The recent tirade by North Carolina pastor Charles L. Worley does incalculable damage to our witness for Christ. It implies that believing homosexuality is sin and/or that same-sex marriage has negative societal repercussions leads inexorably to hateful speech and behavior towards those who act upon or even experience same-sex attraction. It reinforces the world's stereotype that Christians are judgmental and unloving, and thus raises the pressure to sacrifice our convictions in the name of tolerance. The sentimental tolerance of our day suggests that relational harmony requires that truth … [Read more...] about North Carolina pastor’s plan to ‘get rid of’ gays goes viral
Update on Plan to Replace John Piper as Pastor
In late March, John Piper and the elders of Bethlehem Baptist Church put forward the name of Jason Meyer as a candidate for Associate Pastor for Preaching and Vision and (in time) John Piper's successor. Last night, the congregation voted 784-8 to affirm Meyer. At some point in the future (possibly a year or two down the road), there will be a second congregational vote to establish Meyer as Pastor for Preaching and Vision, at which point John Piper would step down. More info in this Q&A by John Piper. … [Read more...] about Update on Plan to Replace John Piper as Pastor
Thriving at College Parent-Child Discussion Guide
Last week, Focus on the Family aired a two-part interview I recorded with them earlier this spring. In anticipation of the broadcast, I wrote a short parent-child discussion guide. It is designed as a "conversation starter" between a parent and a child about the important step of heading off to college. Many parents wonder: Will my child’s Christian faith be strong enough to withstand the tests of college—the party scene, the atheistic professors seeking to brainwash freshmen? Will they manage their time well, or be overwhelmed with the amount of freedom that awaits them? Will they make … [Read more...] about Thriving at College Parent-Child Discussion Guide
Help Crossway Match a $270K Grant
As you may know, Crossway is a not-for-profit ministry that relies in part on gifts from people like you to accomplish major ministry projects worldwide. We’ve recently been presented with an extraordinary opportunity. Generous donors have offered an all-or-nothing matching grant if we are able to raise $270,000 by May 31st—just days from now. … [Read more...] about Help Crossway Match a $270K Grant
Dropping out: Is college worth the cost?
Tonight, 60 Minutes featured a story I reported on a year ago: Peter Thiel, a billionaire venture capitalist who co-founded PayPal and was an early investor in Facebook, has become a major critic of traditional higher education. He started a contest for budding entrepreneurs called 20 under 20. If you're finishing high school, or you've done some college, but are still less than 20 years old, and you have a great idea for a technological innovation that could benefit society in a major way, you can apply for a chance to win $100,000 to drop out of college and pursue your innovation. Twenty … [Read more...] about Dropping out: Is college worth the cost?
How to Thrive in College
My guest post at the Desiring God blog: College should be a temporary season of academic preparation and personal growth to propel a lifetime of effective service to God and neighbor. It should be a launching pad into all that goes with responsible Christian adulthood. Yet for some it’s a time when they abandon the Christian faith, displaying that they never really belonged to Christ (1 John 2:19). For others, their faith remains intact, but they waste their college years with video games, partying, and other frivolities — an expensive vacation funded by Mom, Dad, and (often) debilitating … [Read more...] about How to Thrive in College