This Sunday is Father’s Day. Make it the purpose of your life to make God look good.

Years ago I signed up for a seminar on writing a personal mission statement. You know, those short paragraphs where you to try to summarize everything you want, and God wants, your life to be about. I found it tough trying to cram into three or four run-on sentences a lifetime of dreams for myself.

Then a friend introduced me to a phrase he’d heard Pastor John Piper use which captured perfectly the essence of God’s highest aspirations for me and mine for him. In an instant I knew it would become my new mission statement. (And I hope yours as well.)

The purpose of my life is to make God look good.
(more…)

Five years ago, I began writing a second book entitled Making God Look Good. But, it didn’t feel Spirit-led, so I dropped it. But this is the Introduction from that book and to my Father’s Day blog next week, Making God Look Good.
(more…)

Over the last dozen or so years, I’ve met with many millennial young men who grew up in the church. Here’s the good news. Almost none have rejected Jesus. The bad news? Almost all are indifferent about the Bible and the Church. So, what do I do with that? Where do I start?

I have a simple rule to keep in mind when I begin working with non-Christians, or indifferent Christians.

Live the gospel and explain the gospel.
(more…)

Believe this: Many younger Christians are making how we treat LGBT+ people, the litmus test of whether they want anything to do with the church.

In the last few years, I’ve been doing a lot of speaking to pastors and church leaders as the chairman and CEO of The Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender. www.centerforfaith.com. Our mission is to help Christians and churches love LGBT+ people better from the church’s historical understanding of sexuality and marriage.

Some pastors and lay people believe all they need is the correct doctrine and holding true to that will guard their church from going liberal or soft on LGBT people. Praise God, that attitude is changing. Here’s how I put both the problem and the solution to them (and to any parent or grandparent).
(more…)