No one has to teach you. You already know how to do this. It’s natural. Intuitive. Automatic. And sometimes it gets out of control, revealing that things are more disordered in our lives than we would like to admit. Leave it to comedians to point it out. They’re at least merciful in their critiques. They make…
I wrote this article for Rooted as a summary and lead up to the workshop I will be teaching at their national conference the end of next week. This year’s conference will be in Kansas City and the theme is: “Living Hope: A Walk Through 1 Peter.” If you’ll be there, I would love to…
This post is the third of three on biblical lament. You can read the first here and the second here. Also, if you’re interested in digging deeper into the topic of lament, I recommend checking out Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop. An Exposition of Psalms 42-43 Psalms 42-43…
This post is the second of three on biblical lament. You can read the first here. Also, if you’re interested in digging deeper into the topic of lament, I recommend checking out Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop. The Shape of Biblical Lament While there are many different types…
In the next series of posts, I’ll be sharing an essay I wrote several years ago about biblical lament. I recently taught on this subject again and, upon revisiting this essay, thought it would be worth sharing here. That being said, since I wrote this an excellent book on this topic was released by Mark…
As many of you may know, my family recently made a big life transition! After seven years of living and serving in St. Louis, I accepted a new pastoral call at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and we moved to town the first week of August. The last time we moved we only had…
In 2020 and 2021 I wrote a series of Holy Week posts for each day of the week. As we enter into Holy Week 2022, I thought I might share them again. The intent is for them to be used as devotional readings for each day of the week. You can click the links below…
Recently, I was interviewed by the folks at Modern Reformation about my new book on Justification and the doctrine’s significance for youth ministry and reaching the next generation with the gospel of Jesus. Here’s a key quote from the interview: “We can only offer our youth the gospel rest of being justified in Christ if…
I wrote this article for Rooted as part of their series of posts through the book of 1 Peter leading up to their national conference in October. This year’s theme is: “Living Hope: A Walk Through 1 Peter.” Here’s the lead-in: “Whether they realize it or not, the teenagers we love are aching for Jesus…
This past weekend I had the opportunity to serve as the speaker and preacher for Disciple Now (DNOW) weekend at First Presbyterian Church — Rome, GA (EPC). DNOW’s are evangelistically-oriented youth conferences, where students are encouraged to invite their unbelieving and unchurched friends. It was encouraging to see how not only the youth group at…
As part of promoting my new book on Justification, Reformed Youth Ministries (RYM) asked me for my top ten list of books on the doctrine of Justification. My book is intended to be an introduction to the topic, so these are couple other places to go if you want to dig deeper. That’s the beauty…
I want to share with you a fantastic article entitled “The Gift of People with Down Syndrome” written by Stephanie O. Hubach in byFaith magazine (our denomination’s magazine). We’ve just begun walking this road with our daughter Henley (who has Down Syndrome) and have already been taught so much. She is such a gift from…
Today is BOOK LAUNCH DAY! Get your copy of my book A Student’s Guide to Justification from the following book sellers and online outlets: Christian Focus Amazon (paperback) Amazon (Kindle version) 10ofThose Christian Book
As everyone knows, the day after Thanksgiving is when Christmas celebrations can begin in earnest. Most of us would permit the spinning of holiday records and purchasing one’s Christmas tree at this point. Though corporate America and malls start advertising Christmas around Halloween, after Thanksgiving we can all jump in with few qualms of conscience.…
I wrote this article for Rooted as part two of a two part series. It’s ultimately about prayer. Here’s the lead-in: “We don’t have to get God to like us or love us through our prayers. God is already favorably disposed toward us because of Jesus.” Click here to read.
I wrote this article for Rooted as part one of a two part series. Here’s the lead-in: “When our students articulate confusion about relating to God, we have an opportunity to engage with them personally and to walk with them in discipleship.” Click here to read.
I’m excited to share that my first book will be published in January! It’s called “A Student’s Guide to Justification” and will be a part of the Track series with Christian Focus Publishers partnering with Reformed Youth Ministries (RYM). I hope that it will be a helpful, short book on an essential Christian doctrine –…
I wrote this article to youth ministers and parents for Rooted on how to foster a Bible-saturated youth ministry. It’s part of a series of posts they are doing on their vision statement: “To transform youth ministry so that every student receives a grace-filled, gospel-centered and Bible-saturated discipleship in the church and the home.” Click…
I wrote this article for Rooted on the connections between the biblical theme of return from exile (drawing from a particular scene in the book of Ezra) and our own seeming “return from exile” post-COVID. I was writing with youth ministers and church leaders in mind, but I think it is beneficial and encouraging to…
This is the second post in a short series on analogies of grief. You can read the first post here, which includes an introduction to the importance of these analogies. A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a friend about his experience of grief over the loss of his mom not long after…
Analogies of Grief Whenever we are going through difficult or perplexing experiences, analogies are helpful. As meaning-makers, pictures and stories are natural ways in which we seek to make sense of what we have experienced (or continue to experience). The pain and stress of these experiences are typically not relieved by this, but the process…
While Easter is a day, it is also a season. Easter Sunday is the beginning of an extended time of reflection and meditation on the events of Christ’s Passion and its implications for our lives. Easter begins on Easter Sunday but extends forty more days until Ascension Day and then continues ten more days until…
Easter Sunday. He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Christ’s resurrection is the great victory and pivotal moment around which all reality orbits. And yet, this Easter is tinged with grief for me [originally written in 2020]. If I’m honest, I’m grieved to not be worshiping in person with my church family. I’m grieved by…
Holy Saturday. This is another quiet day during Holy Week. It’s quiet in the Scriptural account because it was the Jewish Sabbath day. Jesus is dead. His body rests in the tomb. Everyone is resting at home. Nothing is happening. And yet, the vanity of mankind is on display. Fearfully and disobediently, the chief priests…
Good Friday. My friend Pablo has said it well (listen to the song here): It’s ironic we call this good. Behold the man, The crown, the nails, the hands, The blood-stained wood. Calling a day like this “good” shouldn’t sit well with us. Though we know the end of the story is “good” — Jesus…
Maundy Thursday. The phrase “maundy” comes from the Latin “mandatum” or “commandment” referring to Jesus’ words on this day in Holy Week: “a new commandment I give to you.” John 13:34 Love. This is Jesus’ “new” commandment. Love has always been the commandment of God going back to the Old Testament law: love the Lord…
Wednesday. It seems like a much quieter day in Holy Week. But both the Jewish leaders and Jesus are preparing for the same thing: Jesus’ death. They plot deceitful designs in secret. Jesus and His disciples prepare to eat the Passover meal together. The symbolism is rich — Jesus will become our Passover lamb, the…
Tuesday. Yesterday, we saw that Jesus means business. Today, we see that He is busy. The days events take up five chapters in the Gospel of Matthew alone. He engages with the chief priests and elders who challenge Him repeatedly. Understandably, they were threatened and perturbed by Jesus — He was actively undercutting their authority…
Monday. It’s clear at this point that Jesus means business. He inexplicably curses the fig tree and violently cleanses the temple in a righteous rage (Mark 11:12-26). While Jesus is a humble King who will travel the road of humiliation and crucifixion on the way to exaltation, He is not impotent or passive. Jesus is…
Palm Sunday. It is the dramatic and yet anticlimactic start to Holy Week each year. Jesus shows His great intention for His arrival at the festivities in Jerusalem by sending a few of the disciples on an errand for a donkey. Great intention. The Scriptures are fulfilled. But for the most humble of set-ups. The…
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Moment-By-Moment 