One of the major protests the Protestant reformers had against the Catholic Church in the 1500-1600's was the fact that the Bible used in the worship services was written in Latin. Now, a Latin Bible wouldn't be a problem...if you read and spoke Latin. But most people in the Middle Ages did not, in fact, … Continue reading Be a Good Protestant and Update Your Bible Translation
Uncategorized
Burnout Resources
Here are a few resources on burnout. Articles Helping Senior Pastors Overcome Depression and Burnout: Written to help pastors specifically, but has so many good insights both theologically and practically for overcoming burnout. How I Recovered From Burnout: 12 Keys to Getting Back: Short article written from ministry/Christian perspective. Why Do We Work Too Much?: … Continue reading Burnout Resources
Let’s Save Apocalyptic Thinking for the Actual Apocalypse
The apocalypse is personal for me. In 1994, Harold Camping predicted the end of the world and the return of Jesus, despite the fact that Jesus himself says no one knows when he will return (Matthew 24:26). When I was young, Camping's heresy infiltrated the church my parents were attending at the time and some … Continue reading Let’s Save Apocalyptic Thinking for the Actual Apocalypse
The Olivet Discourse
One of the most difficult to interpret passages in the New Testament is Jesus' "mini-apocalypse" in Matthew 24, also as known as the Olivet Discourse. In the passage, Jesus seems to speak of the impending destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70AD but also of the event surrounding his second coming. As with most … Continue reading The Olivet Discourse
The Two Hands of God’s Mission
I took one punch to the face and said, "I'm done!" I threw the boxing gloves down and walked out of the locker room. During high school, one of my football teammates brought boxing gloves into the locker room and so, after practice, when the coaches weren't around, impromptu boxing matches would start up. This … Continue reading The Two Hands of God’s Mission
Upgrade Your Spiritual Life with This ONE Habit
If you want to seriously upgrade your spiritual life this year, do this one habit: go to church. It's that simple. Going to church matters. The book of Acts shows that the early church met together regularly, being devoted to corporate worship (Acts 2:42-47). The book of Hebrews, which many Christians believe to be a … Continue reading Upgrade Your Spiritual Life with This ONE Habit
Pastor as Teenager
Pastors are an angsty bunch, just like teenagers. I would know because I am one and I spend time with other pastors! Teenagers can often feel a deep anxiety about their lives. What am I doing with my life? Does anyone care? Etc. Etc. And, from what I've experienced myself and what I've observed in … Continue reading Pastor as Teenager
Precedented Times
We need to get over ourselves in many different ways. One of the biggest afflictions facing the all the generations alive today is narcissism. We have genuinely come to believe that our tine and place is unique, different, and "unprecedented." We have faced a pandemic...unprecedented (but one just happened in 1918)! We have abundant wealth … Continue reading Precedented Times
A Deep Life System
We all want to live "deeply," a life of meaning and significance. But how does that happen? It does not happen haphazardly. One of the benefits of modern life is that we can often be given the freedom to think deeply about our lives and can control much more of our lives than ever before. … Continue reading A Deep Life System
Clearing the Decks Doesn’t Work (Or Why the “Two Minute” Rule is a Trap)
A common productivity trope is the "two minute rule": if a task will take two minutes or less, do it right now. The two minute rule can feed into a mindset where we need "clear the decks" (get small things done and out of the way) so we can then focus on the more important … Continue reading Clearing the Decks Doesn’t Work (Or Why the “Two Minute” Rule is a Trap)