eager for [truth]
countering culture with the TRUTH of GOD's word
Tag: Church
10 Good (Even Great) Things Your Church Has or Does that is NOT an Indicator of the Health of Your Local Church Body
Bible studies Large Sunday gathering attendance A praise team (or a choir) Lots of volunteers Lots of well attended events Large budgets A facility Lots of programs (youth, children, music, etc.) A really cool website A quality livestream of your Sunday gatherings When you… Continue Reading “10 Good (Even Great) Things Your Church Has or Does that is NOT an Indicator of the Health of Your Local Church Body”
An Open Letter to the LGBTQ+ Community, From a Christian
We have failed at showing you kindness and compassion even if we disagree with you about sexuality.
S4ep13 – Complacency in the Church and How We Can Begin to Reverse It
Recently I saw a social media friend of mine (who also happens to be a pastor) post the following question: “What are you going to do about your complacent approach to Jesus and His church?” And it got me thinking about the many times… Continue Reading “S4ep13 – Complacency in the Church and How We Can Begin to Reverse It”
S4Ep7 – It Takes a Village (The Churches Response To Abortion)
Among some of the other profane things being yelled by someone not happy with our presence was this question: “What are you going to do for them?” By them, she meant the children we were there to save. This question is loaded with bogus… Continue Reading “S4Ep7 – It Takes a Village (The Churches Response To Abortion)”
Why, Ravi? Why?
He knew better. He knew teachers would be judged more harshly. He knew that invoking God’s name in these abuses was a direct violation of the 4th commandment. He knew that the things done in the dark would be brought to the light. He knew the consequences of sexual sin. So… why?
Sowing Seeds of Kindness
Testimony time! (NOTE: Car pictures is NOT my car) So, I have the day off. I was getting in my car to go visit my wife at work and get a coffee, when my car got stuck in the mud of our driveway. As… Continue Reading “Sowing Seeds of Kindness”
Dr. King, I Have a Dream Too!
It’s Black History Month…and I am reminded of the “I have a dream” speech that Dr. King gave as he fought for the rights of the community he represented…the black community. His words were simple and powerful…and, like a sword, they pierced to the… Continue Reading “Dr. King, I Have a Dream Too!”
Abortion and A Homicide Charge – Arizona Bill HB 2650
The following is a peak behind the curtain at a discussion between the Angry Christian Podcast hosts via Facebook messenger as it relates to the effectiveness of the new Arizona Bill HB 2650 aimed at charging those who get an abortion and those who… Continue Reading “Abortion and A Homicide Charge – Arizona Bill HB 2650”
Biden Is President. Now What?
Donald Trump has lost his campaign to regain his seat as President, and as of tomorrow, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the new president. Now what?
The Unexpected Familial Casualties of Being a Pastor in the Modern Church
Yesterday I posted an article where I began to raise some questions about the immense amount of focus that gets placed on the role of the pastor. If you haven’t read it, check it out HERE. I talked with my wife a little bit… Continue Reading “The Unexpected Familial Casualties of Being a Pastor in the Modern Church”
Why is so Much Attention Given to Pastors Over all the Roles Found in Ephesians 4?
Over the years of my life I have noticed something that few like to talk about or question and that is this: why there is so much emphasis placed on pastors in the church? Especially when one takes a look through scripture and you… Continue Reading “Why is so Much Attention Given to Pastors Over all the Roles Found in Ephesians 4?”
The Indispensable Worth of Discipleship and the Longevity of Faith
There are many applications of the definition of foundation. It is the underlying base of support that a building is built upon (see def. 4 and 5 above). It is an institution that donations can be made to (see def. 3 above). It is… Continue Reading “The Indispensable Worth of Discipleship and the Longevity of Faith”
What is Worship? Can Churches Really Shut Down? Can Governments Really Restrict Worship?
What is worship? Can governments restrict worship? Can churches really be shut down? We talk about this and more!
S3Ep4 – White Jesus Vs Black Jesus
In a time when racial tensions are high, people often want to bring Jesus into it. Not just from a “what would Jesus do” aspect, but also from “What race was Jesus?”. So, in this episode, we explore that a little. Was Jesus white? Was Jesus black? Tune in to find out where we land on this question.
