It is my opinion that one of the more detrimental developments in modern evangelicalism has been the rise of the celebrity pastor. While the church has always been tempted to elevate gifted and influential leaders beyond their proper place, our digital age . . . Continue reading →
You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matt (5:27–30) Jesus’s words in Matthew 5:27–30 confront us with an unsettling clarity. They are difficult not only because they speak so directly about sex and lust but because they expose realities that are . . . Continue reading →
As a Presbyterian minister, I have attended many Presbytery meetings where candidates for licensure or ordination are asked various questions touching on the Bible, theology, church government, and their commitment to the church’s confessional teaching. Inevitably, one question that is almost always . . . Continue reading →
The earliest church experience I remember was in my hometown of Shreveport, LA. My mother made sure my brothers and I were dressed in our “Sunday best,” then loaded us into the car and drove us to a small white church building that could not have held more than sixty people. Continue reading →
