The infamous pyramid was never an accurate description of how people act, let alone a guide to discipleship. You may have been told once or twice: “People can’t hear the gospel if they’re hungry.” I’ve read it dozens of times in statements from pastors in the United States. But where, exactly, does the idea come …
My hardest lesson as a social worker? God wants me to be close to the brokenhearted as much as he wants me to save them. Twenty-four years old, conscious of my lack of preparedness and certain I would choke on my words, I stood on a dusty country road with a heroin addict whom I …
Scholar John Goldingay wants readers to rediscover the original feel of the Old Testament in his new translation. Many people struggle with Bible reading and engagement in general, but this is particularly true with the first part of the Bible. We know that those who do read tend to spend more time in the New …
How the president on the other side of the Moral Majority ended up invited to its unofficial headquarters. Former President Jimmy Carter has accepted an invitation to deliver the commencement address at Liberty University on Saturday. Many will view this announcement as surprising, some even as disappointing for one reason or another. I view it …
The same Spirit that descended on the disciples at Pentecost empowers our devotion to God. My grandmother was part of a Holiness Pentecostal church. That meant—among many wonderful things—that they believed in entire sanctification. It was thought that in this life Christians could reach a level of personal holiness in which they could stop sinning. …
These three congregations don’t have a men’s ministry. Why men—and their families—still love them. I’ve studied high-performance organizations for nearly three decades, most recently examining churches that have grown by appealing to men. Here’s one of the most surprising commonalities among the man-friendly churches I’ve researched: None of them has a formal “men’s ministry.” Instead, …
It may sound weird, but knowing we have an enemy is encouraging. The gospel is full of odd comforts. Discovering I’m afflicted with depravity brings the relief of the doctor’s diagnosis: “There is something wrong with me. It’s not all in my head.” More importantly, it provides the good news that in Christ there’s a …
Six tangible ways congregations can shift their gatherings from me to us. I grew up during America’s Moral Majority years, when putting an ichthus on your business card would up your professional game. In an era when group belonging seemed a foregone conclusion, evangelism emphasized a personal relationship with Christ, and corporate worship grew to …
Understanding the relationship between gospel and culture is vital for evangelism Christians believe that the gospel is universal and normative for all peoples at all times and in all places. But we often forget that the gospel is not acultural, as if it hovers above culture and is devoid of any culture. Instead, the gospel …
Brian Stanley’s global history makes connections and draws lessons that others are apt to miss. A reader might well approach Brian Stanley’s Christianity in the Twentieth Century: A World History with a mix of intrigue and skepticism. How on earth, we might ask, can even the most skilled writer incorporate every major theme and movement, …