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Guest Blogger: Modern Reject
Published on 2011-07-06 03:00:47
Here’s the scoop, everyone. By the time you read this, I’ll be far away from home on vacation. When I return home, I’ll wash my clothes and head down to Mexico for a week with Adventures in Missions. So over the next couple of wee
It’s Easy in America…
Published on 2011-07-04 03:00:28
Time to wrap up Patriot Week. First of all, I don’t get to thank enough men and women who have served in the military. So if any of you are reading, thank you for doing what I am not cut out to do. To close out Patriot week, I just want to th
Fight for America
Published on 2011-07-01 03:00:37
Here we go: round three of Patriot Week here on the blog. On Monday, I asked you if “under God” really needed to be in the Pledge of Allegiance. Though opinions varied, the consensus slanted toward “No,” “I only pledge
Who’s Cursing America?
Published on 2011-06-29 03:00:44
Time for Round Two of Patriot Week, as I’ve dubbed it here on the blog. You remember when the earthquake hit Haiti, Pat Robertson said that the natural disaster was God’s curse on those people. Now, claiming that God is punishing people i
One Nation Under God?
Published on 2011-06-27 03:00:20
What’s up, everyone. We’re just a week away from the Fourth of July. I don’t know how patriotic you feel, wherever you live. Even though I kind of hate that song, “Proud to Be An American,” I’ll admit, I enjoy
Don’t Ask Me About My Church
Published on 2011-06-24 03:00:18
I think I’ve got a new conversation stopper… Whenever I’ve got a new Christian friend, I’ll just ask them to tell me about their church. I’ve been in a lot of social situations where someone has asked this very simple qu
Too Much Potential, Not Enough Purpose
Published on 2011-06-22 03:00:21
I finally figured out what’s wrong with my generation. Well, maybe not everything that’s wrong with us. But a huge chunk of it hit me on the head last weekend while I was reviewing a not-yet-released book. I finally looked around and sa
Read This, Not That
Published on 2011-06-20 03:00:40
Congratulations to Jon Fulk and Jason Miller, who won free copies of “Revolutionaries!” For the rest of you, the book is a steal at $2.99 on Kindle. It’s that time of year. Time for vacations and road trips, and that means lots
Author Feature: Matt Brown
Published on 2011-06-17 03:00:07
What’s up, everyone? I’ve got a special feature for you today. A while back, a handsome friend gave me two copies of a book I had never heard of,Revolutionaries, by a guy I had never heard of, Matt Brown. It turns out, the book blew
Watch Your Back, Christian Soldiers
Published on 2011-06-15 03:00:03
I enjoy war movies. Probably because I’ve never been in a war. Now, I’m no fanatic. But every once in a while, I can go for some Saving Private Ryan, or some Band of Brothers miniseries. To me, these movies are more than the ‘sp
I’m Too Sexy For This Marriage
Published on 2011-06-13 03:00:30
Is beauty really skin deep? Over the last few weeks, I’ve been watching a debate unfold on “Biblical” standards for beauty among a couple of bloggers I really respect… Recently, Mark Driscoll, commenting on Ted Haggard’s
Why People Don’t Want Real Leaders
Published on 2011-06-10 03:00:17
Barack Obama should not be President for a second term… What I mean to say is, more often than not, a President’s second term is just awful, even if the first term was great. By the time eight years are over, most of the country is sick
9.1% of You Are My Enemies
Published on 2011-06-08 03:00:46
Who are your enemies? When we think about Jesus saying that we should pray for our enemies, maybe we think of people we don’t get along with at work…or terrorists. Or maybe when we’re super spiritual, we realize that we are our ow
Countdown to ‘Back to School’
Published on 2011-06-06 03:00:37
It’s always good to have something to look forward to. Seriously, life with nothing on the horizon can get pretty low. That’s why I feel bad for people who say they have no plans for the summer. Really? No plans at all? You arenR
One Thing Pastors Have Never Learned
Published on 2011-06-03 03:00:28
I learned a lot in seminary. It’s a good thing too, because it cost a lot of money. Chances are, your pastor paid a lot of money to go to seminary too. During that time, I learned how to read the Bible. I learned how to perform weddings and
What Did Our Students Learn This Year?
