Proof of the Resurrection: Where the Early Church Started One of the most convincing proofs of the resurrection is where the early church started. It started in Jerusalem. Now if the resurrection did not happen, the inhabitants could have easily walked over to the tomb, saw that was still occupied, and promptly returned to laugh in the disciples face. But the fact is, they didn't. They got angry with them, ...

"'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church." Ephesians 5:31-32 Intimacy - it is the point of all creation. We were meant to love and be loved. We were meant to trust and depend and be dependable. We were meant to be agents of beauty, creativity, stewardship, an ...

In a recent expose, Charlotte Eyewitness News took a hard look at televangelist Todd Coontz.  His "ministry" encourages people to give money so that they can receive a double, even a triple blessing.  One donation amount that is asked for repeatedly is $273.  It is meant to bring divine favor because 2 = agreement, 7 = divine completion, and 3 = the number of the trinity.  It is also the number of his milli ...

The First Baptist Church of Dallas will complete a $130 million campus renovation in what is regarded as the largest church building campaign in recent history - as reported by Charisma News. The new campus is set to open on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013. The new campus will have a new 3,000-seat sanctuary, which includes a 150-foot-wide viewing screen, which stretches nearly two-thirds across the room and ...

Recently, I read the book, Taking Theology to Youth Ministry by Andrew Root.  In this book, Andrew does a great job of deconstructing youth ministry, exposing its faults, lauding its successes - and then reconstructing it in such a way that it serves as a more holistic approach to reaching this church demographic. He is passionate about students, discipleship, spiritual maturity, and asking the question: 'W ...

I like to study the symbols of the Christian faith.  They have been used in ages past to convey meaning to fellow Christians and obscure meaning to outsiders.  Such is the case with the Chi Rho.  It is probably one of the earliest Christian Symbols and it is rich with meaning. So today I would like to offer my take on the Chi Rho Symbol.  Below is a brief explanation of the parts and the history of the symb ...

I am not a Youth Minister.  I never wanted to be a Youth Minister.  The thought of corralling and dealing with 30 or so High Schoolers or Junior Highers makes me break out in a cold sweat.  But, I have great respect for those that are brave enough to rush into the fray and pastor this portion of the parishioners.  After all, adolescents are just less nuanced adults - and most adults barely function above th ...

I have been skimming through a new book, (When Donkeys Talk) and want to throw out a few thoughts from it. Here, first, is a few tidbits about the author and the book: Tyler Blanski, the author, is also an American singer and songwriter. He sets out in this book to rediscover the beauty of the Christianity of yesteryear and reunite it with the twenty-first century. When Donkeys Talk is a true invitation to ...

I have been reflecting on our country and culture lately.  Our government is spending money at such a record pace that even drunken sailors on shore leave are saying Congress is out of hand.  Mass shootings are increasing at such an alarming rate that there isn't one iconic incident that everyone can point like "Columbine" - but now dozens. It had me thinking because I have come in contact with a few fellow ...

Today's post will be kind of light.  I wanted to share with you the aftermath of the Brian McLaren interview and my reactions to it. A couple weeks ago I conducted an interview with Brian D McLaren.  A genuinely nice guy. He is an emergent theologian and a controversial figure among many conservative camps.  And rightly so - he is radical in thinking and approach. I had him on this blog so that we could eng ...