For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 2 Cor. 5:19, NLT This verse captures the heart of God in the gospel and the responsibility of all Christians to be His ambassadors. Although there are many things about the holidays we love, … Read More
Heaven’s Proud Reward and Crown, Part 3 of 3
“But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our … Read More
Heaven’s Proud Reward and Crown, Part 1 of 3
“But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our … Read More
On Human Life Spans and Windows of Grace
“Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not always abide in [or contend with] man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be a 120 years.’” Gen. 6:3, ESV The verse above is notoriously difficult to translate, partly because the first part of the verse is unclear (is it “abide in” or “contend with”?). Below are the two main … Read More
What I Learned from John Stott, Part 1 of 3
We all need great mentors—even if we know them only by their public example and writings—and few have influenced me more than the late John Stott. I grew up in a church where telling people about Jesus was far more important than living like Jesus. Giving someone a tract had a greater priority than meeting a tangible need. In fact, … Read More
The Changing Face of Pluralism
How in the world am I going to see You as my brother not my enemy? Coldplay Everyday Life In his excellent halt vs. help article (see here), Chapell says that the common enemy that should unite all Christians is pluralism. Unfortunately, he doesn’t give a clear definition, however, the late John Stott, gave one that I’m sure captures Chapell’s … Read More
Making Life Disciples: Lessons from Allison’s Story
[Note: This post, also published here, gives a glimpse into the work I do at Care Net. The intro and lessons learned, however, have wide application to all of our ministry efforts.] Sometimes we think—or certainly want—our discipleship efforts to be like biting into a York Peppermint Patty: joy explodes into the lives of those we’re ministering to and things are never … Read More