For years I have tried to blow the whistle on the subject of shallow theology. This is a current trend among evangelical churches to keep things shallow. It is especially highlighted among the current 20-30-something crowd. Quite a few of my pastoral peers fit into this mold. Most have not heeded the warning. They look… Continue reading A Call for Pastors and Churches to Go Deep
In October I celebrated 15 years of pastoring Cornerstone Bible Church in Forest City, PA. A lot of people don’t know that this is unusual. Pastor turnover rates are high for much of the country. The average tenure of 3.5 years is now around 6.5 years, depending on the study you read. An improvement, but… Continue reading How to Keep a Pastor for 15 Years
The reality is that we all need courage to face life. We all have issues whether emotional, relational, physical, mental, spiritual, or financial. We have events and seasons in life when we need the courage to press on and do so well. Where can you get that courage? My contention is that you can get… Continue reading Attending Church Gives You Courage to Face Life
The reality is that we all need courage to face life. We all have some issues – whether emotional, relational, physical, mental, spiritual, and/or financial. We have events and seasons in life when we need the courage to press on and do so well. Where can you get that courage? My contention is that you… Continue reading Attending Church Gives You Courage to Face Life
This is part three of three of a series of 15 myths about giving and church. You can read Part I and Part II here. Last week’s myths: money is evil anyway; I can give when I make more; God knows my heart; I can give what I have leftover; and I need to take… Continue reading 15 Myths about Giving and Church Part III
When it comes to giving financially to a local church, there are lots of myths that need to be debunked. Many people have preconceived thoughts that God has addressed in His Word. We all tend to find ourselves having bought into one or more of these myths at some point in time. Here are the… Continue reading 15 Myths about Giving and Church Part I
Many people have been told recently that online “church” is a fine substitute for church. I have written articles listing 8 reasons why I find that to not be true. You can read them here (link) and here (link). One of the reasons I think we still need (and are called to gather) as local… Continue reading 6 Benefits of Live Local Preaching
This is the second of a two-part series on why we should come to church physically. It uses the contention that, if you are able, you should attend an in-person, local church. That “doing church” online is never a substitute for physically coming to church. You can read the first four reasons you should physically… Continue reading 8 Reasons to Come to Church Physically Part 2
Over the last couple years, there has been a debate about what church is and how we do it. Really this is nothing new, but the recent debate stirred up again those attempting to make the case that “online church” is the same as attending a service in person. There are even prominent Christian leaders… Continue reading 8 Reasons to Come to Church Physically, Part 1
There is an accusation for several years, maybe even decades, that churches are not blessing the society around them. They are not taking care of people within their communities, and part of the ills of society are because the church is failing to care for the poor and weak. This accusation is usually coming from… Continue reading The False Accusation: Churches Don’t Bless Society
