There are many points of doctrine and church practice in which there is ample room for differences of interpretation and opinion.  I can articulate my opinion and others can explain their idea of what Scripture teaches, and we can depart as friends and coworkers for the cause of Christ, even...

I want to tell you a love story tonight.  It’s the greatest love story that ever occurred and I want you to know it.  No other love story—and there have been thousands of them lived and written about and portrayed in movies—comes close. It’s greater than the love story of...

It’s now November, and families and churches are beginning to plan the holidays, if they haven’t done so already.  There’s a lot to think about.  Are we serving traditional food or doing something different?  Are last year’s decorations good enough or do we need something more?  Are we traveling (to...

Let me start by saying that I am not a Roman Catholic, and so I don’t want to be overly critical. Baptists, too, make serious mistakes, and we should be called out—lovingly, I hope—when we do. I hope you take this word in a loving way, for I have something...

I am pro-life. Completely. Totally. Absolutely.  I believe abortion is wrong. Period. I state that right up front because I want you to know where I stand. I am occasionally criticized for not preaching on it often enough or for not “observing” Sanctity of Life Sunday in my message on the...

Let me start by saying that the world is broken.  And there is plenty of blame to go around. But it’s unhealthy to spend too much time playing the blame game. Need evidence that the world is broken and messed up?  Look around.  Wars.  Terrorists.  Earthquakes.  Murders.  Hurricanes.  Pandemics.  There...

Let me start with a disclosure:  I have been vaccinated, and I encourage others to be vaccinated.  If you’re looking for an anti-vaccination statement, you won’t find it here.  I know that you can find many of my fellow evangelicals and conservatives who disagree with me.  But as I’ve said...

I don’t want to overstate my frustration.  I’m not thinking about giving up on the ministry.  I’m not facing burnout.  I’m not mad at anyone.  I don’t plan on going on a rant.  And I’m not picking on Avondale Baptist Church.  Honestly, on this issue, we are better than most....

The Bible doesn’t directly say anything about the minimum wage.  It is a modern political issue. But the Bible does teach us to be fair to those who work for us.  For example, Deuteronomy 23:4 says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”  The teaching...

I’m not sure when Christians in Arizona stopped fighting and began embracing legal and public gambling. Perhaps it started when Arizona voted to approve a lottery in November of 1980.  Perhaps it began in 1988 when Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to promote self-sufficiency and economic development for...