It's impossible to have a relationship with God without experiencing temptation. No I'm not crazy, and no I'm not making a stretch to reach such an inconvenient conclusion. Let me break it down step by step, starting with the basic definition of temptation. This is straight from the dictionary: temp-ta-tion (noun):  A desire to do something, … Continue reading We Need Temptation →

Let's be honest for a second. You're not a good person. And I'm not just picking on others or being a "judgmental Christian" like some might try and say. I'm not a good person, either. None of us are. "Good" means that we don't hurt people. "Good" means that we are always happy to love, … Continue reading Good People →

One of the easiest things to do in the world is to come up with an excuse to not pursue or spend intentional time with God. In Luke 10, Mary had what she thought was a righteous excuse and even got offended that her sister, Martha, left her to work in the kitchen by herself. … Continue reading I Will Once I… →

I'm guessing you read that title and were ready for an article about Muslims and their pursuit of violently ridding the world of all who don't believe Muhammad is God's greatest prophet. It's not. As Islam takes a more central position on the world stage, what we are seeing is a collectively fearful response that doesn't look much different than … Continue reading The Infidel Mentality →

Collectivist vs. Individualist You may not believe me, but Western culture makes it virtually impossible to fully grasp some of the lessons and stories in the Bible. After all, the Bible comes from the Middle East, and to this day, things are done very differently there than they are in the U.S. A major way … Continue reading Anonymous Culture →

A couple years ago, I read a book called unChristian by David Kinnaman. I had just come on staff at a church and it was very helpful, though unsettling, to see what honest research had produced to inform the Church of its general reputation among those who didn't believe in Jesus. After reading Luke 12 this week, … Continue reading The Message of Christian Hypocrisy →

Globalization is a term most often applied to business and economics. But what about the church? The Internet has enabled far more than just stock market information to instantaneously sail around the world. It's also allowed news about natural disasters like the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the 2015 earthquake in Nepal to be instantly known about and … Continue reading A Globalized Christian Response to ISIS →

I have a question for those of you who identify as Christians: What does a marriage (or a dating relationship) have to do with sharing Jesus? For many, there would be an awkward, almost-panicked pause here. There's a right answer, you might be thinking. But what is it? Others might point-blank say, "Nothing." To them, marriage and evangelism are two separate purposes or ideas-- … Continue reading Four Reasons Why a Christian Marriage and Evangelism are Inseparable →

Considering the popularity of this phrase, I’m pretty sure it would be impossible for any of us to count how many times we’ve heard it. We might as well try to remember how many times we’ve heard someone tell us “Thank you.” “God bless you” is the mother of all church phrases. It even surpasses … Continue reading God Bless You →

In the middle of a society and generation that is quick to turn everything into one massive gray area, I believe there are many people who aren't sure what Christianity is actually based on anymore. We use the poetic, fluffy, and convenient parts while often tossing out or even forgetting the rest. Maybe there's even a … Continue reading Are You Really a Christian? →