Between the Trees

In the past year there has been no shortage in controversy amongst evangelicals about language and particularly the issue of obscenity/profanity. And with Derek Webb’s latest announcement that his record’s release is being held up due to a disagreement with his label about a particular song (rumored to contain profanity stronger in nature than that [...]

Whether our sin is legalism or license, the answer is not embrace its opposite. The answer to both errors is the Gospel.

“It remains an axiom of Christian preaching that the road from study to pulpit runs thorugh a living, demanding interrupting manse; out into the noisy street; in and out of houses and hospitals, farms and factories, buses, trains, cinemas…up between rows of puzzled people to the place where you are called to preach… For the [...]

“Whatever man you meet who needs your aid, you have no reason to refuse him help.  Say, “He is a stranger”; but the Lord has given him a mark that ought to be familiar to you, by virtue of the fact that he forbids you to despise your own flesh.  Say, “He is contemptible and [...]

One of the surest ways to give me a banging-my-head-against-the-wall migrane is to ask me why I felt called to be a pastor. It’s not because I don’t have an answer. No, it’s more that every time I give my answer, I end up getting blank looks.
What people seem to want is some really impressive [...]

Lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about ideas related to sabbath, rest, efficiency, and a health way of life. I’ve been trying to think specifically about what it looks like to live in a rhythm that agrees with the natural created order ordained by God and how that affects my choices on a [...]

I found this post from Canadian Mike Todd over at the Emergent Village blog to be very helpful as we in the States celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday.
“As you give thanks today for what you have, I would respectfully ask you to consider carefully the words you use. The things we say reveal a lot about our [...]

In his book, Letters for My Children, Dan Taylor argues that there is a difference between story guilt and legal guilt. To illustrate he shares a story from his childhood when he, the popular boy in the class, chose the least attractive girl in their class to be his dance partner. He only did this, [...]

This is a devotional I had to deliver for a seminary class. I thought I’d post it here; the text is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Monday evening I got one of the phone calls. I had this devotional all planned out, ready to deliver, when it came – and it changed what I wanted to say. A [...]

As I think about the pattern of how Christians should engage with a non-Christian world, I think the engagement should generally look like this:
1) Weeping for the brokenness caused by sin.
2) Examining our own heart to ensure that it is properly humbled by the gospel.
3) Engaging with the problem we want to address.
Most the time, [...]