church

Why We Are Not a Red-Letter Church

September 28, 2023 // 20 Comments

“What kind of church are you?” I wasn’t sure how to answer the question. The lady who had rung my office was thinking of attending one of our Sunday services, but she wanted to know more about us. Were we evangelical, charismatic, Baptist, Lutheran or what? It was a tricky question because we were all of [...]

Who Are the Grace Preachers?

June 29, 2023 // 17 Comments

Can you recommend a grace-based church in my area? I get asked this question a lot. What people want to know is, where are the grace preachers? Or who are the grace preachers? As if there was a special directory of those preaching grace. Who are the hypergrace preachers? I usually recommend Paul, John, Peter, [...]

Are you Complementarian, Egalitarian, or Something Else?

December 9, 2021 // 23 Comments

Every one of us holds a view about the role of women. What can they do; what can’t they do? Your answers to these questions defines your bias. “Wait, I’m not biased!” Relax. We are all biased, and the sooner we acknowledge our biases, the sooner we can have a meaningful discussion. “My views come [...]

Should Women Remain Silent in Church? What Does the Bible Say?

August 12, 2021 // 22 Comments

Should women stay silent in church? Hmm. Tough question. What does the Bible say? NO Act 1:14 They ALL joined together constantly in prayer, along with the WOMEN. NO Act 2:4 ALL of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues. NO Act 2:17 I will pour out my Spirit on ALL people and [...]

What Burdens Does Jesus Place On Us?

April 14, 2021 // 11 Comments

Thyatira is considered one of the bad churches in the Bible. You may recall they had allowed a woman called Jezebel to preach and she led some of the believers astray. So Jesus sent them a letter where he basically says, “I’m going to deal with this.” He ends his letter with this: I place no other [...]

What does the Bible say about Women Pastors?

March 7, 2021 // 26 Comments

Can women pastor? Feed this question into Google, and you’ll be led to a bunch of websites that say no, women cannot pastor or lead churches. Which goes to show you that you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet. (Yes, I appreciate the irony.) Under the old covenant, only men could be priests, [...]

If a Woman Can’t be a Husband, She Can’t be a Pastor, Right?

September 17, 2020 // 44 Comments

Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Foursquare Gospel Church What sort of person makes a good pastor? In his letters Paul lists sixteen desirable qualities (see 1 Tim. 3:1-7, Tit. 1:5-9). Pastors or overseers or elders should not be new converts, he says. Nor should they be money-grubbing alcoholics prone to [...]

How the Church can shine during COVID-19

March 25, 2020 // 27 Comments

Last Sunday in New Zealand, we set a record for the lowest church attendance in living memory. Next Sunday will smash that record because we have just begun a four week lockdown. No one is going anywhere. In an attempt to curtail the spread of COVID-19, many governments are banning public gatherings. Churches, [...]

Should we close the Church for the Coronavirus?

February 8, 2020 // 16 Comments

“Please don’t come to Mongolia.” I have been asked to visit many countries, but Mongolia’s the only place I’ve been asked to avoid. In 2003 I was heading to Ulaanbaatar for a church conference. I was packed, I had my visa, but at the last minute the organizers asked me to stay home. Why? Because I was [...]

Good News for Small Churches

August 16, 2019 // 10 Comments

In his seven letters to the churches, Jesus had a special message for the Philadelphians. He said they were doing well… …because you have a little power, have kept my word, and have not denied my name. (Rev. 3:8) What does it mean to have little power? A church with little power is a small or weak [...]

The Accepting Church

August 1, 2019 // 25 Comments

Freedom is found in knowing that God loves and accepts you. When you know beyond all doubt that you are your Daddy’s delight, you will be free from the need to please others. The pressure to perform will lift and the unholy expectations of men will seem ridiculous. My Father is pleased with me. I don’t have [...]

Who are the Pillars in the Church?

March 21, 2019 // 29 Comments

As a young man, I was told I was a pillar in the church. It made me feel good to hear the pastor say this, and I could hardly disagree. Of course I was a pillar. I was a good boy. I didn’t drink or smoke or do burnouts in the church car park. I arrived early on Sundays to put out chairs and I stayed back to [...]

Bullying in the Church

June 1, 2017 // 98 Comments

As a parent of four, I regularly encounter bullying. No, my kids aren’t getting abused at school. But we often receive messages from educators teaching us how to recognize bullying. We have become a vigilent and well informed. society. We no longer tolerate bullying at school or the workplace. But what about [...]

What Makes a Church a Family?

February 9, 2017 // 71 Comments

The gospel of grace has exploded over the past few years. Ten years ago you probably hadn’t heard of Joseph Prince, Andrew Wommack, or Escape to Reality. But today many people are preaching grace, writing about grace, singing about grace, and walking in grace. Now there are countless sermons, books, videos and [...]

8 Signs that a Church Doesn’t Get Grace

July 7, 2016 // 136 Comments

A while ago I listed eight signs of a hypergrace church. A hypergrace church preaches the unconditional love of God and the undiluted gospel of grace. A hypergrace church is so focused on Jesus that it begins to look like Jesus, talk like Jesus, and smell like Jesus. To highlight a positive it helps to accentuate [...]

It’s Time for Judgment to Begin with the House of God (1 Peter 4:17)

February 24, 2011 // 62 Comments

For it is time for judgment to begin with the house of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Pet 4:17) This is a passage that seems to come up whenever something bad happens to Christians. If a pastor stumbles in sin and his church splits, it’s [...]

Laodicea, Part 3: Who’s Wretched and Poor? (Rev 3:17)

May 18, 2010 // 17 Comments

UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. The Laodicean church was one of the most messed up churches in the Bible. So I guess it should be no surprise that today it remains one of the most preached about churches. We can [...]

Holding Fast in Thyatira: The Seductress versus the Savior (Rev 2:18-29)

April 29, 2010 // 17 Comments

UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. Can you imagine what it must be like to have God visit your church and His eyes are blazing like fire? Look at how Jesus described Himself to the church at Thyatira: These are the [...]

Forsaking Your First Love: What Was the Ephesians’ Problem? (Rev 2:1-7)

April 5, 2010 // 35 Comments

UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. Camilla and I are celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary today. We were married on Easter Monday in 1999 and because Easter moves every year, this is our first anniversary to [...]

“Culture of Honor,” by Danny Silk

March 16, 2010 // 2 Comments

Danny Silk’s book, Culture of Honor, is about relationships that release the life of Heaven into our churches. A “culture of honor” is probably not what you think it is. It is not about giving church leaders more control. “It is actually about getting rid of control and cultivating self-control [...]