Published on 2011-06-01 03:00:18
Most American students are ending another school year this week, and a fresh batch of young minds is just months away from college indoctrination… …And I’m asking myself, “What did all those kids learn this year?” When I
How I Fake Being an Extrovert
Published on 2011-05-27 03:00:56
Confession time: I’m a bit of a major, big time, socially awkward introvert. My wife thinks I’m a very social person. I have her convinced I’m a raving extrovert. The truth is, I was a very shy, quiet kid…and I still am. M
The Bible “Guarantees” It, Or Your Money Back
Published on 2011-05-25 03:00:38
The Bible was supposed to guarantee it. I promise I’m not talking about Harold Camping again. But he said the Bible “guarantees” that May 21st was the day of judgement. Now, those billboards all over the country stand there, mak
Five Famous People Who Should Get Off the Soap Box
Published on 2011-05-23 03:00:41
Well, someone’s got some explaining to do. It’s Monday, and we’re all still here. Harold Camping is out $100 million on his campaign. Other people sold themselves out completely and now feel like a bunch of rubes. I have not s
My Goals For the End of the World
Published on 2011-05-20 03:00:53
Well, we’re just a day away from the BIG one. Yep, Jesus is coming back on Saturday. Be sure to set your Tivo. It’s not really worth making fun of the people at Family Radio who believe the Bible “guarantees” Saturday is t
Who Owns Your Church?
Published on 2011-05-18 03:00:09
None of you probably think you own your church. My dad has been a pastor for most of my life. When I was a teenager, my dad planted the second church of his career. I also put in a lot of effort over the years to make things happen. I was easil
Outsourcing the Children
Published on 2011-05-16 03:00:48
Well, it’s Monday again, and…what’s this? Another video featuring me? A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a video panel discussion with Tim O’Donnell, who you may remember I featured a couple of months ago with his boo
Small Groups Need Big Leaders
Published on 2011-05-14 03:00:42
Hey everyone. Just a quick note for your Saturday reading. I recently wrote a piece about small group leadership over at Pastors.com called “Small Groups Need Big Leaders,” which is kind of a big deal to me, because it’s one of
Why I Stopped Praying
Published on 2011-05-13 03:00:01
I’m probably the least inspiring person I know. Mind you, being inspiring is different from being awesome, which I am in spades. But I’m not inspired by myself because, well, most of my life is very ordinary. It’s not all that ris
Avoid Cliches Like The Plague
Published on 2011-05-11 03:00:19
The average person knows 10,000 words in the English language. Though the way we blog sometimes, it seems like we know about 100 words. We get in these little word ruts. We find some words and phrases we like. Then we use them ad nauseum until no
I Made the News
Published on 2011-05-09 03:00:13
It’s true, I finally made the news. The last time I was on the news, I was ten, and was caught by a cameraman…walking away from the camera. Not exactly a big media splash. But a couple of weeks ago, I got a call from a reporter from our
Heresy Wins
Published on 2011-05-06 03:00:21
As the “Rally to Restore Unity” wraps up, I have a few final thoughts on Christian unity. First of all, the name “Restore” Unity is kind of a misnomer, since I can’t remember the last time we had unity that we can restor
How to Break Christian Unity
Published on 2011-05-04 03:00:09
Sometimes, Christian unity just isn’t possible. The “Rally to Restore Unity” continues, and I’m throwing down more thoughts on Christian unity, specifically, how to break it. I’ve been really surprised lately. In email
Church Segregation is Deeper Than Skin Tone
Published on 2011-05-02 03:00:43
If Rob Bell did nothing else with the release of Love Wins, he gave us a chance to put our differences as aside and come together in Christian love. Well, maybe not so much. It was pretty much a nuclear bomb dropped into our part of the online Chri
Moving Day
Published on 2011-04-29 03:00:08
I’m headed out of town this morning to help some people move. Moving is always fun. I’m helping my grandparents move. Not quite like helping my bachelor friends move. I won’t be handling any futons or neon signs. And none of
Fear of Everything Is the Best Policy
Published on 2011-04-27 03:00:02
It’s April, and the school year is coming to a close. And every morning before school, I see the children waiting for the bus across the street from my house. I don’t think I would really notice the kids…except it also appears that
The Biggest Failure I Know
Published on 2011-04-25 03:00:34
