Loving the Trinity

This past Sunday was Trinity Sunday on the liturgical calendar. I preached this message outlining our doctrine of the Trinity. I hope you enjoy this message.

“The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated: the Holy Spirit uncreated. The Father immeasurable, the Son immeasurable: The Holy Spirit immeasurable. The Father eternal, the Son eternal: the Holy Spirit eternal. And, nevertheless, not three eternals: but one eternal.” The Athanasian Creed*

To teach the depth of our beliefs in the Trinity in a single message is like attempting to put the ocean into a single bottle.

Our doctrine of the Trinity is not a side note; it is the core of everything we believe as Christians.

Since the time of Saint Patrick, ministers have tried to explain the Trinity using things from nature: water, an egg, or a three-leaf clover. As good as those things may be, they all fail to encompass the greatness of the Trinity accurately. Why? Because they are all devoid of relationship.

Our Assemblies of God doctrines book says it like this, “A great mystery is before us here, for, since there is only one God, only one Trinity (or “Triunity”), we have no adequate analogies, or comparisons, to aid us in understanding the Trinity of the Godhead. Difficult as it may be to comprehend the truth, it is a vital and urgent doctrine.”

The Trinity wants to have a relationship with you. I want you to leave today Loving the Trinity more deeply. Theologian Fred Sanders writes, “Personal evangelism, conversational prayer, devotional Bible study, authoritative preaching, world missions, and assurance of salvation all presuppose that life in the gospel is life in communion with the Trinity. Forget the Trinity and you forget why we do what we do; you forget who we are as gospel Christians; you forget how we get to be like we are.”

Though the word “Trinity” does not appear in scripture, the evidence of our triune God is everywhere.

Gen 1:26a “Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.”

Elohim is the plural form of the name El, meaning God. We see the in Trinity in this name.

Gen 9:1 “Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth.” Here again, Elohim is used.

Deut 6:4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” Or in the NASB “Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” Here in the Shema, God is plural, and then it goes on to confirm that there is only one God.

Zech 12:10b “They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.” (emphasis mine) Look at how the words are structured: “they will look on me,” (first person) then it changes to “him” (third person).

The clearest view of the Trinity in the NT is at Jesus’ baptism. The Father spoke as Jesus stood in the water, while the Spirit descended. God in three persons is in view at the same time.

Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, blesses them with these words in 2 Cor 13:14, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

The doctrine of the Trinity is not new. It is an ancient belief and is everywhere in Scripture. After coming through two heresies in the early church, Sabelianism and Arianism, the doctrine as we know it today was developed by the Cappadocian Fathers, Basil and the two Gregorys. St Patrick, writing a morning prayer in the 400s, stated, “I arise today in a mighty strength, calling on the Trinity, believing in the Three Persons, saying they are One, thanking my creator.”

All of creation came into being through the Trinity. St Augustine, writing just before Patrick, says, “I understood already that the name “God” signified the Father who made these things, and the name Beginning” the Son in whom he made them; and believing as I did that my God is a Trinity, I sought for a Trinity among his holy utterances. And there was your Spirit poised above the waters!”

Your Salvation is through the Trinity. Fred Sanders goes on to write, “Christian salvation comes from the Trinity, happens through the Trinity, and brings us home to the Trinity.”

Oh, I want you to fall in love with the Trinity all over again.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is through the Trinity. They are all active in our empowerment, as we discussed last week. No, my friends, the Trinity is not a secondary doctrine, but the Gospel itself. Our triune God wants a relationship with us.

According to our text, we are formed in the very image of God. The Cornerstone Commentary says this of Adam, “He was made from the dust of the ground, not from earlier life-forms; and he was given the breath of life from God and did not gradually develop the breathing and thinking faculties.” When God breathed the Spirit into Adam’s lungs, life sprang from it.

Even so, when the Spirit of God calls us to repentance, and we accept the work of Christ, our relationship with the Father is restored, and instantly, new life comes to us. The IVP Commentary states, “When God created people, he put them in charge of all of his creation. He endowed them with his own image.” You are a reflection of your God, a God who wants to live in a relationship with you. Fall in love with the Trinity again.

John Walton wrote in his commentary on Genesis that we embody God’s qualities and do his work. We are symbols of his presence, and we act on his behalf as his representatives. Not only does our triune God want a relationship with you, but He calls us to take part in His mission. The Missio Dei, the mission of God, is the mission of the Trinity.

