The main business of many mission committees is to determine how to spend the mission budget, …
Resources for Theology
Rethinking mission: Incarnational presence
The last post examined the missionary nature of God and the “sentness” of the church. God …
Rethinking the missionary nature of the church
If mission defines who Christ is, and if Christ sends us as He was sent, then …
Rethinking the missionary nature of God
Mission is not primarily an activity of the church, but an attribute of God. ~ David …
Spiritual journal discipleship
Church planters get pulled in many directions at once. The task of discipling men can get …
In January, I celebrated 14 years of marriage. I am truly amazed that God gave me …
Accountability with your growth
I remember the first time I heard Tim Keller say “Being in ministry will either make …
Why adoption is supposed to be hard: Part 3
What we are finding is that there is a special joy that comes from sharing in …
Why adoption is supposed to be hard: Part 2
As hard as this process has been so far—here is what we are learning, slowly and …
Why adoption is supposed to be hard: Part 1
This series of posts was originally written in November 2016. We have been home from China …
If we want to see a move of God in North America, we should pray that …
I was a shy kid with a debilitating stutter and no friends. One night, my dad …
The emotionally healthy planter: Discouragement and 4 ways to combat it
The sun doesn’t shine much in Portland, but on this day the clouds surrendered and the …
The emotionally healthy planter: Discouragement and 4 ways to combat it Read More »
The Emotionally healthy planter: Fear and 3 ways to combat it
Church planting is, in part, fueled by faith—expressed in prayer, godly risk-taking and faithful labor. And …
The Emotionally healthy planter: Fear and 3 ways to combat it Read More »
The Emotionally Healthy Planter: Anger
We don’t simply need to plant more churches, we need to plant healthy churches. A healthy …
There are many reasons you’d want to attend an established church—some good reasons and some, well, …
What does it mean to preach the gospel?
Busy. How many times have you heard someone say that word this week? How many times …
The spiritual power of habits: Sabbath
For twelve months, I met with a wildly creative leader who wanted to plant a church. …
The spiritual power of habits: Time in the Word
Developing a tasteWhen I was a young adult I couldn’t stand the taste of coffee. I …
The Spiritual power of habits: Introduction
“I believe the gospel–I just don’t believe it right now. I believe that at a head level, I just don’t …
How to choose songs for your church
As a worship leader, one thing that I have learned is that art is very subjective …
Music matters: Why we worship corporately through song
In college, I led a small Bible study for freshmen. My primary aim was to study …
Music matters: Why we worship corporately through song Read More »
3 Things church planters should look for in a worship leader
I am approaching the end of a season in life. By the grace of God, I …
3 Things church planters should look for in a worship leader Read More »
Gravity is not something we can see or feel. However, it’s constantly at work. Gravity works …
Most popular of 2016: #2 Myths of multiplication
The North American Mission Board is blessed by a wide array of voices that speak to …
Most popular of 2016: #2 Myths of multiplication Read More »
Two ways to drive our roots deep into the gospel
I’ve recently been reading a new book by Tim Keller, Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering. …
Two ways to drive our roots deep into the gospel Read More »
How to look at Christian miracles
I know a lot of people who really get tripped up by miracles in the Bible. …
After decades of methodological malpractice, we have so rationalized and contorted our understanding of Jesus’ Commission …
Our English word church comes from a Greek word ekklesia meaning, “the called-out ones.” The normative pattern in Acts showed …
An Important Question to Ask Ourselves
What is your greatest insecurity? It’s a good question to ask yourself, but it’s not so …
In part one I explained that when I am asked to define the word “missional” I …
Church Discipline: The Outcome of Church Discipline
THE OUTCOME OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE As we have faithfully practiced discipline as a body, we are …
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Church Discipline: The Process of Church Discipline
The elders of The Austin Stone have studied, prayed and labored over the process of discipline …
Church Discipline: The Process of Church Discipline Read More »
On the playground of spiritual disciplines fasting gets picked last, and sometimes not at all if …
You don’t have to be or live in the city in order to understand the concept …
There’s something about becoming a professional Christian (aka pastor, church planter, missionary, etc…) that makes the …
Every first Sunday of the month, as a church, we take communion together. Before we take …
Our culture is sick with busyness and constant connectedness. Almost everyone seems exhausted just trying to …
Let’s just put this reality on the table: many church leaders struggle with prayer. We know …
Living in the Word: Bible Intake for Church Planters I was a new believer, and my …
Abide: Introduction to John 15:5
Imagine you are listening to a sermon and the preacher asks “How many of you truly …
The Bible tells us that the king of Israel once wanted to hear from the prophets, …
Are You Weak Enough for God to Use You?
There aren’t many societies that praise weakness. Ours is no different. Whether you’re a pastor or …
The following blog is an excerpt from Paul David Tripp’s regular blog which can be found …
The following blog is an excerpt from Paul David Tripp’s regular blog which can be found …
The following blog is an excerpt from Paul David Tripp’s regular blog which can be found …
Jonah 3:1 – God’s grace gives us a fresh start
The following blog is an excerpt from Paul David Tripp’s regular blog which can be found …
Kingdom First: Redefining success
Church planters are a curiously goal-driven group. Give us a numerical goal worth pursuing and we …
Counseling Tools – The Pastor as Counselor
I imagine you or someone you know has said or thought one of the following statements …
He wasn’t a hero by any stretch of the imagination. He was a wimp, but God …
Christ-Centered Preaching: Part 3
This is my third and final post in a three part series (part one, part two) …
Christ-Centered Preaching: Part 2
This is the second post in a three part series on Christ-centered preaching and teaching (part …
The goal of Christ-centered preaching
Baptists through the years have emphasized the need for Christian preachers to preach the unsearchable riches …
I could tell she felt terrible. I had just blessed and dismissed the congregation, and she …
It was spring break 1996 and I was a sophomore in high school. While other kids …
Very few Christians today use the word “propitiation” as part of their regular vocabulary, even fewer …
How to minister during suffering
We’ve been spending some time in Psalm 4, learning from David as he responds to deep …
Last week I argued that it’s not human responsibility to define human need, giving three reasons …
I’ve been spending some time reflecting on Jesus’ teaching from Matthew 6. I’ve laid out 3 …
Colossians 1:18-20 – Is peace really possible?
He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn …