Articles

5 Keys of Restoration After Successful Church Discipline

  Deep and Genuine Repentance Must Take Place. If this does not occur, restoration is elusive. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change in action—brokenness, genuine sorrow over sin, a desire for accountability (transparency), and humility are marks...

Sin in the Camp – How to Handle Church Discipline

  “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother” (Matthew 18:15). An unrepentant man attends church while continuing a porn addiction; a wife leaves her husband for a...

I Vote For God – Return to His Truth”

  “Remember ever, and always, that your country was founded by the stern old Puritans whose first act on touching the soil of the new world was to offer on bended knees thanksgiving to Almighty God” (paraphrase of Henry Wilson; 18TH U.S. Vice President). Unlike...

Temptation says, “Feed Me So I Can Destroy You”

  “I destroy homes, tear families apart, take your children, and that's just the start. I'm more costly than diamonds, more costly than gold, the sorrow I bring is a sight to behold…Just try me once and I might let you go, but try me twice, and I'll own your...

Is Singleness A Burden Or A Blessing? 7 Things You Need To Know

Singleness is a tremendous blessing if your life is focused in the right direction - but a tremendous burden if not. Here are 7 ways to make sure you’re headed in the right direction. 1. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers....

Halloween – Should Christians Celebrate Holidays?

  Author’s Note: There is always an attempt to de-emphasize the true, spiritual significance of Christian holidays and place emphasis on Santa, toys, bunnies, baskets, and candy. That is a sincere cause for concern. This article assumes that is understood. This...

Prone To Wander – Lord I Feel It. Help!

  “Like a bird that wanders from the nest, so is a man who wanders from his from his place” (Proverbs 27:8). Written in 1757, the following lyrics echo with great clarity to a generation that has wandered so far off that we can barely hear God’s call to return to...

Why Are Churches And Pastors Avoiding The ‘S’ Word?

  Many are aware of 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways...,” but often avoid the last command: "Turn from their wicked ways". It’s no secret that there...

The Power Of The Holy Spirit – Not Just For Charasmatics

  I often ask, "How many can say like Jeremiah, 'His word was in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not' (20:9)?"   If we are honest, we realize that the power of the Holy Spirit is clearly missing...

Opposing Gay Marriage – 5 Reasons Why It’s Not Hate Speech

  In a desperate attempt to avert calamity, the captain signaled: “COLLISION INEVITABLE. TURN TWENTY DEGREES STARBOARD!” To the captain’s amazement, the light signaled back: “COLLISION CONFIRMED…CHANGE COURSE IMMEDIATELY!” Now near panic, the captain signaled:...

5 Sure Signs Of A Dying Church (And A Spiritually Dead Christian)

Church is boring for most because the power of God has vanished from many congregations...there is a lack of desire to pursue Him in the pulpit as well as in the pew. Like Samson, they “know not that the Spirit of the Lord has departed” (cf. Judge 16:20). High...

We Cannot Love Both Christ And This World

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (influence), how shall its saltiness be restored?” (Matthew 5:13-16). Throughout history, Christians have vacillated between two extremes: compromising with the culture or removing themselves from it...

Mr. Campolo – Times Change, Truth Does Not

  Evangelical leader and author, Tony Campolo, recently said this about gay-marriage, “Like so many other Christians, I was deeply uncertain about what was right.” Then added, "I am finally ready to call for the full acceptance of Christian gay couples into the...

Are You On The Verge Of Wrecking Your Life?

In Russell Moore’s compelling book, Tempted & Tried, a chapter entitled, Why You’re on the Verge of Wrecking Your Life (Especially If You Don’t Know It), caught my attention. Moore writes quoting a scientist who studied cattle behavior, “A slaughterhouse, in order...

4 Lessons Learned From Coaching Sports

  As a child, I was captured by the stories that my grandfather told about life on the farm in Oklahoma in the early 1900s. The images I’ve held are not those of pleasant surroundings and ideal conditions; they are impressions of twelve-hour days spent working...

Are You Wandering In The Wrong Direction?

  The devil isn’t dressed in red holding a pitchfork; he comes as everything we've always wanted. For some, the enticement is a woman, a well built person at the gym, or a six pack after a hard day at work. For others, its status, recognition, and ego. The enemy...

