In today’s Christian landscape, a profound disparity exists that we cannot ignore: for every 1,000 people who search online for prayer, only 10 search for evangelism, and just one seeks evangelism training. This stark contrast reveals a troubling reality in our churches—while we readily embrace certain aspects of our faith, we often sidestep the Great Commission.
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[A sermon reflection from Mother’s Day, May 12, 2025. Full sermon audio available here.]
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, grandmas, and great-grandmas reading this! While our culture sets aside this special Sunday to honor mothers, Scripture reminds us this should be our daily practice. And for those finding today difficult—perhaps you’ve lost your mom or are mourning a relationship that wasn’t what it should have been—please know you’re seen and held in prayer.
But today, I want to talk about different kinds of gifts—not the Mother’s Day kind, but the spiritual kind that each of us has received as members of Christ’s body. Continue reading
The church is not a building, but a body of believers united in Christ.
As a church leader for over a decade and a half, I’ve had many conversations with people explaining why they’re leaving their church. During one particularly memorable discussion, someone listed several complaints: the services were too long, the environment was too noisy with crying babies, and it was difficult to hear the sermon.
While listening, I suggested they might need to “change their expectations.” They misunderstood, thinking I meant they should lower their standards and accept mediocrity. That wasn’t my point at all.
I wasn’t asking them to lower their expectations—I was inviting them to transform them entirely. If we have the wrong expectations, even something good might seem disappointing. It’s like expecting a brownie and biting into a steak—you’d be surprised and likely disappointed, but if you were expecting steak from the beginning, it could be delicious.
In fact, many of us need to raise our expectations of what church is truly about. Continue reading
The echoes of “He is risen!” may have faded from our Easter Sunday celebrations, but the profound reality those words represent should reverberate through every moment of our lives. The resurrection isn’t merely a historical event we commemorate once a year—at least, it shouldn’t be. It’s the foundation that should transform how we live every single day.
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Millions of Christians around the world gathered yesterday to celebrate Easter. In this celebration, we are reminded of an event that happened nearly 2,000 years ago. An event that forever changed the world. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just a cornerstone of Christian faith but a transformative truth that invites us to reevaluate our understanding of reality itself. Today, we delve into the significance of the resurrection as highlighted in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 and explore the compelling evidence that supports this pivotal event.
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In a world where distractions abound and priorities often shift, the call to abide in Christ remains a steadfast anchor for believers. This sermon, rooted in John 15:1-17, invites us to examine the fruit of our lives and challenges us to remain in the true vine, Jesus Christ. As we delve into this passage, we are reminded of God’s enduring desire to dwell with His people and the transformative power of abiding in His love.
The True Vine and the Vinedresser
In John 15, Jesus declares, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1). This metaphor paints a vivid picture of our relationship with Christ and God the Father. Jesus, the true vine, signifies the source of life and sustenance for believers, while God, the vinedresser, tends to the vineyard, ensuring that each branch bears fruit.
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A lot. Multiple times a day.
It was part of my religious tradition. Most of the time, I mumbled it as quickly as I could.
For what it’s worth, my Dad tried to help me understand that mumbling the prayer without understanding what it really meant wasn’t the goal. He wanted me to understand it. He wanted me to mean it.
I remember sitting with him in the car one afternoon while we went through every phrase. He did his best to explain to me what the terms meant. Why we would say these things. Why it mattered.
It didn’t take. Continue reading
At least we do in the United States.
But even in this modern American context there is a real danger for pastors. For all Christians, really. Few are talking about it. Most don’t even know it’s a danger.
But it’s there. Always lurking. It’s a hazard that many fall into. It seems that many don’t even realize they’ve fallen into the trap.
This occupational hazard is related to pride. It’s a symptom of our modern church systems. It can only be fixed by returning to a robust theology of the church and focusing our attention back where it belongs.
So, what is the danger? Continue reading
Jesus is awesome.
The word gets used a lot. It genuinely applies to Jesus. The more we get to know Him the more awe He inspires.
I know it’s not common for many Christians to study the Old Testament. Leviticus may get the least attention. Yet, the books of Moses are extremely helpful in understanding the awe-inspiring nature of Jesus. In fact, Jesus plainly taught that Moses wrote about Him:
“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:46-47, bold added)
One thing always stands out as I read Leviticus. Instructions about how to avoid becoming unclean. Unclean is a ceremonial and religious term, not necessarily a sanitary term. It speaks about a condition that separates the unclean, at least temporarily, from fellowship with the community and with the Lord.
Leviticus speaks about unclean or uncleanness 128 times in 90 verses. The book of Leviticus itself is only composed of 859 verses. The words “unclean” or “uncleanness” appear explicitly in more than 10% of the book. The surrounding verses often continue the discussion. So, it is safe to assume that this concept is pretty important to understanding the point of Leviticus.
Many New Testament believers find this subject boring. Irrelevant. A waste of time. For the nation of Israel it was incredibly important to know and understand how to remain ceremonially clean. It was essential for their life and worship. But how is this relevant for believers who are not under the Law?
The concept, when rightly understood, isn’t boring at all. It should increase our awareness of who Jesus is. What He has done for His people. How glorious and awesome He is.
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The genuine gospel is much bigger than the individual. It is a God-sized gospel.
The God-sized gospel teaches us that God is redeeming a people for Himself. This people is to be reconciled to Himself, through Christ, from every tribe, tongue, and nation.
Paul describes his personal ministry from the risen Christ. This is crucial for the church to understand. In order to understand, we have to take off our “ME-centered” glasses and put on “God-centered” ones.
Howell Bible Church 