Weekly Round-Up

Happy Friday! Wow, it was a productive week for me.  Hope it was for you too.  This week we talked about drive-by evangelism, how we talk about sin, embracing the beautiful mystery of God's invitation, and one reason children raised in the church tend to leave it behind as adults. There's also the most recent … Continue reading Weekly Round-Up

One Reason Children Raised In The Church Leave It Behind

Few young Christians are prepared in a rigorous, individual way, to continue to choose Christianity for themselves beyond the walls of their church or an "inherited" faith. Not many have the tools to, as the Bible puts it, "work out" their salvation - to go beyond the commitment of a moment to the commitment of a lifetime. [Click title to read more.]

How We Talk About Sin

I worry sometimes that in my own life I fall into the trap of believing there are "acceptable" Christian sins like pride and arrogance and envy. That there are sins that are shameful and sins that are, somehow, not - sins that should be hidden from the world and from others, and sin that it's okay to admit. God has been convicting me about this lately. [Click title to read more.]

Drive-By Evangelism Helps No One

You can't make a disciple with a pamphlet. You can't condense God's love into two paragraphs. Most of all, you cannot treat evangelism - the holy duty of sharing God's word and love with others - as a marketing ploy by indiscriminately blanketing the streets with a generic version of "the Good News." [Click title to read more.]

The Strength In Mercy and Grace

Mercy and grace somehow have a reputation as "soft" virtues. But I don't think that's quite accurate. Mercy and grace, too, can convey astonishing power. Just as the silence that follows the thunder can be more devastating than the thunder itself, so can God's grace and mercy cut through the sorrow and pain and hardened hearts of the world. [Click title to read more.]

I’ve Seen The Monster, And It Is Me

We were not saved because we were good or special; God's grace is not something we conferred upon ourselves. Acting as though being a "sinner saved by grace" is a personal credit to us is like a beggar acting as though it's a noble act for him to nod his head "yes" when someone offers to drop food into his shaking hands. [Click title to read more.]