. . . you let people know about it.James-Michael Smith, who served as our Discipleship Pastor from 2004-2009 and remains a vital part of the church, has just published a monograph called Cleansed And Abiding.It's a fresh look at an old subject by a young...

There's one more verse on my list.One I don't live out very well.Jesus says this in Mark 10:43: For the greatest among you is servant of all.Wow.I think of greatness in terms of tennis victories, church accomplishments, professional accolades, and kids who make me...

Another favorite verse is Proverbs 3:5-6:Trust in the Lord with all your heart &lean not on your own understanding.Think of him in all your ways,and he will make your paths straight.These are the first verses of Scripture that I ever memorized. I did so at the...

I already know what verse will be on my gravemarker. Or urn, depending on how all that goes.It's Philippians 1:21: Christ in me is to live, to die is to gain.I first heard it in a song, as a relatively new Christian attending a campus fellowship group at my college....

I have to admit that there are some days when I find my faith shaken to the core.Questions keep building and building. Questions without any easy answers.Questions like:Why does God allow mental illness?What redemptive purpose can you ever find in a suicide?Why is...

Maybe it was the recent Romans class I led, with its close examination of chapters 9-11.Perhaps it was the growing influence of John Piper on evangelicalism.It could be a nostalgic reconnection with the first church I ever attended as a new follower of Jesus, some...

As you can tell from the message last Sunday as well as this week's posts, I have wanted to devote considerable time and energy to the subject of praying in tongues.So for today I want to share some concluding reflections on the subject:The best resource on the topic...

"For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit." I Corinthians 14:2"For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful." I Corinthians 14:14Aren't those words...

As I posted here, I had to travel to Austin, Texas last week to help with the memorial service for my 32 year old nephew, Christopher Davis, who died after being struck by a car while riding his bicycle. In the middle of a lot of sad, poignant moments, one stuck with...

I think the best thing about our trip to Russia was seeing the building that didn't get built.Yeah, the building that didn't get built.On our last day there, my daughter Taylor and I saw the sights of Moscow. The most memorable was the Cathedral of Christ Our Savior,...