Here’s the deal: we are Christians, but we are also consumers—and these two parts of our identity overlap far more than we might realize. We’re navigating a society that often feels like a maze, filled with businesses promoting ideas that might seem foreign, even hostile, to our belief system. The question is, do we want …
Voting with Our Wallets: A Christian’s Guide to Conscious Capitalism Read More »
Let’s be real, porn can be tempting. With its easy accessibility on the internet, it’s not hard to see how someone can get hooked. Unfortunately, excessive use of pornography can be addictive and have devastating consequences on one’s mental and emotional well-being. It Can Be Addictive Research has shown that prolonged exposure to pornography can …
Beyond Pleasure: The Real Consequences of Pornography Read More »
Lately, I’ve been trying to introduce more healthy disciplines back into my life–things like exercise, healthy eating, and prayer. I’m not ashamed to say it, prayer doesn’t come easily for me. When I say that it is surprising to my friends. “Aren’t you a pastor,” they say. “Isn’t it part of your job to pray?” …
There’s a term for people who are looking for a church—they are called “Church Shoppers.” I have never really liked that phrase because usually when someone enters my church and says they are “church shopping” I get the idea that we are being evaluated and judged. It’s not the evaluation that bothers me, it’s the …
I’ve been an ordained minister for about 16 years now. In that time, I’ve had many discussions about spirituality and the Bible. Every now and then, someone will say something to me that sticks out. It might be funny or interesting or even slightly bizarre. It’s part of why I love being a pastor. Earlier …
According to the latest research, people spend as much as 11 hours interacting with their phones each day. That means people are spending the bulk of their waking time online. If you’re going to be looking at your phone anyway, I suggest making sure that God’s word is a part of your online experience. There …
Recently, I taught a 3-week series on the topic of money at the church where I serve as a pastor. I usually teach a special series once a year on money. People often ask me if it’s hard to preach about money. They assume that for a pastor it’s a tough topic, I guess because …
One of my favorite TV shows is Mythbusters. I love the way Jamie and Adam take a well-known idea and apply testing to confirm whether it’s true or just a myth. Without question, there are a lot of myths that exist within the modern church. One such myth is that the church is just a …
Being a Christian isn’t always easy. But we believers often make it harder on ourselves than we should. We make mistakes.We tend to do things that we don’t need to do, and also forget to do things that we should. My purpose in writing this post is not to make you feel guilty. On the …
As a pastor, I talk with dozens of Christians throughout the year. One spiritual challenge comes up more than any other: People feel far away from God. Maybe this is not a surprise to you because you’ve felt this way too. If so, don’t worry, it’s normal. Sometimes I feel far away from God also. …