Uncategorized Category
Making a Case for 45-Minute Sermons
Posted on January 4, 2016 1 Comment
In the church that I serve as youth pastor, we regularly schedule a 45-minute time slot for the Sunday sermon. By some standards, this is normal. By many standards, this is very long. But there are only a handful of people in our congregation who object to that length of time. In fact, yesterday I preached […]
Does John 15 Say Christians Can Lose Their Salvation?
Posted on October 11, 2014 3 Comments
I had a great conversation a little while ago with a friend about Jesus’ words in John chapter 15. We were discussing if that particular passage teaches that Christians can lose their salvation. It is easy to see why that question would come to mind. Jesus says, in part… [1] I am the true vine, […]
8 Things That Won’t Get You To Heaven
Posted on September 6, 2014 Leave a Comment
Just about everybody wants to go to heaven when they die. Granted, the definition of what “heaven” is varies from person to person, but here I’m talking about the Biblical heaven: a place of eternal, immensely fulfilling life in the presence of Jesus and all those who have had their sins forgiven by God. This […]
Leadership is About Doing Something
Posted on July 15, 2014 Leave a Comment
What does it mean to be a leader? This is a broad question that could be answered in many ways. Leadership is about responsibility. Leadership is about influencing others. Leadership is about envisioning the future. Leadership is about serving. You could say any of these and be correct. That is one of the beautiful things […]
Is It Wrong to Complain to God?
Posted on February 21, 2014 Leave a Comment
Sometimes things don’t happen the way we expect them to. Life rarely goes smoothly and many days are filled up with struggles, annoyances, and disappointments. What’s a person to do? For most of us, our automatic response is to complain. It’s normal, and part of being human. But we would be wise to ask, is […]
3 Common Misconceptions About Hell
Posted on January 12, 2014 2 Comments
My previous post dealt with three common misconceptions about heaven. This time, I’ll be looking at three common misconceptions about the less-loved half of the equation – hell. Misconception #1 – Only really evil people go to hell In the minds of many, hell is reserved only for the most sinister of people. The average […]
An Open Letter to Christian Teenagers
Posted on November 20, 2013 1 Comment
Dear Christian teenager, So you’ve made the decision to follow Christ? Awesome! Even though I may not know you personally, I am legitimately excited for you. Following Jesus is the most important decision you will ever make, even more important than what school you will go to or who you will marry. Those things are […]
How My 3-Year-Old Showed Me What Faith Is
Posted on September 9, 2013 1 Comment
I had a really cool experience the other day. My wife and I were at the park across the street with our two little ones, swinging and sliding and just having a good time. I guess I’m still a kid at heart too, because I was trying out my new x-zylo, this weird plastic, ring-looking […]
A Few Thoughts for Christian Teens on Going Back to School
Posted on August 31, 2013 1 Comment
Summer is just about over and the new school year is right around the corner. A new school year is a good opportunity to set a few goals and make some life changes. It’s a great time to have some fresh starts in school and other areas of life, too. So here are a few […]
How Can You Explain Contradictions in the Bible?
Posted on July 26, 2013 1 Comment
“The Bible is full of contradictions!” Ever heard that one before? It’s a common slam against the Bible. To be sure, there are quite a few statements in the Bible that appear to be in direct contradiction with each another. Yet, Christians usually claim that the Bible is perfect and the Word of God. How […]