“Marriage isn’t about your happiness; it’s about your holiness.” “Marriage isn’t primarily about being ‘in love’; it’s about covenant-keeping.” Maybe you’ve heard something similar to those lines in a recent sermon/book/blog post on marriage. I have. In fact, I’ve said those very things in sermons. Yet, I think that it can be possible to push…
Come Home: A Theology of Exile and Return
God created Adam and Eve as His imager-bearers in the world (Genesis 1:26-27). They had a relationship with God (they were “sons” of God) and also they had a commission over creation to be servant kings.[1] Although not specifically part of the imago dei, God marked off humanity with sexual complementarity for the basis of…
A Ministry Discussion with Jordan Jones, Pt. 2
This series of posts is based upon an email exchange with my friend who is also a pastor in Northern Kentucky, Jordan Jones. He oversees the youth ministry of his church, while I primarily oversee the Community Groups at mine. To see where God is at work in our churches and lives, we are discussing various…
There Is No Other
It must be the case that God stands behind good and evil in somewhat different ways; that is, he stands behind good and evil asymetrically...In other words, if I sin, I cannot possibly do so outside the bounds of God's sovereignty (or the many text already cited have no meaning), but I alone am responsible for…
2 Obstacles Which Keep You From God’s Mission (And What To Do About Them)
After Jonah had been in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, he is very literally propelled outward on God’s mission: "And Yahweh spoke to the fish. And it vomited Jonah onto the dry land" (Jonah 2:10). In essence, God was giving Jonah a second chance, a fresh start. For all of Jonah’s…
A Ministry Discussion with Jordan Jones, Pt. 1
I am beginning a series of posts based upon an email exchange with my friend who is also a pastor in Northern Kentucky, Jordan Jones. He oversees the youth ministry of his church, while I primarily oversee the Community Groups at mine. To see where God is at work in our churches and lives, we…
Learning to Shepherd From the Good Shepherd
Christ is the Good Shepherd. As the Good Shepherd, He is first and foremost our sacrificial Savior (John 10:11). But Christ is also an example to follow in learning how to care for God’s people. It is not surprising that pastors are commanded to “shepherd” God’s people, who are also liken to a “flock” of…
For Real?
Heaven Is For Real should be considered a work of fiction. I know, I know. I'm a kill joy. It's just a book, not a theology book. But here's the problem with it: God has already told us everything we need to know about heaven in His word, the Bible. We shouldn't be prying back the…
Rhythms of Grace– A (Sort of) Review
Typical book reviews have their place. Author bio, summary, critical interaction. Cool. Got it. But I like to see how books “work”: how can the ideas, arguments, and concepts of the book be applied to real life. This is especially true for me when I consider theological works. Does it have a tangible effect on…
The Delay of God’s Justice (Psalm 73)
It often doesn’t feel like God is a just Judge, right? I mean, it often looks like the wicked triumph. It looks like evil gets its way. The prosperity of the wicked is exactly the issue that the author of Psalm 73 is grappling with. His faith is shaken: “But as for me, my feet came…
Raising Lazarus 