The first year I observed the season of Lent in a liturgical church, I wasn’t ready to leave the tomb. Through the Scripture readings, I joined the two women on that fateful Easter morning—no doubt disoriented and weighed down by their grief. I entered the tomb alongside them and… Read More
The story of the gospel is the most powerful, transcendent, compelling story that the world could ever possibly know. The Scriptures bring life and hope and freedom to humanity. Once you’re inside of it, it will set you free. But we’ve let other people tell the story about us. Read More
A new year is upon us, with new opportunities for Scripture engagement in our churches. This is a time of fresh beginnings and optimism. The old has come and gone, and the new is rising up among us. What will the year bring? What promises are hidden in the days… Read More
One of the things that pastors should keep in mind when they preach the biblical narrative is to allow the narrative to open us up first. You have to allow the story to start to unfold for people. This use of story is very effective and important for us to… Read More
There was another shooting this week. Our souls ached as the reports trickled in. How many dead? How many wounded? What was the motive? As the news cycle began spinning, we gathered the grisly details. Around the world, people expressed their condolences to the grieving families. Pundits explored the… Read More
Advent is a time of hopeful waiting. It gives us pause in the movement of our lives to enter into the biblical story. We remember the long-awaited promise of a Messiah and its miraculous fulfillment. We come alongside the shepherds awestruck in a field, and Mary expectantly nurturing new life… Read More
If you want to make a Thanksgiving service more engaging, try using some different Bible verses. Of course there are dozens of Psalms that urge us to thank and praise the Lord, and there are several go-to passages in Paul’s epistles, but we use them a lot. The following references… Read More
The RightNow Conference gathered about 3,000 church leaders at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, TX, for three days of worship, talks, and workshops November 4-6. Plenary speakers included an impressive array of nationally known pastors and authors—Batterson, Chan, Greear, Horton, Metaxas, to name a few. Reading the Bible… Read More
“Lord, please give her an amazing experience of you.” This had been my recurring prayer for a friend who had grown up in the faith but had lost the fire. She still believed in God but wasn’t so sure about Jesus and had drifted away from the church. Read More
It felt like a pilgrimage. On Saturday afternoon I left my apartment and immediately joined people from all over the world making their way through the city. Streets were barricaded, soldiers in camouflage stood guard on corners, and volunteers directed crowds. I followed the path set out for me—down cobblestoned… Read More