S3Ep2 – Jesus: Warrior or Pacifist?
On episode 2 of season 3, we continue our discussion and exploration of who Jesus is by asking the question, “Was Jesus a Warrior, a Pacifist, neither, or both?”
Churches and Sand Castles
You see, we’ve spent countless years building our little castles in the sand, adorning them with seashells and other ocean matter, inviting people to come see what we have done instead of inviting people into a relationship with a mighty God and see what HE is doing, enjoying ourselves immensely as the masses are entertained, only to have 2020 come in and a virus come along and wash it all away.
Optimal Church Environment
There is such a thing as an optimal environment for everything in life. Optimal environments for raising children. Optimal environments for pets. Optimal work environments. Optimal health environments. And so on. There is one thing I’ve been learning with my wife as we explore… Continue Reading “Optimal Church Environment”
All Has Been Stripped Away, But Will We Simply Come?
Imagine with me, for a moment, a Church where… there is no paid staff, and the pastor and other staff do not rely on the local church to provide for their families. there is a pastor, and other leaders are organically raised up from… Continue Reading “All Has Been Stripped Away, But Will We Simply Come?”
Discipleship: Sunglasses and Bike Rides
It’s Saturday night. I’m laying in bed, everyone is asleep, and two incidents from the week keep replaying in my mind involving each of my sons oddly (well perhaps not too oddly) leading me to some thoughts about discipleship: Incident 1 – Declan (4… Continue Reading “Discipleship: Sunglasses and Bike Rides”
COVID19 Aftermath: The Church Cannot Go Back to Egypt
Most churches are still putting a great deal of effort into making the 1 hour Sunday gathering viable over the internet for most of their church body. Some are making efforts to find discipleship opportunities outside of Sunday morning. And unfortunately, a great deal of people are still screaming that they want things to go back to the way they were.
Seeing all of these reactions, I can’t help but ask, should we go back?
S2 Ep004 – COVID19 – To Close or Not to Close
When we recorded this the number of cases was around 182,000 worldwide and the US was in the #6 spot for number of cases. As of writing this post, we are over 380,000 cases today and the US is now in the #3 spot… Continue Reading “S2 Ep004 – COVID19 – To Close or Not to Close”
COVID19 – To Close or Not to Close – That is the Question
According to Pew Research, about 15-20% of Christians in America are under the age of 30 leaving the mass majority of individuals identifying as Christian in America over the age of 30, with about 45-50% being over the age of 50.
S2 Ep002 – Not My President
The Democrat Debate took place the night we recorded this episode and it got us thinking about some things. Does God have a political party? Is it fair to say “Not My President”? Is it possible to agree with those on the “other side” on various things without supporting their overall political platform? How do we get to a better place in our political discourse? Does the Bible have anything to say about politics? These questions and more we discuss in this episode of the Angry Christian Podcast.
Black Christian/White Church
I’ve got to admit that I do miss the predominantly black church. The big choir, the animated sing/preaching, the dancing during praise, the soulful southern gospel style of music — almost everything. Yes, it is easier to go and be with people that also… Continue Reading “Black Christian/White Church”
Sticks, Stones, Rubber and Glue – Words Matter For Me and They Matter for You
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me!
S2 Ep001 – Battle of the Ages
Join us for Ep001 – Battle of the Ages, where we discuss the ongoing and ever growing battle between the ages within the church body. Modern church growth strategies often elevate targeting young families as the best and most important growth model…but is it… Continue Reading “S2 Ep001 – Battle of the Ages”
Let the Children Come
Matthew 19:13-14 NLT – One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”
This is “The Way”
Before The Mandalorian told us that “This is the way” as he protected that undeniably cute baby Yoda (spawning COUNTLESS memes), Jesus had already come before and shook up the world as he claimed and proved to be “the Way”, the Truth, and the life (John 14:6), and Paul who was once persecuting the followers of “The Way” was now claiming to be a follower of the teachings of “the Way” (Acts 24:14).
