We’re journeying through the Word of God at Bethel, one passage at a time. It’s created some amazing opportunities to communicate the gospel from a variety of stories so far. I will admit the challenge of connecting every passage to everyday life, but I still wouldn’t trade this expository approach for anything. It’s one of my own concerns about contemporary Christian culture. I am positive about a new wave of creativity and evangelistic ingenuity, but often the preaching (the most important part of what happens on Sunday) is limited in its content to only those topics that are deemed most relevant and presentable in a flashy kind of way.

So a study on the Tabernacle seems out of place today. It’s probably one of those things that many contemporary church growth gurus use as a joke to demonstrate howirrelevant expository preaching is. But do I care? Not at all. The Tabernacle is already opening up to me as an amazing symbol of Jesus Christ Himself, and of our life in Christ.

I’ll admit the toughness of organizing my own thoughts - Exodus is a challenge to outline - yet I’m convinced that our people will grow spiritually through this part of our journey. I hope and pray to lay out a blueprint for real intimacy with God, demonstrated by a simple tent more than three thousand years old. So pray for me as I preach, and join us on Sundays or catch us at BibleJourney.org to keep up.

It’s tough sometimes to hear a clear voice on how discipleship should be defined. We always like to attach methodologies to it - “you disciple people by…” Today I read a simple, yet thorough definition of discipleship that includes all the essential elements. Tony Evans, in his devotional book Get Serious says “(Discipleship) is that process that occurs in the framework of accountable relationships in the local church, whereby Christians are progressively brought from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity.” Read the rest of this entry »

Today, I caught this headline online…

A Prestonwood Baptist Church minister arrested for soliciting a minor online has resigned from the church, Pastor Jack Graham told his congregation Saturday evening.

I appreciate Pastor Graham - he’s a hero to me, and my heart aches for him, his church, and the family of this fallen Pastor. I’ve watched Satan wreak havoc on Pastors across America, especially in the area of sexuality. It’s terrible to see the carnage left behind. No doubt, some will question the very credibility of Christianity based on the actions of men like this staff Pastor.

I would ask that you pray for your Pastor, and for church staff everywhere, who are the special targets of Satan, as leaders among God’s flock. We absolutely must wage war on Satan to restore dignity and integrity to the pulpit in the face of a culture that is always sliding into deeper immorality. We need a counter-cultural revolution in this world gone made on the influence of Satan and his minions.

I believe God blesses the areas of our church’s life in which we are most willing to be sacrificial in our investment. Further, if we’re unwilling to invest in a group of people, I think God often withholds the blessings of growth in that area. We’ve done some heavy investing in our children’s ministries and God has blessed. We expanded our budget, hired staff, and recruited more willing and loving volunteers and we’ve seen child after child come to know the Lord and become a part of Bethel, their parents usually with them. Read the rest of this entry »

I love preaching! In fact, few other activities bring me the joy of standing before God’s people delivering a message from His Word. I’m passionate about it! What I’m really passionate about is seeing the change it brings about in people’s lives. When I preach the Word faithfully and passionately, people change into Christlike disciples. And I change too! Read the rest of this entry »