Pastor, Church Communications Guy, Church Website Designer & Blogger
In 1975, Bill Hybels assumed the leadership of a fledgling church plant that would grow into the rather influential Willow Creek Community Church. Under Bill's leadership, the church pioneered many concepts in the seeker-sensitive strain of worship and ministry. In 1997, Bill and his wife, Lynne, co-wrote Rediscovering Church, an inside … [Read more...]
My friend, Derwin Gray, has just released a post about the doctrine of election. It's a tough subject, but I recently had the chance to chat with Derwin over dinner in a small South Carolina town and election was one of the topics we discussed. I love his high view of God, his humble view of humanity, and his balanced view of this idea of … [Read more...]
Even though none of us actually plays by the rules (according to Romans 3:10, 23), we still try rather hard to do so. We've all sinned and fallen short, but in our broken condition, we just keep on plugging away in hopes that in eternity all of our trying and fighting and working will somehow qualify us for heaven in God's eyes. Most … [Read more...]
I just received another email, much like other emails I've received since writing a post several years ago called Free to Decide: Confessions of a Former Calvinist. This email was from another brother in the faith, ridiculed and shamed for apparently not being smart enough to grasp the deep truths of the reformed faith. This breaks the … [Read more...]
For the last year, I've gotten daily reports on the mentions of Rick Warren, Purpose Driven, and Saddleback Church. Sometimes I respond in some way, but most of the time we just like to know what's on the radar. What upsets me is that there are so many believers who sit perched like vultures waiting on Christian leaders to say anything … [Read more...]
In John 17:4, Jesus makes an astounding statement in His conversation with His Father, "I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do." (NLT) That's a claim that none of us can ever make. Jesus did everything the Father had given Him to do. What is success? The world defines it as achieving great things, … [Read more...]
Jesus wasn't always clear. He told parables not for the purpose of simplifying and illustrating truths to make them more understandable, but to present the mysteries of the kingdom to the few who would catch the underlying meanings. Jesus is the greatest philosopher the world has ever known. He could go deep, get confusing, and be … [Read more...]
For some time now, I've been serving as a Pastor to Saddleback Church's correspondence team, a group of dedicated staff and volunteers who answer over 100,000 emails per year about a range of subjects. Not a week goes by that I don't see an email (or twenty) asking for Pastor Rick's response to what someone said in criticism of his views … [Read more...]
I've just finished adding all 42 of my sermons (in audio / mp3 format) to my Life In Ministry website. I'll be adding other series' soon. Feel free to listen in! Listen In! … [Read more...]
Charles Spurgeon once said, "Prayer moves the arm that moves the world." One of my mentors, Grady Higgs, often says that "nothing heavenly happens on earth without prayer." In other words, there are things God is willing to do - wants to do - but He has chosen to do them only in response to prayer. Prayer, then, is like a great joint … [Read more...]
