He is one of the most towering figures in all of human history. The great reformer Martin Luther called him “the wisest man after Christ.” The early church father, John Chrysostom said: “Put the whole world on one side of the scale and you will see that the soul of this man outweighs it.” D.A. Carson calls him the second founder of Christianity. By foot, he covered twenty miles daily, across relentless mountain ranges and through swampy wastelands, bringing the message of the murdered but not defeated Messiah. Severely flogged, maliciously stoned and completely broke, he continued to bring a timeless message to a tumultuous world. He was sold out in sending out the message of the gospel to the outer-most parts of the planet. It is of no surprise that the risen Lord called him “my chosen instrument,” and for good reason (Acts 9:15). Continue Reading…

After attending a leadership gathering recently, I am convinced more than ever before that it will be literally impossible to make a long-lasting impact upon people in your life without these five critical commitments. If you publicly confess that Jesus is your Lord, I personally do not see how these things would not be a regular rhythm of your life.

We must put in grace-fueled effort to intentionally and consistently pursue these critical commitments, if we are to demonstrate an authentic Christianity: Continue Reading…

I preached my first sermon when I was twelve years old. At that time, I had no idea what God was going to do with my life. I began to lead my first community group when I was seventeen. As I traveled through my teens, into my twenties, the call from God upon my life, intensified. I actually never dreamed of being a pastor or a leader. Some people are born with a pulpit built for them. Others are given the pulpit because before they wanted it, God prepared it for them. Continue Reading…

There is probably no better place for a young guy to grow spiritually, at an exponential rate, than in a solid, biblical seminary. I believe the two other places that take precedence in the spiritual formation of a young Christian is marriage and a ministry assignment within the context of a local church. No matter how many podcasts pastors you have listened to, how many theology blogs you have read and how many Christian conferences that you have attended – it will not prepare you as excellently and expediently as seminary will. Continue Reading…