Chances are if you went to church yesterday, there were a few extra strangers sitting near you. Yesterday afternoon, Twitter was flush with people reporting that Easter at their church was “crazy” or “awesome” or “crazy
A Very Special Easter Message
Published on 2011-04-22 03:00:01
Gather round, children. Bring your candy eggs and chocolate bunnies. We’ve all heard the Easter story dozens of times. And we’re going to hear it again on Sunday. And you’ve probably been inundated with Easter related blogs an
How to Celebrate Earth Day
Published on 2011-04-20 03:00:52
I love the earth. I may have given the impression otherwise. I’ve confessed that I’m an agnostic when it comes to global warming. I’ll admit that I’m not a tree hugger. In fact, the thought of a rabid tree hugger often m
Ask Me Anything
Published on 2011-04-18 03:00:06
Happy Monday. Woo! I haven’t done anything like this in a while, and I always think it’s a great time getting to know this community better, so today’s a super special fun time blog day! Today I want you to ask me a question. An
The Church Owns Your Pastor
Published on 2011-04-15 03:00:10
I’ve complained before about pastors that seem to think they “own” their churches. But I’ve noticed the opposite among many churches too. They own their pastors. Chances are if you aren’t a pastor, you don’t feel
I Don’t Know What To Say
Published on 2011-04-13 03:00:09
Two days ago, we had a little Christian gripe session. I asked you what has God done lately that made you mad. And there was no shortage of responses. I even had several responses come to my inbox. I have to admit, I didn’t respond to a lot
I Love God, But I Don’t Have to Like Him
Published on 2011-04-11 03:00:20
Sure, we’re commanded to love God… …but does that mean we have to always like Him? I think one of the biggest myths of Christianity, perpetuated by all the smiling faces at church and the cheery, lovey dovey praise songs is that Ch
Author Feature: Jonathan Almanzar & Aaron Havens
Published on 2011-04-08 03:00:21
Hey everyone, I’ve got a treat for you today. I’m featuring Jonathan Almanzar and Aaron Havens, and their new book, Crabgrass and Oak Trees. Unlike the bulk of Christian publishing lately, the book isn’t a memoir on doubt, or a heav
A Woman Is Running Your Church
Published on 2011-04-06 03:00:07
Among many of the more conservative wings of Christianity, the debate goes on about women in leadership. Many of these churches claim to take Paul at his word when he says he doesn’t allow a woman to speak in church. That means that women sti
One Thing For All People
Published on 2011-04-04 03:00:05
Last week, I asked you what are the Mormons doing that most mainstream Christians aren’t. After all, they’re making converts left and right while most of Christianity is on the decline. And their success isn’t built on political c
Announcement: Big Blog Changes
Published on 2011-04-01 03:00:50
Big announcement: today, I’m making some big changes to the blog. After a lot of careful thought and consideration, I’ve decided several important changes need to be made, including the following: First of all, there’s going to be a
Just Tell Me What to Think!
Published on 2011-03-30 03:00:59
A lot of people are trying to “detox” from evangelicalism. That means that people are taking a second look at our previous “assumptions” about the Bible. People are not so sure the Bible says what we thought. People ar
Just a Little Slice of Hell
Published on 2011-03-27 03:00:21
I don’t know if the recent debate on heaven and hell is finally dying down. Some people say the especially firey debate may represent a permanent divide in evangelicalism that may never heal. Oh no! All that Christian unity we’ve be
Author Feature: Tim O’Donnell
Published on 2011-03-25 03:00:21
Happy Friday, everyone. Today, I’m featuring one of the most interesting books I’ve featured here on the blog, Tim O’Donnell’s A View From the Back Pew. O’Donnell’s book is a unique hybrid. It’s a comp
Pump Your Blog Up
Published on 2011-03-24 03:00:39
I’ve got a special, short post today just because I have to tell all you bloggers about something really cool. One thing I’ve learned in blogging for two years and in talking to bloggers everywhere is that every blogger hits a wall event
Don’t Be a Hero…Be a Pacifist
Published on 2011-03-23 03:00:54
Spring is in the air…along with war. It’s just kind of a perinneal thing, that old “necessary evil.” So as the missles fly over Libya, Iraq winds down, and Afganistan is business as usual (read: very little progress), people
Not Quite Born This Way
Published on 2011-03-21 03:00:59
Have any of you parents had to answer your kids when they ask you what is a “disco stick?? Even if you haven’t been in that somewhat…sticky situation, chances are you’ve heard at least one of Lady Gaga’s songs in passing
An Abusive Heavenly Father
Published on 2011-03-18 03:00:27
