Why You Should Avoid the Gospel of Comfort
We live in a time where comfort quickly can become an idol. Instant gratification is made easy with technology; we are constantly bombarded with ads and commercials that remind us…
The Church, Humor and Harvey Weinstein
I once mentioned to a guy in college that I studied Russian. I shared with him why, in the wake of the Cold War, learning the language mattered to me.…
Do We Love Amendments More Than People?
American Christians have emerged from a period of prominence into a time of trial, and as a result, we now face an era of unprecedented challenge. Christians in America are…
Why Does God Keep Letting Bad Things Happen?
Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Maria. And then deadly earthquakes in Mexico City. If you’re like me, you find yourself asking, “Why, God?” I don’t know the specific reason that…
How Should Christians Think About the Syria Bombing?
The United States Navy fired 59 tomahawk missiles into Syria last week in order to destroy the airbase where Bashar al-Assad launched a deadly chemical attack earlier in the week. This is…
Does the ‘Billy Graham Rule’ Hurt or Help Women?
It was my first day in my first class at seminary. I’d landed a coveted spot in the hermeneutics course taught by our seminary’s own president. In our eyes, he…
#MissingDCGirls and the Sin of Selective Outrage
Chelsea King. Elizabeth Smart. Jaycee Dugard. What do these people have in common? They’re all girls who went missing. They’re all household names. And they’re all white. When discussing the…
Does God Have a ‘Special’ Relationship with America?
A recent study suggests that fully a third of Americans view Christianity as central to their national identity. This is a theme that keeps coming up in the past year or…
The American ‘Christian Persecution Complex’ Gets in the Way of Loving Our Neighbors
“I need to share some hard news,” Jim, a senior vice president, begins, as the staff stares back with dread. At a normal workplace, “hard news” from an executive at…
Executions in Arkansas Should Horrify Pro-Life Advocates
It was just another day, when a man making a routine trip to a nearby city was attacked, robbed, beaten and left for dead. Multiple people passed by the man,…
Why Gender Inequality Is a Christian Issue
A new ad, quoting derogatory remarks of Donald Trump toward women will begin airing on national cable television this week. The video, just released, opens with women quoting real words…
The Problem With Appropriating the Bible for Politics
Last week, a panel discussion called, “If Heaven Has a Gate, a Wall and Extreme Vetting, Why Can’t America?” at CPAC drew immediate criticism from non-Christians and Christians alike. And…
I’m a Pastor—And I’m for Muslim Refugees
Recently, I joined evangelical leaders across North America including friends like Tim and Kathy Keller, Bill and Lynne Hybels, John Perkins, Ann Voskamp, Sandy Willson, John Yates, Max Lucado, Eugene…
What Your Pastor’s Shirt Says About Their Theology
If there’s one way to immediately know the theological leanings of a pastor it’s to simply observe what their clothes look like and make a rash, unwavering judgement. We’ve already…