The Trinity wants to be active in your life, not just on Sundays, but every day. The Trinity wants to bring you into salvation, call you to service, and equip you for the mission ahead. The Trinity wants a relationship with you. Our only response can be Loving the Trinity.

*The Athanasian Creed, though named for St. Athanasius, was not written by him. It was written in 5th or 6th century Gaul (France). The purpose was to place a great emphasis in the treaching of the Trinity. Today it is used by the Lutheran church among other high church denominations.

An Egalitarian Approach to Church Ministry

My blog today is not about arguing for or against complementarian vs. egalitarian views. I was raised in and belong to an egalitarian fellowship (denomination). From that egalitarian perspective, I am addressing practical steps when men and women work together in ministry.

I wrote this blog weeks ago but never posted it. Now, in light of continued arguments about the future of the SBC, I think it is a good time to share my personal thoughts.

Twelve years ago, I hired a single female youth pastor. She and her family are now transitioning to the mission field. In the years she served with me, a husband and three beautiful kids were added to the mix. At the time of her hire, I received many calls warning against hiring a single female. The reasons ranged from the appropriateness of being in an office with a woman to an assertion that I was destined to have a moral failure. Insert rolling eyes here.

During that time, Hannah moved from being the youth pastor to the associate pastor of the church. I trusted her with making decisions when I was not in the room and valued her opinion when I was. I can honestly say that she was an incredible hire and I will forever be thankful for her integrity, creativity, and passion for ministry. She was my right hand in every area of church life.

I have always disagreed with the Billy Graham Rule, though I certainly understand its intent. We want to make sure the very appearance of impropriety is not breached. Is it fair in our current culture to assume a man and a woman cannot work together without failing in some sinful area? I would say it is very unfair. The assertion is that a man cannot control himself if a woman walks into the room, and that it is the woman’s fault.

Now, please understand, you can’t be foolish. You do need to have precautions in place. I would submit that these apply even if every person in the office were men. Here are some tips to help others who may find themselves in a similar situation.

1.        Keep God in the center of everything.

2.        Have an abiding time with Jesus daily.

3.        Foster a strong relationship with your spouse.

4.        Build a relationship between your spouse and the pastoral staff.

5.        If married, build a relationship with the staff’s spouse.

6.        Never discuss personal marital issues with a staff person of the opposite sex.

7.        If you end up in the office or at a meal with the staff person, inform your spouse.

8.        Never allow familiarity to cross the professional line.

9.        Know you can be both professional and loving of your staff, no matter their gender.

10.  Having others in the office is a plus if you can. In our case, there are other full-time staff.

One of my ministry mentors, Pastor Donna Barrett, recently wrote a chapter in the new book, Trusted with Treasure: A Handbook on Ethics in Ministry. Chapter 10 is titled Working Together in the Harvest Fields. I recommend you pick up a copy. Pastor Donna outlines precautions and policy considerations and also offers great ways to promote inclusion.

I love having the voice of Godly women in my life. Those may be spiritual mothers, board members, or staff pastors who serve with me. Women in ministry bring valuable insights into situations. Their perspective is often one of nurturing and mercy. There are great women of faith who are ready and willing to serve in the local church. They will do so with honor and integrity.

I am incredibly thankful for Hannah’s time here on staff with my wife and me. Our other staff feel the same. Now that we have the joy of sending her family onto the mission field, God has brought in a new staff person for this season. Jason and his family will bring a new dynamic and perspective to our church and ministries. In each season, I am thankful for those who come alongside me in the work of God, whether men or women.

Joy in the Journey

I am not a person who dislikes change. Change for the sake of change is occasionally my practice. At times, I make deliberate changes in our local church to prevent things from becoming sacred cows. I intentionally wear a suit one week and jeans the next as a visual expression that change is good in the church. Changing from week to week seems odd to some, but there is intentionality behind it.

Many view change as a time of giving up security and comfort. That is certainly true to a point, I see change as God’s opportunity to bring us closer to His ultimate plan for our lives. In so doing, we are growing as followers and growing the Kingdom as He wants, rather than according to our preconceived notions. Change is good. Change is an act of trust that God is ultimately in control.

Now, do not get me wrong, we have all been in a position of wondering what in the world God is doing with us. That is not always comfortable, but it is necessary, or He would not take us through it. Change is evident everywhere. It is easier to embrace it than to fight it. I have heard people say that they would rather that their church close than change. How foolish. Change brings new life and new opportunities.

