"17 He (Jesus) said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.'" -John 21:17 (ESV throughout) In our day, we often see a striking overemphasis in churches on either evangelism or shepherding. It seems like one of the two, evangelism or shepherding, is pursued wholeheartedly wh

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” -Colossians 3:1-2 ESV Last week I found out that one of my seminary professors, Lee Eclov, had passed away. I was shocked. The same day he had commented on a friend's post on Facebook, and I happened to see it. It seemed so sudden. When I heard the sad news, a flood of his pastor

“It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” -Romans 4:24a-25 (ESV throughout; emphasis mine) In Romans 3, Paul claims that no one is righteous (Rom. 3:10). Everyone has sinned . Everyone has fallen short . There is no human being that has lived righteously . C. S. Lewis has said, “Christ takes it for granted that men are bad. Until we really feel this assump

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” -Psalm 139:7-10 ESV Some moments, as a Christian, are powerful . We sense that God is with us. By the Spirit, we can discern his presence in the room. It feels like God i

"The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." -Zephaniah 3:17 ESV A few weeks ago the Puritan John Owen blew me away as he was talking about God's love which rests because he is satisfied with us. (I will give the full quote later.) He was commenting on Zephaniah 3:17, which is a powerful verse demonstrating God's joyful love for his people. Bef

Why do we push past God-ordained limits? Many of us live what appears to be a limitless life (though no one can truly live in a limitless manner!). We try to do too much in an hour, day, week, year, and lifetime. We willingly take on unnecessary debt and live beyond our financial limits. We often stack so much on our schedules that we can't rest. Why? It seems like churches would challenge us on this practice. It seems like they would call us back to sanity. It seems like the

(For a more thorough treatment of the latest claims on this topic and what the Bible says about UFOs/UAPs, please read my article titled: " What Does the Bible Say About Aliens and UFOs/UAPs?" ) The topic of UFOs (often referred to as UAPs now) is gaining steam once again. Here is the rundown. First, former President Obama announced in an interview that aliens are real . Then, President Trump accused the former president of revealing classified information and gave the direct

"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." -Proverbs 15:3 ESV Sometimes just thinking of how much God is beyond us almost shuts our brains down. We truly cannot fathom it. Undoubtedly, that is true when we consider God's knowledge. In Proverbs we are told, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good" (Prov. 15:3, ESV throughout). He sees all things. He understands all things. He knows all things. We

Type of Doctrine: Debated “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers . . .” -Ephesians 4:11 ESV Why Does It Matter? New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a phrase that is tossed around in theological circles today. What is it? This article will explore the definition, the complexity of defining it, the concerning beliefs from NAR, and some concluding observations. Regarding theological triage, this topic is debated. While there are many

Type of Doctrine: Typically Tertiary "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glor

(For a foundation on this topic, if you haven't already read them, I would recommend starting with the following two articles before reading this one: " Narcissism & the Church " and " Narcissism & the Church | Checking for Red Flags ".) If you find yourself in a narcissistic church, how do you respond? Here are a few thoughts. First , God will use this difficult time . He uses everything, working it together for your good and his glory (Rom. 8:28). I know it can be difficult

A narcissistic church leader is toxic . A narcissistic system is toxic . A narcissistic church is toxic . Sadly, many people within these environments will end up wounded. Surely, it grieves the heart of God to see people injured by the very people who are representing him. Surely, it grieves the heart of God to see people injured by the very people who are representing him. Some may suspect that they are in a narcissistic church in environment with a narcissistic church lead

If you've experienced the bite from a narcissist, then you know firsthand that it can be painful and disorienting. For many of you, sadly, you have experienced this in the church, which can make this bite spiritually disorienting and confusing. And, for those of you who have experienced the bite of a narcissistic pastor or spiritual leader, you have likely gone through profound and prolonged periods of confusion, denial, wrestling, pain, and have found yourself in need of hea

What is plagiarism? Plagiarism, at its core, means to use someone's idea without credit. According to Merriam-Webster , to plagiarize means "to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source."[1] What is the history of plagiarism? The English word "plagiarize" likely dates back to the 1600s.[2] However, the term comes from French, Greek, and Latin influences dating centuries before.[3] Ideas which are

Picture this: You are standing in the mountains, and in the distance, you can see a shepherd with his flock. At first, you are amazed at the scenery. But, as you look closer, you are shocked. You discover that the shepherd is beating his flock with a staff. He will not allow them to eat, drink, or rest. He is abusing them and driving them hard. He won't allow them to sit down, but instead, he is making them move at a pace that they cannot sustain. What would you think? What w

Type of Doctrine: Usually Secondary "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit...

Recently, a book that I was reading referred to a particular Hebrew word that shows up quite a few times in the Old Testament. The word...

This past week many tragedies were witnessed in the news. People on social media quickly exploded into outrage offering many different...

Are you in a season where you're waiting on God for something? Maybe it's an answer to prayer? Or maybe it's a new job? Or maybe it's a...

" . . . for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity." -Proverbs 24:16 ESV Have you...