My parents gave me a new coffee maker for Christmas. My favorite feature is the ability to set the timer to make coffee early in the morning so that it is ready when I get out of bed. A few nights ago, I set the timer and went to sleep. The next morning, just like …
Monthly Archives: January 2014
Bad Worship
Generally we don’t see the words “bad” and “worship” side-by-side. Most people assume that worship, in and of itself, is a God-honoring activity. However, worship is just like anything else we do: it can be good or it can be bad. The difference lies in the object of the worship and the motivation of the …
Should Small Churches Plant Churches?
Church planting is a popular topic these days. It’s easy to find examples of large churches planting networks of congregations across a geographical area. Similarly, it seems that there is an influx of church planters teaming up with sending agencies to help plant churches anywhere and everywhere. But the one thing you rarely see is …
Does Prayer Matter?
Awkward church moment #41: At the end of a long “prayer request” time, you are called upon to pray for all of the requests. What do you do? That’s right, you pull out the old, “Lord, please be with all of these needs.” And, for bonus points, you might even add, “I don’t know all …
Caesar’s Last Breath
In physics, there is a concept known as “Caesar’s last breath.” It refers to the theory that every breath you take contains around three molecules breathed by Julius Caesar –as well as every other human who has ever lived. Whether or not it is completely accurate (scientists disagree), the idea makes an important observation: we …
Your Church is Worth More Than a Few Pennies
Who invented the “need-a-penny-take-a-penny-got-a-penny-leave-a-penny” cup? I’m not sure the world will ever know. But thanks to him or her, we all live with a little less fear of being a few cents short of correct change at the convenience store or accidentally pumping an $10.02 worth of gas instead of $10 even. I’ve often wondered …
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The Blessing of Limitations
Contrary to popular belief, you cannot do everything you set your mind to. No matter how hard I try, I will never slam dunk a basketball on a ten-foot goal (without assistance), or solve the mysteries of the superstring theory. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that humans can do incredible things when we set …
Stuffed Animal Prayers
A few nights ago, my five-year-old son and I ate dinner with my parents and my aunt Jane. As we sat down at the table, my dad asked my son, “Bryce, would you like to say the blessing?” Bryce said, “Actually Clifford wants to say the blessing.” For a second, I was confused (Nobody in …
How Many Words Does It Take To Describe a Pastor?
What is a pastor? Three words in the New Testament are used interchangeable to describe this office in the church: Pastor, Elder, and Bishop. Is it strange that the Bible uses multiple words to describe this office? Not any more than for Americans to describe our leader as, “President,” “Commander in Chief,” and “Leader of the …
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So, You’re Going to Be a Pastor…
“So, you’re going to be a pastor.” Have you heard that before? Perhaps from a co-worker, family member, or long-time friend. Even more, have you wondered what they mean? What is the underlying meaning of their question? Before you get frustrated by everyone’s questions and concerns, take some time to understand …