Joy in the journey is dependent on our ability to change and adapt as God directs. This concept is rooted in the fact that our joy is not circumstantial. This is something people who are not followers of Jesus do not understand. Joy and happiness are related but not the same. Happiness depends on your attitude that day, the circumstances you are walking through, getting that promotion, buying that new car, etc. Joy transcends all of this and is rooted in our relationship with Christ.

See amid loss and sorrow, we can still have joy, because Jesus is our source of joy. Change brings challenges, but it also brings joy. There is excitement in change. There is beauty in change because Jesus is in the change. There is joy in the journey. Embrace the change. It will be worth it, I promise.

Spiritual Bifocals

There must be something wrong with my eyes, I quietly thought. I strained to read the small-print instructions as I was helping my daughter make instant noodles. Everything was fuzzy, and I could see only red on the package and a bunch of black smears that turned out to be the print. It was an odd sensation, and for a moment, I wondered why I could not see it.

Suddenly, it dawned on me. When I came home that afternoon, I changed clothes, which included removing my glasses. That’s right. I forgot to put them back on. Oh, and did I mention they are bifocals? It is great getting old, isn’t it? I put on my glasses, and suddenly the black smears became legible words. My daughter did not go hungry that day. Dad just needed help to focus.

In case you are living under a rock, our world is crazy right now. None of this should surprise a follower of Christ. The Bible clearly explains everything that is going on, but that does not make it easier. Distractions are everywhere, and if we are not careful, we can easily lose focus.

If you have read my blog before, you have likely noticed that I am unashamedly Spirit-filled (pentecostal) in my theological beliefs and practices. Hearing words like “the Spirit spoke to me” is very normal in my world. Probably because the Spirit does speak if we listen…But I digress. This morning, I sat in my favorite coffeehouse, reading the Word and a wonderful book on Pentecostal leadership by my friend, Dr. Carolyn Tennant. (Leading Pentecostally is available on Amazon, and I highly recommend it. No, Dr. T. did not pay me for this plug.)

In chapter five, Dr. T. writes about giving God our schedules. I am a busy guy with four kids, pastoring full-time, teaching, and serving as an officer for our Fellowship here in KY. So, her words struck me as she writes, “I regularly began praying over each task scheduled for my day and requested the Lord’s guidance in it all.” (ref below) I realized I have not always asked God to have control of my calendar. This was an amazing revelation but let me back up a moment.

A few minutes before I read these words, the Lord spoke to me. That’s right God does speak to us, but I already mentioned that. “Keep your eyes looking forward. Do not look at the chaos at the right or left. Keep your eyes on me.” Then I read the words above. I think God is telling me something. Maybe, two connected things.

First, I need to ask God to manage my calendar. (Insert Jesus take the wheel here!)

Second, I need to make sure that in the craziness of life and the world spinning out of control, I keep my eyes on Jesus. Keeping my eyes on Jesus is a matter of focus. Like reading a label without my bifocals, living for Jesus without looking at Him is fruitless.

Put on your spiritual bifocals. Keep your eyes on Jesus. After all, He is the goal!

Tennant, Carolyn, Leading Pentecostally: Everything Lives Where the River Flows, MeadowStream Publishing: Kentucky, 2025, pg 94.

Now, go buy Dr. T’s book.

Cabbage and Dumplings

Have you noticed how many Amish videos are circulating right now? Every time I get on Facebook, some old Amish woman is teaching me how to make herbal mouthwash. How to cure foot pain with a cabbage leaf. Or even how dumplings are God’s cure for everything. Now, I appreciate folksy remedies as much as the next city boy, but these videos are deceiving. 

First of all, the old lady’s appearance matches the voice of a 35-year-old. Deception. Second, you can clearly see that AI made the video. The poor lady only has one finger. Deception. Third, and I am shouting at this point, THE AMISH DON’T MAKE VIDEOS. They don’t have phones or electricity. Much less video editing programs. Deception.

These videos are intended to catch our attention because of the perceived honesty of the Amish and their knowledge of old-world ways. But deception is never a way to teach, represent truth, or present opinions accurately. I want to say this is not common, but it is as old as the devil in Eden. 

Because our society and culture are inundated with deception, it is even more imperative that we hold to what is true. Your life must be rooted in the Word of God. Now, obviously, in this blog, I am not attempting to convince those who deny that truth exists. I am speaking to those who acknowledge that truth is found in the God of the Bible. 

