One morning during corporate worship, I leaned toward one of the little girls in our church, Summer, who was trying to read the lyrics and sing along, and asked her, “Do you like church?” She replied, “Not really, but I like the singing.” I appreciated her honesty! ... continue reading
2,000 years after the church began, in the increasingly post-Christian West, it’s tempting to wonder if secular voices are right when they claim that Christian churches are passé, on the wrong side of history, or even downright damaging.... continue reading
While teaching Crosslands students a course on discipleship, I couldn’t find a resource that allowed the students to apply the principles they were learning on the ground - something that was a gospel-centred which they could use with new believers or weary Christians. So I had a go at writing a workbook that would fit the bill! The result was Life With Jesus. ... continue reading
Genuine happiness is to be found in following the pathway of obedience.
This is not the way the world sees it. In 21st-century Western culture, personal happiness and obedience to an authority are held to be mutually incompatible. But the Bible is clear: it is by obeying that we find ourselves “blessed.”... continue reading
One day, while passing the food processors in Bed Bath & Beyond, I came across a large piece of wall art that said, “Dream until your dreams come true.” I stopped mid-aisle and stared at those words. We encounter some version of this message everywhere we go: “Never give up on your dreams!” Indeed, one of the loudest messages in the Western world is for us to dream big and do all we can to pursue our dreams.... continue reading
I understand the deep disappointments and disillusionments that come when the very people we should be able to turn to are not the people we thought they were. When this happens, it spurs in us untold questions. Who can we turn to? Where can we go with our hurts and our questions? ... continue reading
Why do we anticipate Christmas with such relish? For the believer, the answer must surely lie, above all, in the awareness that Jesus Christ appeared to take away our sins.... continue reading
Ancient Israel had a lot of great moments—crossing the Red Sea, entering the promised land, the reign of King David, and many more. But the Israelites could also be a disaster. ... continue reading
There are innumerable obstacles to contentment during the holidays, but the biggest is probably our persistent desire to consume.... continue reading
When we say, “I hope so” we do not usually mean the same thing as the New Testament does. We may be hoping for a white Christmas, even though the weatherman is predicting “sunny and cold with occasional showers”. That is not hope but wishful thinking.... continue reading