Can A Christian Lose Their Salvation?

A common question for many is, "Can I lose my salvation?" I’ve heard both sides of the argument, and only God truly knows a person’s heart, but I can share a few thoughts. The reason there is a debate is because the Scriptures teach that salvation is a gift from God...

Pastors: Stop Trying To Be Popular – Speak As A Dying Man To Dying Men

A few years back, I listened in astonishment as some prominent emergent church leaders such as Rob Bell, Tony Jones, and Brian McLaren talked about replacing “preaching” with “having a conversation.” At first, I thought that they might be confusing individual...

America : Can You Handle The Truth ?

  K.P. Yohannan, in his powerful book, No Longer A Slumdog, seeks to help the people of Asia. He makes a striking comparison between life in America and the slums of developing countries: “After a risky home delivery on the dirt floor of the family shack, you...

The Door Of Temptation Swings Both Ways – Here’s How To Close It

  Galatians 5:17 says that the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what our sinful nature desires, and that these two forces are constantly fighting against each other. As a result, our choices are rarely free from this conflict. Don’t be alarmed. The...

Willpower (My Power) Is Not Enough – We Need Grace Too

Of all the attributes of God described in the Bible, holiness is seen most often. Men fell down in the holy presence of God. Leaders, priests, and kings all trembled at the sheer magnitude of His holiness. The angels cry, “Holy, Holy, Holy is our God.” Holiness...

7 Reasons Why ‘Christians’ Are Divided On Homosexuality

Relating to people on their level and to love them regardless of their lifestyle is a mark of true Christianity. So why are many Christians divided? For example, much of the hate mail I received from this sermon clip featured by Charisma News was from “Christians”:...

Walking Dead – It’s Not Just A TV Fantasy

"The Church is Physically Alive, But Spiritually Dead." I recently referred to a true story. A young girl, devastated by the choice her father made to leave her family for a younger woman, had a nightmare following his announcement. She dreamt that she, her mother and...

This Easter, Don’t Forget About The Cross

  “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).   Why is the world offended by the cross? Why are so many disturbed when the name of Jesus is...

3/26/15 “Change Is Not Easy, But It Is Possible” – Pastor Shane Idleman

  As stated in a past article, there is a middle ground between our responsibility and God’s role in changing us. We have responsibilities, yet we are totally dependent on God. We must do our part, but we can’t do His. It is God who makes us stand firm in Christ,...

Can The LGBT Community Be Members Of Your Church?

The Christian Post recently ran the headline, “San Francisco's Largest Evangelical Megachurch to Allow Non-Celibate Homosexuals to Be Members.” Apparently, the Elder Board of City Church announced that they will end the practice of preventing LGBT people from becoming...

I Know What The Bible Says, But…

  A parable is a simple story conveying a moral or spiritual lesson. We often don’t like direct confrontation, thus God uses parables to open our eyes. Self examination is very healthy. I recently heard a contemporary parable that is also a true story. A young...

The HUGE Difference Between Happiness And Joy

In the years preceding my decision to commit my life to Christ, I was restless and unhappy. I thought that a move would help; therefore, I would often spend time in the mountains or at the beach, but the void never left. It would be years later before I would...

Lord, Help Me Change! I Can’t On My Own

  Matthew 12:43-45 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and...

Why Are ‘Christian’ Women Watching 50-Shades of Grey?

The unavoidable truth is that many are becoming desensitized. When the Holy Spirit no longer fills hearts and minds with a passion for purity and holiness, there is a general lack of conviction. Compromise in this area can be well illustrated through a story that I...

If It’s All About Grace, Does Obedience Even Matter ?

  GotQuestions.org defines hyper grace as “a new wave of teaching that emphasizes the grace of God to the exclusion of other vital teachings such as repentance and confession of sin. Hyper-grace teachers maintain that all sin, past, present, and future, has...

False Teachers And True Revival Vs. False Fire

  As believers, we are to discern truth from err, light from darkness, and right from wrong…but how? Jeremiah 23:17 offers one answer, “They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, You shall have peace;’ And to everyone who walks according to...

