Apprentice 2 Jesus

Church Life

  • Why Mono-Generational Churches Are a BAD Idea

    I hope I made that word up so I can copyright it! 😉 Mono-Generational Churches are the new wave in American culture. It’s the 20-something church or the 60-something church. It’s niche marketing run amok. We niche our ministry to fill a particular need and it draws people of like-minded ideas. 1. I find that… Read more

  • Video Preaching

    Being a part of a movement that is now hawking multi-site churches, I am treading in very dangerous waters. I offer these words from Tim Keller’s blog as he interacts with another great preacher of a past era: Dr. Lloyd-Jones effectively dismantles the idea that watching a video or listening to an audio of a… Read more

  • The Power of the Word and the Scriptures

    I am picking up Barth again, slogging through the second volume (which is actually 1.2). The power of the Word and the Scriptures is key for Barth. The section I am currently working through is incredibly exciting. (No, really. It is.) The Church is not merely a human institution. This is not “a human polity,… Read more

  • Thoughts on Our Obsessions

    Well, really only this thought: Our culture has Charlie Sheen. Our church culture has Rob Bell. Obsessions. Read more

  • Apostolic Ministry

    My life is challenged by modern-day apostles. True apostles. Not the ones taking out full page ads in magazines. The ones actually doing the work of an apostle, too busy to self-promote. They are affirmed in this ministry by the Spirit and the Church recognizes it. The past few months we have had a few… Read more

  • The Power of the Cross

    I would agree with much of what Roger Olson says about evangelical churches and a serious lack of preaching on the cross. We have stripped the symbols of the cross out of our sanctuaries (or coffee shops or worship centers or whatever we’re calling them these days). The ironic piece is that I am actually… Read more

  • Do-Over

    In an interview with Billy Graham, they asked if he could go back and do anything over, what would it be? His answer is interesting: Yes, of course. I’d spend more time at home with my family, and I’d study more and preach less. I wouldn’t have taken so many speaking engagements, including some of… Read more

  • Epiphany

    Epiphany, Christmas, the Eastern Christmas… In the Church, December 25 isn’t the end. In the Western Church it’s over. We’re done. Get back to work. Get to the gym. For the Church, it is just the beginning. Through the celebration of Christmas and Epiphany, the East and West emphasize some strong points in the life… Read more

  • Cracks in the Cathedral

    Fascinating commentary on the demise of the Crystal Cathedral. A powerful paragraph: Robert Schuller is not the problem—contemporary evangelicalism is. Schuller was only leading the parade of those who believe they are responsible for making the gospel relevant. The lesson is not that Schuller got it wrong or that his theology is out-of-date; it is not… Read more

  • Sacred

    In August of 2010 I took a month-long sabbatical. During my times of prayer the Lord renewed my call as pastor. There was also a direction to seek out my former pastor from college and ask him to intentionally step in as my spiritual father/mentor. In that process was also a direction from the Spirit… Read more