I have spent 27 years in ministry and have learned a lot about human nature. Humanity enjoys deception, even deceiving oneself. The truth is lost in the endless news cycles and unverifiable stories. I once wrote a blog post saying that spreading false news is the same as gossip. You can likely find that here. 

I frequently hear people say, “I don’t know what to believe anymore.” Here is a quick guide for you. Trust the Word of God. Trust those that God has placed in your life. Don’t spread the deception that is evident everywhere. I don’t share “words” from people I don’t personally know because I don’t know if the Fruit of the Spirit is evident in their lives. 

If I see it on Facebook, my immediate posture is scepticism. Videos can be faked. The Amish can be made to love the wonders of the Facebook and internet. Politicians can be made to say anything someone wants. This is, of course, a very dangerous aspect of AI. Be wise. Look for inconsistency or blatantly false presentation. AI-generated pictures often misrepresent human hands and feet, with faces that are too perfectly proportioned and colored. 

The enemy wants to deceive us. We cannot allow him to do so. When all fails, focus on the Word of God. Don’t be overwhelmed by the times. Paul tells us, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Phil 4:8

The next time you see an old Amish lady video, acknowledge what it is. Watch it for fun, but not as a means of finding the truth. Who knows, maybe you’ll get a great recipe for homemade cabbage or dumplings. 

The Terror of Sunday Afternoon

Living Under Law and Grace

The memory is seared in my mind. Maybe because of its frequency. Maybe because of its life impact. Whatever and however, I can see every detail. I can hear her voice. I can see the action that brought me terror. It was the same thing every Sunday. 

Upon entering my house following lunch, my mom would utter the words that make me shudder to this day. “Go upstairs and hang up your clothes.” Now, this was not the part that made me uneasy, but the words that follow. “I will be up to check in a few minutes.” I knew what that meant. I knew what was coming. 

Time passed slowly in the moments as I awaited the arrival of my Drill Sargent…I mean, Mom. I would wait in humble anticipation as she walked into my room, opened the closet, and checked my clothing. I was hopeful, every week hopeful, that this would be the day. Then the inevitable happened. She would say, “These are not hanging neatly, son. Take them off the hanger and do it again.” There it is. The dreaded words. Do it again.

I could take this blog in many directions from here, but I am going to focus on the ideas of law and grace. As I wrote a few weeks ago, I rejected the theological construct of dispensationalism while in college. I did so on this basis, dispensationalism does not clearly and easily define God for the average Christian. There are broad terms like law and grace, but what do they mean?

Over my entire life, I have heard people say, “Well, that was under the law; we are under grace.” In all fairness to dispensationalism, many details cannot be explained in a quick comment, but that is the problem. See, the average believer walks away from that comment assuming that there is no grace under the law and no law under grace. 

I want to take a quick moment to explain this concept if you are not familiar with it. In broad terms, the Old Testament is law and the New Testament is grace. This is illustrated by the giving of the Jewish law in the OT and the giving of Christ’s life in the NT. Of course, both of these are absolutely true. But, is it true that there is no grace under the law and no law under grace? The answer is a resounding no. 

I do not have time to write a detailed dissertation here, so please let an example of each suffice. First, there was grace under the law. King David experienced this when he sinned with Bathsheba. David committed murder and adultery, both punishable by death under the law.  Nathan the prophet states, “Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.” This sounds like grace to me. David deserved death, but God withheld it. 

In the NT, we see so much grace, but is it true that there is no law? 1 Cor 6:9-10 “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.” This certainly sounds like law to me.

In an age where everyone seems to be triggered by, well, by everything, let me assure you that my mom was an amazingly loving person, despite her German personality. No, I have not suffered trauma from my mom’s proclivity for neatness. In fact, this single Sunday tradition formed me in more ways than you’d imagine. I am a highly neat and administrative person because of my Mom. So, while some may read my hyperbole with an air of disdain toward my Mom, I do not. 

My mom had a wonderful balance of grace and law. My mom passed away 15 years ago this month. During her life, there was never a day that she did not hug me and tell me she loved me… stoic German that she was. Life is about balance. Oddly enough, I’m preaching on balance from a different perspective this Sunday.

