Here is a glance at a handful of the books I read in 2021. If you find one that piques your interest, great. If you had read any of the works and want to grab lunch or share thoughts after church one Sunday, let me know. Here is anther reading list to consider:Top 10 Books of 2021, Kevin DeYoung *My commentary is not a full endorsement of any of the works. Neither do I i...

All Couples Need Gospel-Centered Counseling Had it not been for biblical, gospel-centered counseling I don't know what state our marriage would be in today. Every couple needs counseling. Are you a couple? You need counseling. If you read this and think, "Nathan is talking about me because I was just talking to him about my marriage recently" you are 100% correct. If yo...

Gathering and Government The Governor of Texas issues an executive order in which he designates churches as essential businesses. Does that mean that we can and should gather for worship on Sunday? ...

COVID-19 Brings Biblical Hope to Life When we read the Bible, it can be difficult to grasp the scale of suffering and turmoil that God allowed on the earth. The Bible can easily begin to feel like exaggerated stories which have a moral or theological point but don't seem real to us. My children were all born after September 11, 2001. They have no memory of the fear and ...

A few weeks ago in leading the Sunday Service pastoral prayer I asked our church for prayer for the Southern Baptist Convention. I doing so I mentioned that there were concerning matters in the forefront of the convention — even in the media. Below I want to speak to those matters, explain the SBC a bit, and offer some clarity on the usefulness and faithfulness of the co...

At the very least our children learn a lot about the gathered church, her ordinances, and how God is worshiped. More so, in God’s sovereignty, the gathered church may be the very venue he chooses to open a child’s heart to his saving grace...

At one point Martin Luther said of himself, “Satan has raged against me with incredible contriving to destroy or hinder me, so that I have often wondered whether I was the only man in the whole world whom he was seeking"....

What is the connection that drew you to your church? Was it that there were other moms with kids? Other empty nesters? Other people of the same race? Maybe someone else there is from the same hometown and that connection made you feel at home. In Peter's denials we see that commonality doesn't produce faithful community. ...

There are good reasons to leave a church. But there are bad reasons too. If we are going to be faithful members and covenant keepers, we should be asking ourselves questions that reflect the nature and importance of membership....

We encounter all sorts of calamities and challenges. How can we make it through?...

It is a personal question. Why do you tithe and how much? In a five year study by Christianity Today's sister group, Church Law and Tax, it was discovered, "only 10-25 percent of the families in the church tithe, but they often provide 50 to 80 percent of the funding." Where do you fall in that statistic? A couple questions every church member should ask themselves is how...

Should we expect to pray our own personal Psalm 139 and have God give us a special revelation right then and there? Does God’s word (God’s revelation to us) lead us to expect that? Before we get too disillusioned or set unbiblical expectations about God speaking in prayer, we must ask ourselves if Psalm 119:97 describes us. We are no more eager to hear from God in pray...

Its a new year! What are you going to read? Start the year off by reading. Make a New Year's resolution or a wish upon a star. Whatever. Mark Twain is credited with saying, "A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read." Resolve to read something. Make a resolution you can accomplish immediately: I'll read 50 or 100 pages on New Years day. I'll rea...

Form the lighthearted to the gospel-empowered, here are some things Milwood is thankful for. ...

What are the beliefs and worldview that make societies flourish? While each affair has unique dilemmas, societies are always a conglomeration of many issues. Various issues make up the whole of a nation’s interest. .........

What is love? There are myriads of both technical and colloquial definitions of the term. There are all sorts of ideals and worldviews about love. But there is one thing our culture seems to agree on: love is the most important thing. Still, what is love? What is true and genuine love? John has some answers for us! ...

Could you answer 10 solid questions on the issue of gay marriage? 20? 40? Depends on the questions, I know. Generally, regarding the issue, can you point to biblical text and explain them in their context? Much of the rhetoric floating around is puny, shallow, unthoughtful, self-contradicting, and sometimes downright dishonest....

Today, June 26, the Supreme Court of the United States, legalized gay-marriage in all 50 states. Here are a few thoughts from the Christian perspective. ...

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP ISN'T THAT IMPORTANTShould there be an interview with a pastor before joining a church? What about a 3 hour membership class? That seems like a bit much. Does the church really have to affirm each new member's faith in Jesus? Once you become a member does it really matter what you do? Is it necessary to join a church at all? Is important for a church to c...