A Response to “Why Churches Should Ditch the Projector Screens and Bring Back Hymnals”
What is to follow is a response from me to the article, Why Churches Should Ditch The Projector Screens and Bring Back Hymnals that was posted to http://www.thefederalist.com back in June of last year (2019). I have seen this article numerous times before, and had debated on responding, but it seems to have resurfaced again, and so I felt a respectful push back would do the discussion some good. And that is what I intend to do.
Please note that this article is not intended to attack traditional churches, or solely support contemporary churches, but to directly address the points made by this author in his article. As a worship leader, I have a deep appreciation for all aspects of church musical worship, so I appreciate and see the value in it all.
When did the Fruit of the Spirit become trigger words for Christians?
I’ve started noticing a trend with some (not all or even most) Christians, especially male Christians, and even more specifically male Christians who would consider themselves “culturally engaged” or taking on cultural ideologies that conflict with Biblical principles and moral standards found in the Bible.
That trend is this…any time someone (like myself) mentions that we as believers need to love others better (not just those within the church, but also those outside of the church) and be kinder, more patient, and more gentle with people…there seems to rise up from the ranks of the individuals I mentioned above an immediate defensive posture, and their responses come across as almost a disdain for what is being said.
Election Day Woes
I used to be obsessed in a very unhealthy way with politics. It consumed my thoughts, my actions, my social media, my discussions, my arguments…it very literally consumed everything. I spent many years expressing my views about all things political, and it was exhausting. It’s Election Day 2019, and here are some of the thoughts running through my mind on the matter.
The Importance of Communication Cannot Be Over Communicated
We have all been there before. Someone (or perhaps even it is us) is trying to communicate something very important but the delivery of the message is conducted in such a way that it immediately causes the hearer to throw up walls, tune them out, or flat out reject the message. It doesn’t matter if what is being communicated is true, important, or eternally impacting…the delivery is simply abysmal and causing more harm than it is helping.
Angry Christian Chapter 1: The Beast Unleashed
It was his sixth grade year and the boy was not only in a new school, but he was in a new city and a new state as well. Every aspect of the life he once knew had been uprooted and planted firmly in the middle of the state of North Carolina in a small town called Wake Forest.
Don’t Just Judge, Judge Rightly: An Inconvenient Truth
I used to be pretty critical about those who didn’t “go to church”. Clearly, they lacked something I didn’t because they didn’t want to be AT church. Clearly they weren’t as committed to God and the Church as I was…I who was on staff… Continue Reading “Don’t Just Judge, Judge Rightly: An Inconvenient Truth”
Murder Mill Musings #003
Today felt lively. The local church showed up in great numbers and there were prominent voices in the abolitionist movement present. Joseph Spurgeon, R.C. Sproul Jr. and Rusty Thomas were among the more widely known voices pleading for the lives of the unborn among… Continue Reading “Murder Mill Musings #003”
Divinity
Question: Why do you believe the bible? Answer: Because it’s a reliable collection of historical documents written by eye witnesses during the lifetime of other eye witnesses that reported supernatural events in fulfillment of specific prophecies. Finally, they claim that these messages are divine… Continue Reading “Divinity”
Eye Witness Testimony
Recap: In the previous entries on apologetics, I’ve shared the emphasis God puts on knowledge and the unique composition of the the bible. In this entry, I’ll share the next reason I believe what the bible says and why I think you should too.… Continue Reading “Eye Witness Testimony”
The Reliability of Scripture
In part one of this series of entries about why I trust the authority of scripture, I explained how important wisdom is. God doesn’t want us to be uninformed about the legitimacy of His claims, who He is or the implications all that has… Continue Reading “The Reliability of Scripture”
Apologetics Intro – Bearers of Truth
Notice: All of the answers you’re looking for are in the bible. I, a pastor, or any well educated theologian can tell you all about what we believe, why we believe it, and what we know about history that corroborates with it, but you… Continue Reading “Apologetics Intro – Bearers of Truth”
Obese Church VS Keto Church
THROWING UP THE WALLS Since I’ve begun my foray into examining and critiquing modern Church practices and settings in hopes to find what the Church really should look like, I have found that from the moment I began I have been met with a… Continue Reading “Obese Church VS Keto Church”