My friend Chad makes the best hot sauce in the world; hands down. It’s hot. It’s flavorful. It’s smoky. It’s the appropriate shade of red. And best of all, it goes on just about anything and takes that dish up a notch. I put it on everything: eggs, chicken, tacos, burgers… You name it, I’ve put Chad's hot sauce on it! I won’t lie… I’ve even taken a bump straight from the bottle to get my morning going! Chad’s stuff is THAT good! It is, in a word, exquisite. It literally trans

You may recognize the lyrics above as part of a light-hearted children’s song, but they carry extra weight today. No, not because the song was an homage to the Great Plague of London in 1665 ( a popular modern myth ), but because today is Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season. Biblically speaking, ashes represent a time of mourning. To wear sackcloth or cover yourself in ashes was a visible expression of mourning, shame, and repentance. David does this to mourn the d

What Can Wayne Gretzky Teach Us About the Gospel?? One of the saddest things I see as a pastor is the notion of “professionalized ministry.” The idea is this: there are a few of us, gifted and capable, who are especially designed for ministry, and the rest of us just exist to support their efforts. We are sidelined while they play the game… It’s a belief grounded in the following mental model: God only uses the capable… and only works in the ideal. But here’s the problem with

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1) False teachers preach false gospels. That’s how it works. It’s always been that way, and it always will be. The test of a pastor, preacher, or leader in the church is this: Do they preach the Gospel? And even more pointedly, do they live the Gospel? But as long as there has been a TRUE GOSPEL, there have exist

Last week, I had the privilege of preaching in the beautiful city of Naples, Florida. It was an incredible experience. The weather was warm and sunny. The food at the conference center was superb. The fellowship was even more so. But the thing that stuck most in my mind from my time in Naples was the wealth and opulence. Million-dollar homes and million-dollar cars; plastic surgery centers on every corner. And I couldn't help but think: what a bizarre world... Naples is well-