[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98Xzvun5ae0] How To Read The Bible Through The Jesus Lens by Michael Williams

On Sunday I preached part 11 in our current series through Philippians. It is entitled "He Humbled Himself" and can be downloaded or listened to HERE .

The White Horse Inn has posted two excellent articles on youth ministry by Michael Horton: Generation Me and Youth Ministry ( Part One & Part Two ). Please take time to read them. There is much wisdom not only about how we minister to youth but about our understanding of the church. We have...

The following, while in no way exhaustive, is a list of outstanding books dealing with the crucifixion of Jesus and its implications for those who believe. One of the characteristics of each of these books is their faithfulness to the Scriptures. These are not whimsical musings or speculation...

The Brokenhearted Evangelist by Jeremy Walker With a “gutless orthodoxy,” Christians today quickly affirm biblical truth regarding evangelism and mission, but, author Jeremy Walker reminds us, “we cannot pretend that we know and believe the truth about men, souls, heaven, hell, and salvation unless...

There are at least seven immutable laws governing a church's use of fonts. Stray from these laws and face the consequences.

Recently, Dr. Anthony Bradley gave an interview with Trevin Wax that is worth checking out: Trevin Wax: What should the role of the black church be in addressing the social pathologies that continue to plague many black communities? Anthony Bradley: Since slavery, the black church has served as a...

Having grown up and served as a youth pastor in "mega-churches" I know a thing or two about counting people. I have attended more church growth seminars and read more church growth books than I care to remember. Please understand. The church ought to care a great deal about reaching people. When it...

Thanks to Carl Trueman for pointing out a great new website by Dr. Michael Kruger . The purpose of the site is to explore the reliability of the New Testament canon and other related biblical and theological issues. Take some time to check it out.

Aaron Armstrong has written a helpful post on whether or not we should publicly name false teachers. The only thing I would push back against is in this two-fold conclusion where he writes, "So, is it appropriate for Christians to name names? Yes, if it is to the benefit of our congregations and...

Mike Cosper explains why Mad Men may be so successful.

Christians get depressed. The causes are varied. But God is always purposeful which means our depression is not meaningless. Depression should not be wasted. As a teenager I was morose and deeply depressed. I wrote morose things and believed that if the world knew the real me I would be even more...

David French has written an article for National Review Online which examines the diminishing influence of evangelicals upon the wider culture. He sums up his thesis with three reasons behind this decline: 1. We are more focused on meeting the material needs of the poor than their spiritual needs...

When the definitive history of 20th century evangelicalism is finally written it may well point to pragmatism as the defining characteristic. Results mattered more than truth. Experience mattered more than faithfulness. Ref21 has posted an article by James Torrens on the self-defeating reality of...

Al Mohler recently interviewed Don Carson on his new book The Intolerance of Tolerance . It is a fascinating discussion on a timely topic. Check it out HERE .

"What is the nature of petitionary prayer? It is in essence rebellion - rebellion against the world in its fallenness, the absolute and undying refusal to accept as normal what is pervasively abnormal...Petitionary prayer only flourishes where there is a two-fold belief: first, that God's name is...

Great stuff HERE on how to speak the truth into the lives of people we care about.

From Paul McCain : "Here is a beautiful YouTube video of the reading of the Nicene Creed which dates back over a 1,000 years in the the Christian church. This recitation was done at Trinity Lutheran Church, Klein, TX during the March 4, 2012 church services by three members of Trinity as part of...

From an article entitled The God-Centered Gospel by Michael Horton in the latest edition of Tabletalk Magazine : It’s terrific to see so many younger Christians excited about being “God-centered.” However, Islam and Orthodox Judaism claim to be “Godcentered,” too. The Christian faith is...

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzPK93pI65I&w=460&h=264]

I am launching a new feature at 1517 called "The Constant Reader." The goal will be to offer book reviews, recommendations, as well as words of caution concerning problematic books. One of God's good gifts to me as a pastor is the responsibility to study and read. It is a discipline I love and take...

The March 2012 issue of CREDO Magazine is now online. CREDO is an excellent website and online magazine of theological and devotional reflection. Highly recommended. The latest issue of the magazine is dedicated to the church's mission to make disciples.

On losing the sense of God's holiness in the church: When prayers become the equivalent of "Yo, how you doin'?!" then something has gone awry. Public prayers should lead people into the presence of God, and that should be a humbling, if not crushing experience. When was the last time a pulpit...

On Sunday I preached part 9 in our current series through Philippians. It is entitled "To Believe And To Suffer" and can be listened to or downloaded HERE .