On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, hostilities between Allied forces and Germany ceased, bringing an end to World War I.  In 1938, November 11 was made an annual holiday; in 1954, the observance became known as “Veterans Day.” There are currently more than 1.4 million Americans on active military duty around the world, and another 850,000 on reserve duty.  They are part of the 22,658,000 who have served in our nation’s military.  Each of them might have asked this question, recently posted online: “I am 16 years old and I live in the US.  I am driven towards my goal of the armed forces and joining the US Army Rangers like my father.  My question is this: is it still worth the sacrifice that I woul...

By all appearances, we Americans still cling to the Thanksgiving holiday, setting aside a few hours for a special meal with family and friends before turning on the football game or heading to the mall for a deal on electronics.  But we have long since abandoned any idea of a Thanksgiving season, an extended period in which to anticipate the holiday, reflect on its significance, and live out its meaning.  Christmas decorations go up in the stores as the Halloween decorations come down.  The calendar page turns to November and the Hallmark Channel begins its “Countdown to Christmas” programming.  With admirable candor, Amazon.com simply trumpets the “Countdown to Black Friday.”  Sigh.  This is sad for any number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact th...

We live in a world of cutting edge and the “next big thing.” Like bugs to a porch light we hover around TV’s and computer screens watching as the latest “iWhatever” is released. “This one is 5% bigger and more powerful!” announces the middle-aged man in skinny jeans standing on the platform with his company’s new gadget. We rush out to pre-order that latest “it” product. Once we finally receive our prized possession, we proudly display it as a badge of honor, pulling it out at parties as people ogle our latest gadget around the punch bowl wishing they had one just like it. After all, it’s cutting edge and it’s the hottest new thing. The problem? Six months later, we’re holding an outdated phone that’s been dropped, beaten, stained with coffee and last week’s oatmeal and we begin to wonder,...

Whenever a pastor falls, especially one who is famous (or infamous), it affords the church in general and pastors specifically an opportunity to do some serious reflection. I serve as pastor of a local church. I have served on a church staff since I was a 20 year old college sophomore. Twenty seven years later I daily realize how much I still need to grow. Like so many, I have thought and opined quite a bit about Mark Driscoll and the fallout at Mars Hill Church. I have thought about the many warning signs early on in Driscoll’s ministry that some gave voice to but few heard. I have thought about some of the failures of Mars Hill to hold her leadership accountable. But most recently I have been reflecting on the condition of my own heart. The following is a bit of my own interior dialogue ...

I hope you don’t think pastors are superhuman. When you mostly see us on best behavior one morning a week, it is easy to get an unbalanced view of us. I want to let you in on a little secret. Pastors are normal people. So no one should be surprised when a pastor messes up – whether it is a famous pastor, or your pastor. We are in the same fight you’re in. We are not aloof from your spiritual battles. We enter the fray every day – even Sunday – just like you. It is important that churchgoers understand pastors are not a special class. How normal is the pastor’s spiritual life? Here are four ways. 1. Pastors face the same temptations as everyone else Paul wrote, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man” (1 Cor. 10:13), and this includes everyone in vocational ministry. No t...

[Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt of Greg Forster’s book Joy for the World: How Christianity Lost Its Cultural Influence & Can Begin Rebuilding It. (Crossway Books, 2014, pp. 268-272) Reprinted by permission.] Why Politics Takes over Everything How does citizenship go wrong? A growing number of people sense that in America today, partisan conflict—the contest for power—is taking over everything. People are no longer confident that we share a citizenship that is more than merely political, nor are they confident that our politics can be based on a moral consensus about justice. Politics is coming more and more to mean solely partisan conflict, and more and more areas of human life are becoming subordinated to that conflict. This is not a new phenomenon. In fact, it’s the way c...

November 1st is All Saints Day! This ceremonial event is a day that we praise all the saints — known & unknown! To honor All Saints Day, please join us in reading or saying this quick devotion:  Dear God, praise you for giving us the glorious example of the Saints. I aspire to meet their company, praising you forever in Heaven. Please help me to follow in their footsteps, and yours, Jesus Christ. Please help me to submit myself to Your call, seeking Your order in all things, just as the Saints did. Please help me to commit myself to Your glory, and to the service of my neighbors. Amen.    What is All Saints Day? All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day, or Hallowmas, is a Christian celebration in honor of all the saints from Christian history. In Wester...

Try reading the book of Acts in the Bible and not getting excited about the growth of the early church. The disciples heard and obeyed the risen Christ when he commanded, “go into all the world and preach the gospel.” (Matthew 28:19)   Through that phenomenal growth, the Roman Catholic Church developed. It was the only official body of believers for hundreds of years until the great schism in 1054. At times there was discord among Roman Catholic leaders. But when one 16th-century priest publically disagreed with some practices, it was a turning point in church history.   In autumn,1517, the sound of a hammer was heard throughout the world and it did not come from a construction site. It originated in the heart and soul of a Roman Catholic priest who had...

For years, when I thought about prayer, I mostly felt guilty for my lack of a robust prayer life. Reading stories of great saints praying for two hours a day or more left me with a gnawing sense of defeat. I would often resolve to pray more. But the resolves didn’t last. One day I realized that something had changed. While not exactly satisfied with my prayer life, I knew that I had one. I’m sure that I still don’t pray as much as I should. But I pray a lot more than I used to. And I’ve tried to think about why. What changed? On one level, of course, whatever prayer life I have is the fruit of God’s grace. He gets the credit. But God uses means. The Spirit’s work doesn’t bypass our thoughts, feelings, habits, and desires. No, he works in and through all these aspects of our personhood. Whe...

Charles Spurgeon’s voice was said to boom when he preached, enabling thousands at a time to hear him without the aid of modern amplification. It seems fitting that such a voice was known for uttering weighty words. Imagine the mood at the Metropolitan Tabernacle as these words traveled past column after column, row after row, filling the ears and piercing the hearts of all who were present: “Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor. You either try to spread abroad the kingdom of Christ, or else you do not love him at all. It cannot be that there is a high appreciation of Jesus and a totally silent tongue about him. That man who says, ‘I believe in Jesus,’ but does not think enough of Jesus ever to tell another about him… is an impostor.” Of course, Spurgeon was not talking abo...

It’s a big question, no doubt. All too often we leap ahead to form opinions about the world around us without addressing how we should form them. We tend to take for granted that how we think through things is the right way to do so. But before addressing what we should think, we need to examine how we should think. In light of that, Romans 12:2 provides a helpful warning and exhortation to us. Paul says “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Before becoming a Christian, all of us thought in ways that conformed to a pattern of worldliness. But now, by the power of the Spirit through God’s Word a...

My daughter is precious beyond belief. An exploding barrel of gunpowder, rainbow sprinkles, unicorns, and sarcastic Barbie Dolls is probably the best description of her personality. She’s a caring and compassionate soul who melts my heart with a funny phrase or hint of a smile. And, I want her to become a confident woman who leads with her personality, glorifies God, and demands the right attention with the right motivation. This message, however, is potentially contrary to what she will be hearing. Modesty is often taught to motivate not “offending others.” But I want my daughter to be compelled towards modesty for more than that.  Certainly, helping to keep men from the temptation to lust is noble. But whenever modesty is just about managing uncovered skin, there is generally a fail...