Are You Snared By The “Cares Of This World”? There Is Hope

​"Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.​"​ (Matthew ​13:22​). Throughout history, Christians have vacillated between two extremes:...

Have You Committed The Unpardonable Sin? It’s Not Too Late

In Matthew 12:31, Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” If a person continues to ignore and reject the call to repent and believe in God, that is blasphemy...

Pastor’s Abortion Confession Motivates Action And Offers Hope

  “Why didn't someone do something?” Those five words still haunt my thoughts today. Sometime ago, I sat speechless as I listened to a man recount his trip to a holocaust museum with his young daughter. As they walked by photos of the death camps and gas...

Can A Person Be Gay And Still Be A Christian?

  Many “Christians” are now suggesting that those who embrace the homosexual lifestyle can live in harmony with biblical Christianity. And more and more Evangelicals with gay children are challenging the church to rethink its position. But can we re-think truth?...

Why Is Sin Still Alive In Me. . . And You?

    When my oldest daughter was very young, we almost lost her in a drowning accident. While my wife and I were engaged in a casual conversation by the pool, my daughter walked down the steps and into the water. She was just a few feet away, yet we did not...

‘I’m Just Not Emotional’ May Be A Cop-Out

    “I’m just not emotional”...we’ve all heard that before, or, maybe you are the one saying it. The first and most obvious reason for lack of emotion toward God is that many don’t have a strong relationship with Him...people have religion but not a true...

Does God Have A Wonderful Plan For Your Life?

  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Whether it’s on the radio, television, Internet, or at church, we often hear that God has a wonderful...

Does Baptism Save; Will Infants Go To Heaven ?

  The theme throughout the New Testament is clear: Only believers are baptized. The Bible says that faith in Christ alone saves. Romans 10:9 states, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,...

How To Hear God’s Voice. . . To Know His Will

    Let me begin by applauding your desire to know God’s will; this is a sign of spiritual health. God guides those who are willing to follow. When it comes to knowing God’s will, more often than not, unless it’s written in His word, there are no specific...

5 Reasons Why Younger Christians And Pastors Avoid Politics

  In my opinion, failure to recognize diverse gifts may explain why many people are divided on the issue of religion and politics. For instance, John MacArthur, James Dobson, Chuck Colson, Tony Perkins, Jim Garlow, and D. James Kennedy have/had different...

Are Churches Avoiding The ‘S’ and ‘R’ Word ?

  ​While we are concerned with terrorism, and rightly so, there is a greater threat from within. We are witnessing the rapid deterioration of a nation before our eyes. I recently had the privilege of speaking to ​a select group of ​Congressional staffers in...

Where Are The Men With Power In The Pulpits Today?

  I’m an avid reader of books about revivals and spiritual awakenings written by those who actually experienced them. Ironically, many, if not all, say that we must preach and proclaim God’s Word with authority if we are to experience true revival. The New...

How Much Of God Do You Want?

  “I had become someone I never thought I would become. I was in complete darkness...I would sleep in my clothes for as long as I could. I began wishing that I would die. The emotional pain was unbearable.”   Comments made “before” a man fully surrendered his...

How Long Will You Waiver ?

    The focus of this series is 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their...

This Article Is For Those Who Want To Change

  ...It will require a rejection of the cultural mindset…a total transformation of heart. We must fill ourselves with the things of God. As He increases, we decrease. The desire to be filled with the truth of God’s Word must be a priority. Every area of our life...

The Media Is Desensitizing People To Ungodly Themes

  Famed radio host, Janet Parshall, once aired a program about new movie sensations that are depicting ungodly themes. Her guest made the point that the church is losing the power of discernment. I couldn't agree more. Before posting this article, I asked my...

A Final Thought On Health – Have A Plan

Part 4 in a series on physical health   You’ve made the choice to change, acquired a better understanding of how your body works, and are learning to choose self-discipline over regret. Now design a plan. Having a plan is essential, but it’s of no importance if...

A State of Emergency, Our Nations Only Hope

  While we are concerned with terrorism, and rightly so, there is a greater threat from within. We are witnessing the rapid deterioration of a nation before our eyes. We have become one nation “above” God, rather than under God. “While truth and law were founded...