethnic unity, and economic security has been challenged and, in some cases, destroyed. The only logical conclusion is to rely upon the self to provide the things promised by the object of hope.

As a freshman in college, I remember sitting in History of American Music, a remedial survey class, surrounded by fellow aspiring music majors chatting and getting to know one another as we anticipated the bell to initiate our first session. As class began and without warning, the instructor entered, hushed us, fired up the speakers, and turned down the lights. After a moment of scratchy static, we were immersed in the metallic sliding and plucking of an acoustic guitar accompanying the melancholy vocals of Robert Johnson. With the remaining time, we explored the ins and outs of the musical genre we came to know as the blues.

In recent years, a new vision of human flourishing has entered the church: self-care. “Self-care” is now one of the most common terms used to discuss personal and spiritual health, and it means different things to different people. It can be used to reference basic needs like sleep and exercise, or bingeing a new show, or prayer retreats in the woods.