Within One City Block

I once preached in a city that had a Catholic church, a Methodist church, a Baptist church, a Presbyterian church, a Community church, and a church of Christ all within a city block. Literally, thousands of people who claimed to have allegiance to Jesus, met in separate buildings within shouting distance of each other, some …

Say What? Is there a Baptismal Formula?

The headlines read, “Thousands of Baptisms Invalidated.” Apparently, a Catholic priest in Arizona has been using the wrong words while performing baptism ceremonies. Allegedly, thousands of baptisms have been invalidated because this priest used the word “we” instead of “I” in his ceremony. According to the Catholic church, this priest was obligated to say, “I …

Quitting Ministry

I recently read a survey conducted by the Jenkins Institute that I found rather disturbing. I know that by commenting on the findings, some may accuse me of insensitivity or having a lack of compassion. May I assure you that what I have to say is not motivated by a lack of compassion, but rather, …

How to Respond to Mistreatment

A couple of years ago, a brother in Christ somehow thought it would be a good idea to rent a moving van and hang a billboard on the side of that truck. That billboard happened to have my picture on it, along with three other preachers whom I highly respect. Under our pictures was a …

Incline Your Ear

“Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live” (Psalm 116:2). My wife and I have raised four children. One of the things we learned as a parents is that children are easily upset. Because of their immaturity and short-sightedness, they fret about things of …