Author, Pastor-Theologian
Writing
The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.
Mark Twain
Preaching
The pulpit is the Thermopylae of Christendom: there the fight will be lost or won.
Charles Spurgeon
Teaching
I have come to the conviction that if you cannot translate your thoughts into uneducated language, then your thoughts were confused.
C.S. Lewis
Deathly (De)Vices
Vainglory, envy, sloth, avarice, wrath, gluttony, and lust.
To study the seven deadly sins or capital vices is no novel endeavor. Vice lists like this one have circulated for centuries. But the innovations of today constitute a unique challenge. In this technocultural moment, most people have on their persons--nearly every waking second--a device that possesses great power, including the power to awaken the capital vices, to de-form people.
Christians young and old must come to think of technology in terms of spiritual formation. They are inclined to think that they shape technology, which, of course, is true. But it is also true that technology shapes them in return. Devices mimic Jesus' call to discipleship--"Abide in me, and I in you"--and the disciple of the lord called Digital will find that he or she is incrementally yet definitively fashioned into a new creation. But not every new creation is a pretty one.
Long Story Short
Many people think of the Bible as a confused mixture of entries, episodes, characters, and commands. Sixty-six books, written by some thirty authors, scattered over a period of roughly 1,500 years, including virtually every genre known to man. Clearly, the Bible consists of many parts. Yet, it communicates a metanarrative, one great story, the drama of redemption. And when we understand this story, and find our place within it, it brings us unparalleled purpose and hope.
Give Them Jesus
A fresh, clear, joyful guide for parents on how to teach their children to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Give Them Jesus aims to help parents not simply add to their children's stockpile of knowledge, but to cultivate children-disciples who are able to display Christ-likeness in every situation. Parents are the ones primarily responsible for opening up the Scriptures to help their children understand God, the world, and themselves. The family is the divinely appointed discipleship program; the home is first and foremost a place of worship. The introduction of the book discusses the four vital components of family worship: teach, treasure, sing, and pray, and offers practical suggestions for beginning and prioritizing family worship in the rough and tumble of life.
Subsequent chapters guide parents to a deeper understanding of the core truths of the historic Christian faith, as summarized in the Apostles' Creed, arming them with appropriate language, helpful illustrations, and relevant object lessons, so that in the end they will be better prepared to pass these truths on to their children. Each chapter concludes with a family worship guide, which includes: 1) family memory verses, 2) nuggets of truth from the chapter, 3) questions for family discussion, 4) songs that celebrate the truths of the Creed, and 5) prayer prompts.