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...

Sexual harassment.  Flirtation.  Inappropriate touching.  Obscene comments.  Questionable remarks.  Improper advances.  Suggestive compliments.  The news has been full—repeatedly—of stories in which men in positions of power and leadership have treated women inappropriately.  Some of the stories detail conduct that can—and should—lead to criminal charges.  Some of the stories detail conduct...

We trace the history of Thanksgiving in the United States of America to 1621, when the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest in the New world.  It was a three-day feast attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims.  It was celebrated by our nation on-and-off from 1789, when President Washington...

Most people have heard the story of the Good Samaritan.  It may be the most widely known of all of Jesus’ parables. What you may not know is that the story was particularly and even purposely offensive to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.  The “experts in the law,” the “priests,”...