Of course, while the disaster in Japan rages on, and we don’t even know what the outcome will be, plenty of people are offering up helpful explanations of why Japan has been hit with such as severe disaster. Some people say that global warming
Nobody Really Loves Freedom
Published on 2011-03-16 03:00:41
Part of being an American is saying that you love freedom. We sing songs about freedom. We worship freedom. We wear denim jackets and bandanas and say “freedom isn’t free.” We all love freedom, and we’ll fight tooth and
Honk if You Hate Social Justice
Published on 2011-03-14 03:00:08
Does helping Japan after the earthquake count as “social justice.” Social justice. What a stangely controversial phrase. Glenn Beck hates the phrase. He says Christians should run away from churches that talk about social justice, b
Getting Punched Felt Good
Published on 2011-03-11 02:00:13
After a few big posts, I’ve only got a handful of words on my mind today that I want to share with you. But the few words are really good. Wednesday night, I drove to downtown Kansas City and attended the Episcopal cathedral’s Ash Wedne
You Are Not Saved By Faith
Published on 2011-03-09 02:00:58
A week ago, the Christian internet broke. A week ago, I said I wanted to be a universalist. (Which doesn’t make me a universalist. Just a wannabe.) And the flow of visitors and comments continues. Lots of high fives, and lots of people
Meet the Authors
Published on 2011-03-07 03:00:07
You know, half the stuff of this blog isn’t written by me. But you already knew that. Because it’s written by readers like you. One of the things I’m proud of about this blog is that the hundreds of thousands of words I’ve
Love Month Encore: Unprotected Texts
Published on 2011-03-04 02:00:56
Surprise! Love Month isn’t really over. Today is a special encore day. I had planned to feature Dr. Jennifer Wright Knust last month, but due to technical difficulties, I’ve got her on the blog today. Why am I featuring her? Becau
Lord, I Want to Be a Universalist in My Heart
Published on 2011-03-02 02:00:51
I doubt I can break the internet as much as Justin Taylor and John Piper have in commenting on a yet-to-be-released book by Rob Bell. But I can try. Now, not 48 hours ago, I told you that I’m so over Rob Bell, and I don’t intend to ea
Best and Worst of Ministry Awards
Published on 2011-02-28 02:00:49
Did you watch the Oscars? Some people are really into the Oscars. Some of us just see it as a night full of back slapping and ”atta boy” giving among a bunch of self-absorbed millionaires. Of course, if you don’t like the Oscar
Hello, Neighbor!
Published on 2011-02-25 02:00:09
I think there’s some kind of movie-related awards ceremony coming up so0n. Anne Hathaway and James Franco are hosting, which is exactly why I won’t be watching. Not that watching James Franco isn’t a great time, because it is.
Love Month Finale: Happily Ever After
Published on 2011-02-23 02:00:02
Yes, it’s time for Love Month to ride into the sunset of “happily ever after.” I’ve had a great time featuring Love Month and seeking out interesting people to talk to. I hope you read something this month that was meaningfu
Love Month Feature: Rachel Held Evans
Published on 2011-02-21 02:00:29
“In my house I’m the boss. My wife is just the decision maker.” – Woody Allen You know what I love to see my wife doing? Woman’s work. Of course, she also likes to see me doing woman’s work. Couples today pro
Love Month Feature: Sensuous Wife
Published on 2011-02-18 02:00:32
Almost every town has one of these places… One of those shady looking sex stores with the red lights and the scary looking lingerie in the window. Yeah, most people try not to be seen going into one of those places. People are kind of embar
Love Month: The Beginning and End of Marriage
Published on 2011-02-16 02:00:10
Well, the big, gross day of chocolate and hand-holding and cooties is over. Did everyone make it out okay? I think we all survived. Now that everyone’s coming off their candy heart induced love stupors, I’m throwing out a montage blo
Love Month Feature: Lindsey Nobles
Published on 2011-02-14 02:00:53
“I’ve never been married, but I tell people I’m divorced so they won’t think something’s wrong with me.” – Elayne Boosler Happy freaking Valentine’s Day. I promised that for the big pink and red day, Lo
Love Month Feature: XXX Church
Published on 2011-02-11 02:00:19
Sometimes love isn’t really love. Sometimes, it gets messed up and it’s just dirty. I knew when I wanted to write a month of blogs about love, it wouldn’t all be lovely. It’d be some good things, along with messy, confusi
Love Month: Armchair Marriage Counselor
Published on 2011-02-09 02:00:41
