Countless unplanned events mark the timelines of our lives.
“The sins we do not forget, God does not remember.”
The Missing Message in Today's Churches
Christianity is not about good people getting better. It is about real people coping with their failure to be good.
"Get Better" Doesn't Work
People who are hurting would, overwhelmingly, rather not be hurting. If they could simply choose to be happy, they would. If the depressed could simply choose not to be depressed, they would. That they don’t implies a deeper problem.
Mugged by Mercy
Sadly, it was the Christian Community that shifted my focus from the cross to a ladder, leading me to conclude that the focal point of the Christian faith is the climb of the Christian.
God Doesn't Love Me As I Am
Because of what Jesus has done for me, God gives me what I don’t deserve (grace) and withholds the judgment that I do deserve (mercy). And that means that God doesn’t love us as we are. The news is so much better than that.
Jesus And Cancel Culture
The scandal of Jesus’ promiscuous love toward those who are hated is just too vulgar for a culture that has to find some solace in dealing with the uncomfortable log in their own eye by pointing out the speck in someone else’s.
I Once Was Found, But Now I'm Lost
I’m convinced that we desperately need to rediscover the reality of Christian lostness. If we don’t, then all we are left with when a Christian wanders off and gets lost is to doubt whether they were ever found in the first place. Sadly, this assumption is made all the time.
The Focus Has Shifted
The Bible has plenty to say about our becoming like Jesus. But our transformation is not the foundation of the Christian faith. The foundation of the Christian faith is Christ’s substitution—the fact that Jesus became like us. The modern church has sadly reversed the order. The focus of the Christian faith has now become the life of the Christian.
I Am a Saint and a Sinner…and so Are You
One question I hear a lot is whether “sinner” is an appropriate term to describe a Christian? After all, didn’t Paul refer to Christians as saints? Once God saves us, aren’t we new creatures? The old (sinner) is gone, and the new (saint) has come?” These are important questions…
Who is the Good Samaritan?
Far from telling this story to help us become like The Good Samaritan, Jesus tells this story to show us how far from being like The Good Samaritan we actually are!
I Failed to Become Like Daddy Bill
God’s call put my granddad's feet on a path from which he never wavered. And he fulfilled that calling without ever being guilty of any sexual, financial, or other moral scandals. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. But I failed…
Confessions of an Unfaithful Spouse
No matter how well I behave, how much time I spend cleaning up my life, how far I get from the first and second divorce, from the rumors and the gossip and the truth, I am a rotten sinner in desperate need of a risen Savior. Even my best good deeds and days merit no mercy, are no grounds for grace, and provide no foundation…
Mistaken Identity
In God’s economy, I am bankrupt. I am every label that has been attached to me: idolater, liar, adulterer, coveter, thief. And because of my bankruptcy, God sent Jesus as my substitute, not only to pay my debt in full but to make a deposit of righteousness that will never run out.
My New "Ministry"
The majority of people see right through Christian leaders who deny the reality of their own depravity and who see themselves as examples of morality rather than trophies of grace. People crave realness, rawness, authenticity, brutal honesty, and the courage to acknowledges the darker side of the human struggle…
A Little More is Never Enough
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted more than what I had. Even though I had been given so much, it wasn’t enough. I was always looking past whatever moment I was in for a better moment.
Surprised by Mercy
As demands for justice get louder and louder, we dare not forget the one thing that ultimately makes injustice just: mercy.
Progressing Downward
Spiritual growth is not what they told us it was. It’s not, “I’m getting stronger and stronger, more and more competent everyday.” Rather, it’s “I’m becoming increasingly aware of how weak and incompetent I am and how strong and competent Jesus was and continues to be for me.”
Grace for the Disgraced: Showing Forgiving Mercy to Former Ministers
In light of the numerous scandals that have erupted over the last five years alone with regard to church leaders, my friend Chad Bird and I co-authored the following article that we hope encourages, provokes, and enlightens the conversation…
What Does it Mean to be "Biblically Balanced"?
What we do for God is important. But it is infinitely less important than what God has done for us.
Success - Failure = Disaster
A month ago, my wife and I traveled to Jacksonville at the invitation of business leader Chris Patterson so that I could be interviewed on his show. You can watch our conversation here.