In the end, we need law, and we need grace. The law keeps us safe. It teaches us appropriate boundaries. It gives us comfort in knowing what is and what should be. I function best when I clearly understand expectations. Grace is there when we make a mistake or step out of line. God abounds in grace. That is the beauty of following Christ. I try my hardest to do the right thing, but when I don’t, there is an infinite loving God ready to forgive.

So, thanks, Mom, for making me who I am today. My boss thanks you. My wife thanks you, and I thank you. Thanks for helping me live comfortably under the tension of law and grace. To my dispensationalist friends, I still love you and respect you; I disagree with you. I disagree with the idea of once saved always saved on the same basis, but that’s for another day and another blog. For now, I’m pretty sure I need to hang up some clothes. 

Current Events and Prophecy

This morning, we woke to an intense battle raging. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle that will determine the direction of our world for years to come. It is not just another moment in history, but a pivotal moment with far-reaching consequences. There is no escaping its connection to prophetic world events. It is both a physical and a spiritual battle. 

The world is awake and paying attention as events unfold across the Middle East. Iran will never be the same, nor will the balance of power in the Middle East. Is it possible for these events to be both fulfillment of prophecy and not at the same time? The answer is yes within the following context.

While prophets and many Christ-followers point to these events, we must be careful how we choose to interpret prophetic messages in Scripture in light of current events. Are these events fulfilling prophecy? In a broad sense, they are. All events in our world tie into God’s ultimate plan and victory. We know that events must occur that will shake the power structures of the world. Where we must be cautious is in connecting current events to specific prophecies in Scripture. We do not, nor can we truly know, if this event is the prophetic event in Scripture.

World War I shook the world due to its broad participation and devastation. New armaments defined a new era of warfare. This was the first time a bomb was dropped from the sky using  an airplane. The power of ground artillery reached the point that shells could be lobbed long distances. Tanks began to replace traditional cavalry (men on horses were still used in WWI). Gas and gas masks marked the hell of trench warfare. Around the world, such profound devastation was believed to be a sign of the end times. If nothing else, surely, this was the war to end all wars. We know that neither was the case.

A few years later, Hitler rose to power. The Central Powers of World War I reformed, though there were differences among the participating nations known as the Axis Powers. The attempted annihilation of the Jews of Europe marked what many believed to be the end times. 

Is it possible to connect these two occurrences with specific events in Scripture? The answer is yes, but not in the way people of that time believed. While many believed WWI and WWII would usher in the return of Christ, they did not. However, they did cause the creation of modern Israel (1948) which is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. 

At the end of WWI, the Ottoman Empire was divided into independent nations or into territorial possessions of the victorious powers. The applicable example for this writing is England’s possession of Palestine. This set the stage for the creation of modern Israel at the end of WWII. Britain granted the Jews of the world a place to call their home. The British Mandate for Palestine was established to form the state of Israel. 

So then, did these two events specifically fulfill prophecy? They did, but not in the way those living at the time expected. In the same way, can we say that the current war in Iran and the Middle East will fulfill Scripture? The answer is yes. Can we further state that this current conflict is one outlined in Scripture? The answer is no. We do not know that yet.

Modern Christianity focuses too much on what could be rather than what is. Yes, I believe in a literal rapture of the Church, but I do not know when it will occur. For me, these current events point to the fact that we are in the season of Christ’s return. See His words in Mark 13, Matthew 13-14, and Luke 21. Do I believe we are in the end times? Yes, I believe we are in the season. Do I believe Jesus is coming tomorrow? I have no idea. 

Attempting to connect every current event to specific Biblical prophecy is dangerous. You may find yourself on the wrong side of that issue. (I point to 88 reasons why Jesus will return in 1988.) What we should do is live our lives in expectation. Celebrate what Jesus is doing in your life. Learn to love Him more deeply and keep your eyes on Him. I promise you, Jesus is not surprised by any current event. I also promise you that nothing, no power of heaven or earth, spiritual or physical, can keep Jesus from winning the ultimate and permanent victory. 

The most important question is not where we are in the timeline, but where you are with Him. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Let tomorrow worry about itself (Matthew 6:34). 

What We Really Want

Living in a Disingenuous Culture

It’s a quiet morning as I sit in my church office. I just completed this week’s message. There is worship music playing in the background. I hear a group of ladies praying in the distance. With my eyes closed and a prayerful mind toward God and a blog topic, I hear a song phrase begin to resonate. It starts quietly, but slowly builds to a rather loud voice echoing in my head.