Okay, we’re definately armpits-deep in Love Month here at the blog. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the way the church deals with love and all that is kind of…well, conflicted. It’s kind of weird. It seems like m
Love Month Feature: Justin Davis
Published on 2011-02-07 02:00:42
Have you ever been in a relationship that was on life support? That’s the question I’m throwing down today, and to help me out, I called up Justin Davis. Who is Justin Davis? Well, he’s a campus pastor at Cross Point Church in
Love Month: Marriage Myths
Published on 2011-02-04 02:00:22
“I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” – Rita Rudner I don’t think anyone is every fully prepared to be married. Still, we think we’ve got
Love Month: Love is Gross
Published on 2011-02-02 02:00:11
Happy Groundhog’s Day. Well, I’m not writing a Groundhog’s Day post, as much as awareness of the plight of grounhogs needs to be raised. But I am kicking off a series of posts today. From time to time I go on a theme for a few we
Why Church Hurts
Published on 2011-01-31 02:00:32
Have you noticed all the Christians apologizing for the church? I have. It’s kind of the thing to do. We assume everyone out there has been hurt, wronged, isolated, burned or ostracized by the church. It’s almost the battle cr
All Religions Are the Same
Published on 2011-01-28 02:00:45
Some people would say so, anyway. Well, make that most people. I can’t begin to estimate the number of people outside of religion that lump all religions into one category. Not to mention, there’s a good chunk of people inside religio
It Gets More Complicated When They’re Smoked
Published on 2011-01-26 02:00:39
I try to be a good American citizen. For me, that means I summon all of my strength and I make an attempt to watch the State of the Union address, regardless of what I think of the President. Sometimes I yell at the television. Sometimes my eyeb
Don’t Take My Texting Hand
Published on 2011-01-24 02:00:34
Is social media making us stupid? It might be hard to tell. Over the weekend, I read this article, basically saying that social media and smart phones are wrecking our kids. We pretty much don’t know how to function in public any more.
Best History Class Ever
Published on 2011-01-21 02:00:56
I hated history class when I was a kid. It was all timelines and dead people. I don’t remember it ever being interesting. The irony is, history has turned out what I love studying the most as an adult. Not so much the timelines, but the dea
Is Twelve-Year-Old You Still Here?
Published on 2011-01-19 02:00:48
What would twelve-year-old you think of you today? Last week, I wondered aloud on the blog just how much of our twelve-year-old selves make it to adulthood. I think it’s time for a little fun. So I’m asking you: how much of twelve-year-
Matt Gets a Letter From the Professor
Published on 2011-01-17 02:00:00
Happy Monday, everyone. Last Friday, I talked about the danger of sanitizing our language, and taking the “N-word” out of “Huck Finn.” You could say, I went on a rant, full of vitriol and rhetoric. I left no question that
A Really “Un-Civil” Blog Post
Published on 2011-01-14 02:00:57
What is the power of a word? That’s been all anyone has talked about this week. All week, people have been spewing blame and vitriol and rhetoric (there’s three words I’m sick of already), trying to blame our political conversatio
And Now a Word From Our Sponsor
Published on 2011-01-12 02:00:36
No, I haven’t sold out the blog yet. Sometimes last year, I lamented the fact that the church used to make art. The church was the center of culture. Now we just make advertisements, and we’re usually pretty lousy at it. Most of it
Let the Children Come to Me…Except That One
Published on 2011-01-10 02:00:48
Jesus said “Let the children come to me.” Yesterday, I was watching a news story on bullying in school. The report featured a few bullies and a few victims. The victim who got the most airtime was a gay male student. He had come out
Get Your Mosque Out of My Church
Published on 2011-01-07 02:00:40
Wednesday, I asked and you answered, who has better PR, Jesus or Allah. An unusually timely story popped up on my radar since Wednesday. While Christians like Terry Jones threaten a Koran burning event, and other Christians (and just plain old Amer
Who Has Better PR, Jesus or Allah?
Published on 2011-01-05 02:00:05
Do you know what the world’s fastest growing religion is? This year, American churches will pour millions of dollars into new programs and services, designed to attract new people to God. They’ll built more extravagant buildings. They
Kids Don’t Know Anything
Published on 2011-01-03 02:00:34
Another year is upon us, and I’m definately feeling a little older these days. I still feel youthful, but my usage of words like “whippersnappers,” “scallywags,” and “dang teenagers” has undeniably increased