In 1719-1720 Zinzendorf had his Wanderjahr, a year of traveling abroad to complete his education. While at the magnificent art gallery in Dusseldorf he viewed many masterpieces. The painting that impacted him the most was of the thorn-crowned Christ after he had been flogged by Pontius Pilate. Beneath it was the Latin inscription: “This I... Continue Reading

In 1972 they returned to the United States and in 1973 John became the first coordinator of Mission to the World with the newly formed Presbyterian Church in America; 1973-1977 and 1988-1994. In 1979 John and Lois moved to Madison, Wisconsin where he served as a Vice President of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and as the... Continue Reading

You mentioned how the Lord has blessed your ministry; now share some of these blessings with your wife so she can rejoice with you. Tell her about the discoveries you’ve made in your devotional reading of the Word. Share your excitement about the sermon outline of a difficult passage you landed on—how it finally came... Continue Reading

While attending church on December 28, 1384, Wycliffe suffered a severe stroke, his second. He died two days later. Post tenebras lux—”after darkness, light”—is the slogan representing the Reformation at Calvin’s Geneva. The sun did rise in the Reformation of the sixteenth century, and the light of the gospel chased the darkness away. But we... Continue Reading

Your personal devotional life will be the easiest thing to sacrifice, and the one thing you cannot afford to lose. The congregation will not know right away if your time with the Lord is suffering. You will still be able to preach sermons on Sundays, and you will be capable of recalling Bible verses when... Continue Reading

Violence in Oromo has been ongoing since June 30, when popular Oromo singer and celebrity Hachallu Hundessa was shot dead in the capital. His murder revived long-standing tensions between Amhara and Oromo elites – the two largest people groups in the country. In the days following his death, 239 people were killed and more than... Continue Reading

“Dear Lord God, Father, do not call us into judgment, for in your presence no one is righteous. Please do not condemn us for being ungrateful for all of your unspeakable goodness—both spiritual and physical—and for our daily blunders and sins—which are more than we know or mark (Psalm 19:12). Furthermore, do not consider how... Continue Reading

Explaining further, he helped me understand that stepping out of the shadows and asking for help put me on a path to restoration. Our pastor clearly admonished me to not “script” the recovery but to instead process the pain privately with trusted professionals, then later (much later) share the process. He, and others, walked with... Continue Reading

No one is innocent. We’re all perpetrators and victims of exploitation and oppression. No one is innocent, not Europeans, not Africans, not White people, not Black people—no one. Why Did White people exploit Black people? The answer is the same for why Black people exploit White people, why we exploit our neighbours, why our neighbours... Continue Reading

“Statistics like these from the State of Theology survey can give us quite a shock, but they also shed light on the concerns that many American Christians and churches have expressed for decades. As the culture around us increasingly abandons its moral compass, professing evangelicals are sadly drifting away from God’s absolute standard in Scripture.... Continue Reading