... The energy to minister comes from many places. Not all of them are good. We can minister out of ambition, or self-inflated estimation of our gifts, or pride, or religious duty tied to a supposed righteousness coming from our works. We can minister out of pride from our studies in seminary. ... There is a better way.

Religious liberty is being redefined in America, or at least many would like it to be. Our secular establishment wants to reduce the autonomy of religious institutions and limit the influence of faith in the public square. The reason is not hard to grasp.

Every week it seems there is another scandal breaking out with a high-profile person, whether in politics, sports, media or the church. A person could have done much good their whole life but with one act of passion destroy everything they have built.

A growing phenomenon within the ranks of churches, large and small (but mostly large), is the cult of personality. What is a cult of personality? It's when a person becomes the center of attention rather than Christ; an individual looms larger than a mission; a figure is given more status than the organization itself.

... Rights matter so much because they determine how our society governs itself. ... But for just that reason, everyone who wants something demands it as a right! ... So how do we make sense of this seemingly chaotic war of rights, and how does it create a cultural entry point for the gospel?

In this context, what is the real significance of the Gosnell trial? The Gosnell trial exposes the abortion license for what it is. It forces Americans to look square in the face at what they usually cover up in euphemism and indifference. Gosnell killed human beings. He regularly killed them inside the womb, and he regularly killed them outside the womb.

... What, I wonder, if the conservative evangelical church world came to be dominated by ... media organisations, and big conferences? What if leadership, doctrine, and policy were no longer rooted in the primacy of biblical polity and the local church? What if, in other words, all of this became a function of an Evangelical Industrial CompRead more >

... the National Day of Prayer. Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, recently named to be the next Transportation Secretary by President Obama, has instead declared today to be "A Day of Reason" for his home city. This is not original to Foxx. The American Humanist Association , whose slogan is "Good without a God," created the NatioRead more >

I have been troubled by recent reports about alleged religious liberty violations in the United States military. Some of the reports have turned out to be more hype than help, but there has been enough reporting to suggest some serious issues of concern.

I was taken aback by a recent article that appeared on Christianity Today's Her.meneutics blog. The author, Rachel Pietka, ... criticized John Piper's recent remarks about whether men ought to read Biblical commentaries written by women. On the basis of 1 Timothy 2:12, Piper argueRead more >

I gratefully accept this prestigious Wilberforce Award, if you agree to certain conditions, okay? We New Yorkers are tough negotiators, as you know, so, listen carefully to these conditions: Ready? Condition #1: that receiving this award be an occasion, like every event in life should be, for me to praise God, from whom all blessings flow, and HisRead more >

How many times have you heard the line, "I need to go where I'm fed. Or it's corollaries,"I wasn't being fed. I just wasn't growing there. I just needed some meat. I wanted something more in-depth." First, an encouraging word to all of you pastors out there: we have ALL had this said of us, our teaching, and our churches. ... So what's up? Two thingsRead more >

I have noticed that many abortion advocates have been acting as if the atrocities of Kermit Gosnell are a one-off anomaly-as if there are no other late term abortionists in the United States who have to deal with infants born alive. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Several years ago, Jennifer Senior wrote a fascinating, agonized essay for New York Magazine on abortion and the challenges facing the pro-choice cause. Of the piece's many memorable passages, this stretch in particular stood out ... This is quite a brave confession for Johnston-or any pro-choice person-toRead more >

... Eventually gathered together in a single work titled Mere Christianity, the work continues to make Christianity known to millions. You may have heard of this book. Its appeal rests on two levels: as a first-rate work of apologetics, meaning a case for the Christian faith. But on a second level, it is because of the dynamicRead more >