Children: The Church's Future

Forty years ago a Philadelphia congregation watched as three 9-year-old boys were baptized and joined the church. Not long after, unable to continue with ...

Filling Uncomfortable Positions

Tuesday night I couldn't go to sleep. I clicked on the hotel TV and found my beloved Atlanta Braves playing the Colorado Rockies. It was the 9th inning, ...

Chris Rock's Heritage

Vibe magazine interviewed popular comedian and actor Chris Rock. When asked, "Were you raised Christian?" Rock answered:

I wasn't raised ...

Obedience: Majoring in Minors, Too

Sometimes we excuse relatively minor flaws in people, especially if they have done something extraordinary for God. But God doesn't just want extraordinary ...

True Ministry

The foundation of ministry is character. The nature of ministry is service. The motive for ministry is love. The measure of ministry is sacrifice. The ...

Three Basic, Quiet Acts

The pastors of America have metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches. They are preoccupied with shopkeepers' ...

A Test of Leadership

This is one of the tests of leadership: that you recognize what affects people, not what should affect people.

It's All Downhill

A young pastor was making farewell visits to his congregation before moving to another church. Visiting a homebound member, whom he had called on regularly, ...

Ministers Are a Flame of Fire

God makes his ministers a flame of fire.

Am I ignitable?

God, deliver me from the dread asbestos of "other things."

Saturate me with the oil of ...

How Much Humanity?

By and large, the Christian community can accept a lot more humanity from their pastor than most pastors are willing to give.