“Yo I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want. So tell me what you want, what you really, really want.” Thank you, Spice Girls. And, before you go too far in that song, only this phrase is echoing.

The theme of the song is authenticity in a relationship. In this culture of criticism and angst, I think I know what most Americans want. We want people to stop being disingenuous—our friends, our coworkers, our religious leaders, and certainly our politicians.

Disingenuous means not candid or sincere. It is highbrow, passive-aggressive behavior. We want people to be honest with us, polite, but honest. We want people to treat us as they want to be treated. It seems like Jesus commented on that. (Insert the Golden Rule here.) Treating people with kindness and respect is not difficult, but it does take effort on our part.

I believe much of the civility in our world is lost because of disingenuous behavior. I want to give a couple of real-life examples from the past few weeks. Let me say from the beginning that I believe both sides of politics play this game, pointing to themselves as innocent and everyone else as guilty.

This past week, it was revealed that two ladies on The View appear in the Epstein Files. Many on the left have asserted that if Trump is in the file, he is guilty. The View has not argued against these claims and, in many ways, continues to encourage that line of thought. However, when their names appeared, they were quick to state that a name in the file does not mean guilt. Disingenuous.

On the other hand, President Trump continues to make assertions that the portrayal of the Obamas as apes is not racist. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of US race relations will understand that blacks in America were commonly portrayed as apes or monkeys during the ages of slavery and segregation. Whether he posted it or a staffer, or whether they claim not to be associating this with race, is irrelevant. Someone should be smart enough to recognize the stupidity of this post. To act otherwise is disingenuous.

When it comes to our spiritual life, the word disingenuous could be exchanged for the more common term hypocrisy. That is when someone does something they say they are not. It is disingenuous to look down on someone for something you are doing. This points to Jesus’ teaching about a splinter and a telephone pole (Matthew 7).

See, what we want, what we really really want is honesty and integrity in all areas of life. Here’s the thing, looking back to Matthew 7, that work must begin in us. It is easy to get frustrated when we live in a disingenuous culture, but have we stopped to ensure that we are not being disingenuous in areas of our lives? Maybe the hardest place to deal with this is when we are disingenuous with ourselves. Self denial and the lack of self awareness is dangerous to our spiritual growth. That is why Scripture often instructs us to “examine ourselves.” This is likely most widely known in the communion text of 1 Corinthians 11.

I beg of you to forgive me if I have ever been disingenuous with you. I certainly ask for God’s forgiveness if the same is true of my relationship with Him. What do we want in our nation? What do we want in our church? What do we want in our relationships? The answer is honesty and integrity. That is truly what we want.

Thank you Spice Girls for contributing to the question. Afterall, it would be disingenuous for me to take all the credit.

*No Spice Girls were harmed in the writing of this blog; however, dear reader, I do apologize for this earworm that is now in your head.

TikTok Theologians

Let me begin by apologizing for the extended period without writing. Though my readership is not large, I do appreciate you and enjoy the creative aspect of writing. Life since October has been a whirlwind of activity. So, dear reader, from the bottom of my heart, I promise I will not leave you again…unless of course life gets crazy ☺

There is a scene that plays out every single day in hundreds of places. The circumstances may be slightly different, but the situation is the same. Every day, millions of people around the world visit their doctor. It begins something like this:

Doctor: How are you feeling today?

Patient: Not good. I seem to have a pain in my lower left side. It gets better with ibuprofen but comes back again. I looked it up on the internet, and I am sure my appendix needs to be taken out. Well, that or a strained muscle. Also, one site said it could be a problem with my liver. Either way, I am quite sure it is serious. Can you confirm what the website said?

Doctor: (with a look of disgust on her face) Why don’t you let me take a look and decide what is wrong? After all, I went to med school for 7 years and have been in practice for 25, but hey, thanks for letting me know what Facebook thinks.  

We laugh at this scenario, but realize it is true. Maybe you have been guilty of selfdiagnosis…well internet diagnosis. Maybe you have suffered the scorn of your doctor. They do not say it, but their look says it all.

Those working in the medical field understand the depth needed to make a correct diagnosis, because symptoms can be the same and point to a wide range of problems. While we do understand this, we go to the doctor. Similarly, many in our society have become TikTok Theologians.  

