You are a counselor

I have said on numerous occasions that there is a huge need for solid, Christian counselors. For individuals trained to address specific areas of the human condition, who are grounded in and led by God’s word and Spirit as the ultimate cure. At the same time, I am...

Some reflections on sabbaticals

Now that I’m on this side of my first sabbatical, I have some reflections on sabbaticals, both from my vantage point as a pastor, and from the vantage point of a church whose pastor is on a sabbatical. And I want to help you think through these last few months,...

Some reflections on church membership

This past weekend, five of us went down to Portland for the 9Marks Northwest Conference. 9Marks is a ministry based out of Capital Hill Baptist Church in DC, that grew out of Mark Dever’s (pastor of CHBC) book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. This is an annual...

He gives us what we need

And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:11-12 As we’ve covered Hebrews 6 the...

Idols of the heart and counseling

I recently was reminded of an influential article David Powlison wrote for The Journal of Biblical Counseling almost 30 years ago, titled “Idols of the Heart and ‘Vanity Fair.’” The article proposes that the biblical category of idolatry is a more thorough, more...