I remember when I first saw it. A teenager in the car next to ours pressed a picture of a naked centerfold against the inside of his window for me and my young brothers to see. I didn’t know what was happening, but I felt a sense of guilt at the same time I felt a sense of curious excitement. Several years later I began a steady diet of viewing porn on my own. I loved it and I hated it. The years...
If there were a battle between Netflix and Jesus, who would win? I think it depends on what we’re expecting God to be and do for us. God’s not a vending machine. There’s no “on-demand” feature with Him, even if I’m willing to pay extra to expedite my order. The pace of culture has gotten exponentially faster. I want satisfaction and I want it now. God’s never seemed to operate on our preferred...
Something’s gone horribly wrong between men and women. And we can do something about that. In the beginning, God created men and women to share a great deal in common, but He also created them differently in both subtle and pronounced ways. We need look no further than our bodies to see this is true, but I think it also extends beyond biology alone. For the first man and woman, before the fall...
Here’s an irony: Sometimes, true and lasting change can be hard to come by when we’re chasing it first and foremost. If change in our lives–whether from an unwanted sexual behavior, a relational struggle, an emotional difficulty, or anything else–is our primary focus, it can end up out of our reach. Choosing to follow Christ first and foremost, on the other hand, is a better way. This...
I love good theology. I can kind of geek out on it. But it doesn’t move me the same way a good story can, or movie, or song, or piece of art. This is a problem for all of us wanting to grow in Christ, and all of us concerned about Christian formation and transformation in families, churches, and the larger culture. Most evangelical churches rely on teaching to communicate the primary truths of...
I was at the mall this weekend, and I was reminded: I hate the mall. Which is why I need Jesus. It’s not the parking, not the consumerism, and not the prices. It’s the people. Soooo many people. I’m an introvert at heart, and the mall is just too much. Crowds of people moseying in front of me when I’m trying to get by, huge pictures of half-naked models hanging in store windows, a guy talking...
