The title of Leon Wood’s book, The Distressing Days of the Judges, well describes Israel’s troubled era from the death of Joshua to the coming of Samuel. Judges records the cyclical pattern of Israel’s sin with foreign nations as it…
When I was younger and growing up in a Lutheran congregation, I knew the worship service was almost over when the congregation sang a scripture song (canticle) that began: “Thank the Lord and sing His praise…” following the communion. On…
There are many difficult questions to answer in Christianity. Does God stand outside of time? What was Paul’s thorn in the flesh? Who really was the streaker in Mark’s gospel? But one that has always challenged me is the nature…
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like…
Saving repentance grows in gospel soil. It is not simply a natural terror stirred up by the law or a fear of retributive justice; it is the gift of God, a product of gospel grace. Real repentance (as we saw…
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” “The church is full of hypocrites.” That’s often the conclusion of those who have been there, seen it, tasted the potluck and the politics, and decided that, on the whole, a…
In my early years of pastoring, I remember reading books and articles on pastoral ministry and leadership that emphasized the importance of vision and mission and 1-year goals and 5-year goals. Those may have their place. But what if real…
Note: This article is part of a series on terminology related to homosexuality. The term “intersex” describes a small percentage of people who are affected by a congenital disorder of sexual development. These congenital disorders give rise to ambiguous sexual…
I was born and grew up in Australia, saved in my teens, attending a church on university campus, a church planted by a pastor from the States. This last detail is important, because I would marry his daughter one day,…
In February I published an article on extemporaneous preaching. Since then, I’ve received various comments and had a number of enjoyable discussions. But in all of these interactions a common question arose: “So Seob, do you really think extemporaneous preaching…
