Faith is a Gift

For those who heard my message today from 2 Peter 1:1-11 you noticed I said faith was a “gift” we choose to receive. 2 Peter 1:1, “To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.” It’s right there in the text- we “receive…

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7 Things I Wish Pastors Would Stop Doing

As a fellow pastor with almost 20 years of experience I believe I have a unique role to guard the integrity of the ministry and make sure the broader Body of Christ is protected. Paul said that disciples should “…no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there…

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Truthful & Kind

Do you think a person can be both truthful and kind? Both are godly attributes and are commanded by God. However, often times we as Christians are told they cannot exist together.   A few examples:   Can I as a Christian ever say these biblically true phrases and still be considered kind by non-Christians?…

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Got a Problem with Evil?

Well, without a God-given conscience you could never know the difference between good or evil—- you’d think like an animal thinks about good and evil—- which is “never.” Ever see a bear eat its young?   However, for those who have enough common sense to know you’re not an animal and you know the difference…

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A Army of Mice or Servant Leaders?

After almost 20 years of full-time pastoring (started at 22) and church planting- both in the U.S. and overseas—- I am never surprised by how fast a church can grow with little to no discipleship. It’s like raising up an army of mice.   However, what does surprise me is how many pastors keep doing…

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Why I Believe the U.S. is the Best Nation in the World

Please note that I am not overlooking our present problems (such as abortion, violence, corruption, etc) nor the problems of the past (slavery, treatment of Native Americans, Jim Crow, etc) but I am sharing why even despite these things, as far as current countries go- the U.S. is still the best.   1. OUR FREEDOMS:…

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Jesus’ Talk to the Seven Churches

Enjoy this goodie from my personal study of Jesus’ words to the seven churches of Asia. Unlike some, I don’t believe they represent “church ages” but rather I believe they are “church categories,” like in an assement that can be applied to individual churches (or regional).   Just a few take-ways: Only two churches don’t…

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13 Rules to Follow to be a Relevant Church

Please enjoy the following list: Never discuss controversial subjects from the pulpit- leave the people wondering what you believe the Bible teaches about current events and issues. Don’t require too much from people- especially new Christians; teach them to obey God’s commands in bite-sized bits- total transformation is unrealistic. Be spiritual in your worship but…

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