You should watch this video. Now, to be honest, when I first watched it, I thought, "Hmm...seems a little dramatic." But then, I was checked by the Holy Spirit. It should be dramatic, maybe more so. The spread of the gospel, to all neighborhoods and nations, is the primary plot line of the unfolding story of the universe. It is the drama of all dramas and one in which you and I get to play a role. Jesus said it this way: And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Mt 24:18)
Read MoreGod still does the miraculous and sometimes, as in our case, they have names - Ella and Owen. Three years ago, on the very month we set out to begin the process of planting a new Jesus-centered, Bible-believing, gospel-loving church, we received the news that we were infertile. At the time we already had two children. However, due to previous pregnancy complications and three lost children (in utero) we were told, by two top Seattle doctors, that we were done having kids. We wept. Providentially, we received this news right before the very first informational meeting we held for our church plant.
Read MoreHave you ever picked up your Bible, read it, put it down, and walked away feeling like you didn't read it? I have. What happened there? The Bible is just like any other book and, at the same time, unlike any other book. Like other books, there are printed words, sentences, and paragraphs that are intentionally arranged to communicate specific ideas. You should read the Bible literally, in that it is a piece of literature. Yet, at the same time, it is utterly unlike any other book. The Bible claims to be the divinely inspired revelation of God to fallen humanity (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Therefore, when we approach the Bible we are not merely approaching a piece of literature (though it is that); we are approaching a piece of literature that is God's direct revelation to us. Given this dual nature of the Bible it is possible, if not all-too-common, to read the Bible without really reading the Bible. In so doing we harm ourselves by cutting off God's primary means of grace in our lives. How do we read the Bible without reading the Bible?
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This post falls into the category of practical theology. How do I prepare for, and carry out, an informational meeting with someone I want to learn from? I did this a lot with others in the early the days of planting: local pastors, fellow church planters, non-profit directors, city council members and pretty much anyone who would meet with me.
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