If I were going to start a religion—a respectable one—it would sound wise. It would draw crowds. It would work. It would make promises that make sense. It would be a religion of wisdom, power, and glory. It would require all sorts of activities for the worshiper to...
In order to read the Bible, it helps to see the big picture. When my toddler is building a cabin out of Lincoln Logs, it helps to look at the blueprints provided inside the box. Without a diagram, building these cabins can be frustrating, and to...
Christians are not immune to experiencing emotional struggles. Sudden tragedy, constant struggle with ongoing sin, failure to look successful, and controversy or scandal in the church can all cause depression and disillusionment. When I feel downcast, I turn to three books for wisdom. These three...
The year 2017 is the year of Martin Luther—or at least it should be. Nearly 500 years ago on October 31, 1517, Luther nailed (or “mailed,” for some historians debate this point) his 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg Castle Church. Even so, Luther...
Sometimes the idea of “formal worship” scares people. I hope to make that less scary. The Protestant traditions include Anglicanism, Lutheranism, the Reformed, and Presbyterianism. Although these traditions have important differences, they reflect important similarities in the way they worship. I could feel more or less...
There is a myth that porn is harmless. “It’s just a few consenting adults doing what they want with their own bodies,” the thinking goes. But this simply isn’t true. In reality, pornography is deeply involved in the exploitation of women and children and is...
The Bible is strange. The events in the Bible are so far removed from us that they might as well have happened in outer space. Reading the Bible can feel like reading about an alien race and culture. We need to interpret what the authors were communicating in...
All too often, the textbooks focus solely on the men of the Reformation—Luther, Calvin, Cranmer, and others—and fail to take notice of the faithful women who served among, beside, and with the Reformers. These women were dedicated to the gospel of Jesus Christ, some to...
While it may seem as if large churches with lots of programs are the most popular choice for Christians, the statistics tell otherwise. In a recent release regarding the state of the church, the Barna Group (Ventura, California) reports, …the largest group of American churchgoers attends services...
1. What does the church believe about Scripture? Is the Bible infallible or not? Do the Scriptures have a central place in the worship and lives of the people? 2. What is the church’s confession of faith? Does the church have criteria for the preaching...