Lovin' Tellin' The Story

What follows is the first draft of a book I'm working on tentatively titled "I Yahweh, Take You Israel" which is based on a series of messages I did on the 10 Commandments. As Christians we often have a jaded view of the Law and hopefully this book will give us a fresh look at one of the most important parts of the Bible. Hopefully the book will be available later in 2018. Stay tuned for more previews! Chapter 2: A Wedding at Sinai. It rained on my wedding day. Some people would take that as a bad omen, but we really didn’t care and for a variety of reasons. First of all, our chance of marital success is not linked to meteorology. Secondly, it made for some really cool pictures. Most of all we didn’t care if it rained or not because the day wasn’t about the weather. It was about two people making a commitment before God and man to live together in an exclusive love relationship as long as they both shall live.           ...

For much of human history cultures have created ways to initiate boys into manhood. Often these rites of passage were violent and painful, and failure to perform could result in being ostracized from the community. In modern, American culture we often associate rites of passage with the military and, though in a negative sense, college fraternities. The underlying belief is that boys need to make a clean break with childhood and be given a point of reference so that they deeply understand that they have become men. Rick Bundschuh notes, “Throughout history, the honor of being a guardian of a culture’s spiritual values, core beliefs, and standards of behavior was bestowed upon a boy who had successfully gone through some kind of rite, test, or ordeal.” [1] Many authors in the realm of Christian parenting and Christian manhood advocate for some form of rite of passage or initiation for Christian young men. Lewis frames these rites of passage as unforgettable ceremonies that the ma...

Once a definition of manhood has been decided upon, whether it is the one offered in the previous post or another, the real challenge begins for men – passing that knowledge on to the next generation. Robert Lewis identifies three issues that have faced fathers over the past few decades, “First, we have failed to deliver to our sons a clear, inspiring, and biblically grounded definition of manhood … Second, most fathers lack a directional process that calls their sons to embrace the manhood they should be able to define…a third shortcoming involves the loss of ceremony.” [1]             With a definition of manhood firmly in hand the focus will now turn to the other concerns Lewis mentions; instilling authentic manhood in the next generation, and initiating them.             Biblically, Deuteronomy 6 offers God’s strategy for transmitting faith from generation to genera...

Every doctrine that is not imbedded  in the Cross of Jesus Christ will lead astray. Oswald Chambers. I don't have to tell you that there is a crisis in our culture regarding marriage. As urgent as that crisis is in the world around us it is equally, if not more so, in God's Church. Having been in vocational ministry for over a decade I've seen my share of marriages that Satan has taken aim at, and subsequently destroyed. If you know my story you know that I've seen broken marriages in my own life. This morning in my quiet time it was like the proverbial light bulb turned on in my head and my heart. The past few weeks I've been preaching through the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians. Paul goes to great lengths to help us understand that worldly wisdom and God's wisdom are polar opposites of one another, and God's wisdom is most vividly revealed to us in the Cross of Jesus Christ. If you want to get a grip on God's wisdom you can only do so by gazi...

Part 1 of this series can be found here James Dobson notes the following about the feminist revolution, a goofy new idea took root. A small but noisy band of feminists began insisting that the sexes were identical except for their reproductive apparatus, and that any uniqueness in temperament or behavior resulted from patriarchal cultural biases. [1] The creation account in the book of Genesis paints a dramatically different picture, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” [2] (Genesis 1:27). John Eldredge comments on this verse saying, “Gender simply must be at the level of the soul, in the deep and everlasting places within us. God doesn’t make generic people, he makes something very distinct – a man or a woman.” [3] Of course, this notion has come under severe attack in our society, and not just from radical feminists. Now, the argument is not whether men and women are different, it is whether biology has ...

In this multi-part series I want to explore a topic that has been popularized over the past decade or two - manhood. I believe that today it is as essential as ever that a biblical view of manhood is expressed and that Christian men embrace it, and live it out. The question of what makes a male an authentic man is monumental and the answer is even more critical in our current cultural climate. Gender identity and sexuality are up for grabs, and there is widespread confusion over the roles of men and women in the family. For the Christian, any attempt at defining authentic, biblical manhood will likely be met with stiff opposition on many fronts. However, as Christians we are ultimately accountable to God for the standards we uphold, not a culture that changes like the tides of the sea.               The process of raising godly young men, and transitioning them to authentic, godly manhood is one of the greatest calling...

The very first lesson in the Romans 1 study is now live! Check out the "Studies & Resources" tab. Also, make sure and sign up for our email list so you can get the free e-workbook for this study!

Plan 2.1.1 As I began putting the Romans study together I got through chapter 8 and had almost 30 lessons, and that is only half  the book! Thinking that a 60 session Bible study might be a little overwhelming, not only to produce, but also to use I have made some slight adjustments. So - here's the new plan - release the entire book of Romans as a series of studies that covers the book by chapters, or sets of chapters. For instance, the first study will be on Romans 1 (a fairly good place to start). The second study might be on chapters 2-4, and so on and so forth. That being said, I hope to have the first study available by the beginning of January, if not sooner. It will a 6 lesson study called, "Romans 1: Righteousness Revealed." The videos will be free for use, and you can receive a FREE copy of the workbook by signing up for our email list.

God's Word is amazing! It is sharper than any two-edged sword. It is living and active, and it never returns void. No matter how much you study, you cannot completely plumb the depths of the Bible. We can always learn more, not just for information's sake, but for transformation. About a year ago I embarked, along with the good folks at our church, on a journey through the book of Romans. Undoubtedly, this is one of the monumental books in the Bible and it covers so much theological ground. What I want to do is begin to share this journey with you through a series of teaching videos. Steel yourselves because this is not going to be a short series. I'm a year in and have only made it to chapter 11! As ridiculous as that sounds, and as daunting as it may be, never fear, my desire is to provide you with some engaging teaching on this life-changing book. There have been volumes upon volumes written on Romans, so while this will be a fairly in-depth study it will NOT be exha...