Have you felt any gloom this year—for your nation, your family, or your own circumstances? Gloom is the backdrop of Isaiah 9. God’s nation faced invasion, exile, and collapse. But in the first verse, the prophet says that “there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish.” Light was about to dawn from, … Continue reading Christmas: The Hinge of History
No Sleight of Hand: A Friendly Rejoinder to CPM/DMM Proponent Dave Coles
In which I respond to some (mis)characterizations of the so-called "proclamational" model of evangelism and church planting.
When the Foreigner Comes
Unreached people groups are migrating to North America in record numbers. What does that mean for the church? In this message preached on October 23, 2022 at Cedar Crest Bible Fellowship Church in Allentown, PA, I explore 1 Kings 8 and its implications for believers in the new covenant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ab_ikzTO1M
I’m Not a Missionary. Am I Making Excuses?
I have no regrets. Given the chance, there are plenty of things in my life I would’ve done differently. I would’ve listened more to my dad. I would’ve read more attentively in school. I would’ve gone on a short-term missions trip in college. I would’ve entered foster care and adoption with my wife with more … Continue reading I’m Not a Missionary. Am I Making Excuses?
Sola Scriptura: The Word of God as Sufficient for the Work of God
My dear friend and brother in the Lord, Nahum O’Brien, is a missionary to Norway with ABWE. He recently asked me to participate in a virtual conference on the doctrine of Scripture. The conference is to raise awareness for his Nordic partner pastors, their Teologihuset (“House of Theology”) ministry, and other ministries in Scandinavia. This … Continue reading Sola Scriptura: The Word of God as Sufficient for the Work of God
Missions by the Book
Why study theology if my goal is to go impact people overseas who don’t know Jesus at all? Why do the missionaries I know sound so different from my pastor? Which missionaries should our church support? If you’ve ever had thoughts like these, it’s because across the church, there is a rift between the realm … Continue reading Missions by the Book
Me and Jesus: An Interview
Every now and then, I’m accused of having my head in the clouds. Hard to believe, isn’t it? That’s why I was surprised and refreshed when a South African podcaster approached me a few months ago asking to interview me on a fairly simple topic: Jesus. Who he is, what he has done in my … Continue reading Me and Jesus: An Interview
Return, O Wanderer: An Open Letter
This article originally appeared on ABWE. Dear friend, It’s been a while. We’ve seen each other in passing a couple of times. Your pictures popped up in my news feed. I think I might’ve seen you at the grocery store last week. What I really mean to say is, it’s been a while since we fellowshipped. … Continue reading Return, O Wanderer: An Open Letter
3 Reasons Complementarianism Is a Missions Issue
This article is cross-posted on ABWE. Christian love across lines of differing convictions are essential to the missionary task of the church. To make disciples of all nations invariably involves flexing, adapting, and bending to an innumerable number of circumstances in the name of Christlikeness. Culture and language acquisition are only the beginning; to reach … Continue reading 3 Reasons Complementarianism Is a Missions Issue
Radical or Reasonable?
I remember one Sunday morning in my teen years on which a woman at church made a passing comment that I was “very pious.” The comment came during an angsty phase of my life, in which I was just beginning to learn theology and take my Christian walk more seriously. I was unsure how to … Continue reading Radical or Reasonable?