To be candid, yes, I do have a PhD, and yes, I have had 27 years of experience in church ministry and Christian academia. Do I know everything? Certainly not. Yes, it is frustrating that everyone is an armchair theologian. Now, do not get me wrong. Christianity is a participatory faith. You need to know what you believe, why you believe it, and be able to share that knowledge clearly.  

One of the great challenges of the Church is the move for TikTok Theologians who have no experience, no formal education, no credentials to comment, and likely very little personal time in the Word of God. Rather, the expediency of quick theological quips is given to prove a political or social point and is all too easy. In other words, their theology is defined by their experience, rather than their experience being defined by their theology. Case in point: whatever you may or may not believe about Israel’s connection to the end times, defining your theology by a modern understanding of the Israelite nation and their grievances does not negate the theology of Scripture, held and prophesied about for thousands of years.  

Someone is now screaming, “dispensationalists are all alike.” Let me assure you, I rejected dispensationalism as a student in Bible College. Do not tell Finis Dake. Not for the overriding principles that it teaches, but the arbitrary deviation of time (dispensations).

My theological training and Biblical study are deep and long enough that I can separate what a government does from what its people do. Many of the kings of Israel were evil and led them into sin, but God always had a remnant. We cannot make an exclusive comment at this time. Scripture is clear throughout the Old and New Testaments: Israel has and will always play a part in God’s divine plan. Now, I do not believe Jews get an automatic pass into heaven. They need Jesus as much as the rest of us.  

This is, of course, one example of many. I welcome you to listen to the modern voices on TikTok, but balance that by reading the great Doctors of the Church, many of whom may agree with you on some points. I implore you, do not be a TikTok Theologian, be a Spirit-led Christ follower with a hunger for the Word and truth. Weigh what o you hear against the Word of God. If you land on the side of an influencer, so be it, if you weigh every possible diverging thought. As a doctor within the Church, I can assure you that is exactly what we are trained to do.

Embracing the Tension of a Sending Church

About a decade ago, an evangelist who was often used in the prophetic spoke a word over our church. He said that C3AG would be a sending church. In theory, that sounds like a great thing, but in practice, it is tough. In fact, there have been many times that I wanted to call that evangelist and give him a piece of my mind. He is now with Jesus, and honestly, his word for the church has come true repeatedly.

Being the pastor of a sending church is an emotional roller coaster. I live in the tension between excitement and dread. I am always excited when a new family comes to our church, but in the back of my mind, I wonder how long it will be before God calls us to send them out.

Though this tension exists in my mind, it is also fed by others in the American church who do not understand. They do not understand what God has called us to do. Right or wrong, the American church is obsessed with numbers. “How big is your church?” is a question believers and non-believers frequently ask me. I want to respond with, “Well, do you want the today number, or the number yesterday, before we sent out an entire congregation of our African brothers and sisters?” Tension!

Because we focus so strongly on numbers, we have wrongfully developed a belief that large things are always healthy and that small things are not. Health has many factors, and yes, it is true, numbers are a big part of that. I have had to shift my thinking…many times…many, many times, and will likely have to do so again. Over the years of my ministry, I have come to realize that true health in the body of Christ brings growth to the Kingdom, not just the local church.

In a recent teaching, one of my great friends reminded me that sending is an integral part of God’s plan for His Church. The church in Antioch was a sending church. It was a diverse church. It was a generous church. It was a Spirit-filled church. It was a healthy church that helped shape the spread of the Gospel across the known world. Essentially, it was a Kingdom-focused church. 

I recognize that many do not understand our approach to ministry, but I believe we stand on sound theology when we send out. Some of you may be wondering why this is a big deal. Well, we are not a large church, but over my years of being a pastor (12 as of today), God has called us to send out nearly 200 people, including groups, pastors, and missionaries.

If God has called you to send, send. Not everyone will understand. Not everyone will agree, but if it is what God has called you to do, be faithful, be willing, and be ready, because you will send out again very soon. 

Let me take just a moment to encourage you, Pastor. I know what it is like when a fellow pastor says that you are hurting your church by consistently sending out. I know what it is like to wrestle with God over numbers that you can’t seem to get to. You, like I, will live in tension. You are excited to see what God will do, but discouraged by the prospect of losing another faithful family. I know this firsthand, not just as a pastor, but as a dad. Several months ago, my wife and I sent our oldest daughter out to live on the other side of the globe. 

Pastor, be encouraged. Be faithful. Be honest with a friend when you are discouraged. Celebrate the sending. Embrace the tension.