Not For Them – For You

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are…

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Unity, Identity and Credentialing

The main distinction of Christianity from all other world religions is Christianity’s understanding of the purpose of man, his condition, his destiny and God’s intervention into creation through the God-man Jesus Christ. Christianity’s details center on the beauty and grace-soaked doctrines of the person of Christ, his work and his ascension, followed by the sovereign…

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Parents: The Wisest Among Us

Assumptions are the Achilles heel of relationships. Left on their own, with no truth to keep them in check, assumptions can grow into an impenetrable barrier. Any hope of relationship understanding or commonality is overshadowed by a belief that we already know what the other person is thinking. One’s motivation, no matter how pure, is…

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Politics and Our Christian Witness

At the EFCA East Leadership Conference in 2021, I led a breakout on Politics and Our Christian Witness. Deepening divides increase the intensity of the call for pastors and church leaders to focus on our witness to a greater kingdom and greater good than partisanship can offer, while continuing to engage in the real life…

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Loving Ministry When It Doesn’t Love You Back

One of the ongoing challenges of ministry, particularly occupational ministry, is taking up the work God gives us to do without allowing it to become the primary driver of our identity. We all know the temptation, and gravitational pull on our hearts, to feel less valuable when things are going poorly and more valuable when…

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