I interviewed Rosaria Butterfield, author of The Gospel Comes with a House Key, on the topic of codependency. Many have responded to the rise of codependency by encouraging various boundaries in friendships, but Rosaria believes the problem (and solution) is at a deeper level. “Idols serve something; they plug a hole,” says Rosaria. “They are born... Continue Reading

The basic elements of autism are difficulty reading body language and non-verbal communication, impaired motor skills, difficulty with eye contact, unusually strong senses, difficulty with symbolic language and humor, ability to hyper-focus, and an excellent memory. Because the autistic brain focuses on certain areas such as memory, detail, routine, and precision, it is impaired in... Continue Reading

While many believers have used confessions enthusiastically, others have claimed that confessions replace a vital relationship with God with a desiccated list of doctrine, replacing the Spirit with the letter, leaving only a husk of dead, dull orthodoxy. However, to understand confessions this way is to mistake the recipe for the pudding.   Christians have... Continue Reading

Viewing training at your church as “only training people for a volunteer role at your church” is too small a vision. If you develop a leader to lead a small group, to welcome guests with hospitality, or to invest in kids or students, you are not only training them for those important roles; you are... Continue Reading

The Nashville-based Southern Baptist publishing company announced in January it would reduce its retail presence and cut staff, but it had planned to keep operating some stores, where it sells Bibles, books, Christian music and other faith-oriented products.   LifeWay Christian Resources will close all of its 170 brick-and-mortar stores this year as store traffic and sales lag, the organization announced... Continue Reading

Shall we say nothing about what’s happening and just hope no one notices? And just hope churches and leaders figure out on their own that they need to cultivate a watchful accountable environment for their pastors and when pastors sin inform the next church? My question is, how has that been working for us? Obviously... Continue Reading

If people are going to see that it is the Lord speaking to them, our sermons must be firmly rooted in the passage. If people are going to see what the Lord is speaking to them specifically, our sermon must be fiercely and pointedly applicable to the people in front of us. If we are going to... Continue Reading

Bolz-Weber is attacking the Bible’s teachings on human sexuality. And the response from the White Horse Inn? An attack on the efforts of some in the church to promote those biblical teachings to women in the church. Not having a daughter, I don’t have a lot of knowledge about those who promote purity rings. I... Continue Reading

In these times of polarizing incivility, it is tempting to soften the hard edges of faith, to fear our failing public opinion and our impending ill repute, to redraw the lines given by God so that we neither love nor speak with gospel boldness. It is tempting to try to “balance” grace and truth.  ... Continue Reading

I’ll admit that the General Conference captured my attention — I watched, listened, and read with great interest. Now, you may wonder why a confessional Presbyterian would be attentive to the things going on in the United Methodist Church. After all, our theology and polity are significantly different. True as that may be, what interested... Continue Reading