The Monday After

Why do we make New Year's resolutions? "This year I am going to ________." "This year I am going to be a better ________." "This year I will weigh ________." You've heard the lines, and you've probably filled in the blanks more than once. And if we're being honest, most of   […]

How are you doing as we come to the close of 2025? Being a pastor, I have a sense of how many of you are doing. Some of you are doing well—family in town, joyful reunions, a year that has felt steady, even fruitful. Some of you are crossing into a   […]

Have you ever waited for something for a long time? When the Cubs won the World Series, it wasn't just a baseball moment—it was a waiting moment. Fans had been holding their breath from 1908 to 2016. I remember being in the Tokyo airport and seeing people gathered around screens. You   […]

There are some gifts that confront you. When I first met with the pastor of the church we attended while I was in seminary, we had a good conversation, prayed together, and as I was getting ready to leave, he said, "I have a book for you." He handed me a   […]

In Advent, we celebrate the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus once said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." —John 10:10 There is a common response I see in people here: we have this ability to constantly produce reasons to believe Jesus   […]

A startling study from the University of Virginia found that when forced to be alone with their thoughts—no phones, no music—many participants preferred giving themselves an electric shock rather than sitting quietly. Two-thirds of the men and a quarter of the women shocked themselves anyway. Blaise Pascal wrote, "All of humanity's   […]

Can you imagine hearing God sing? With a word, he spoke the universe into being. What would happen if the God who speaks also lifted his voice to sing? "The Lord your God is in your midst,a mighty one who will save;he will rejoice over you with gladness;he will quiet you   […]

How large were the Christian gatherings that the Apostle Paul taught? My guess is no larger than 50-100. In the New Testament, we don't really see Paul preaching to very large Christian gatherings. If anything, his biggest audiences were either curious unbelievers or hostile crowds. Consider the scenes Luke records. Paul   […]

Romans 14 asks a searching question of every local church: what do we do with disputable matters? Some truths and practices are non-negotiable; others are genuinely secondary. The gospel—not a fragile peace—is ultimate. Because Jesus is Lord, we must learn to hold convictions firmly while welcoming one another gladly. That can   […]

We are easily discouraged. We don't see what God is doing. But take heart and let me encourage you. In Acts 13:12 we read: Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Sergius Paulus is the first recorded convert   […]

I was recently on a panel with John Piper. After I shared a handful of stories about what God is doing around the world, he turned to me—half amused, half amazed—and asked, "Darren, where do you get all these stories?" I answered, "You have to talk to people." Why have I   […]

The longer I am in ministry, the more I appreciate all the work of Kevin Vanhoozer. Almost all issues I have faced at TLI and in pastoral ministry have been issues of hermeneutics, while the people I am talking to think the issues are related to inerrancy. The trouble is constantly   […]

I know many of you have kids in youth sports. I last coached high school basketball in 2009; this year, I have jumped back in as a head coach—and wow, a lot has changed. Four observations: 1) The youth-sports industry feeds on parental anxiety. There's real money to be made from   […]

Jesus said:  For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. I've been thinking about forgiveness this week. Forgiveness is hard. It raises countless questions and exceptions. Last week, at   […]

Jesus said: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:43–44) Matthew 5:21–48 includes six "You have heard ... but I say" statements. Notice Jesus doesn't say, "It is   […]

For readers outside the United States, here's why this week felt especially raw. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. That same day in Evergreen, Colorado, a 16-year-old opened fire at a high school, wounding two fellow students   […]

One of the strongest threats within parts of evangelical faith is the subtle but pervasive belief that the church is the Pharisees of the gospels. Suspicion of authority often gets framed like this: The church/leadership/institution = the legalistic Pharisees Me = the authentic disciple who is simply walking with Jesus   […]

This week, let's talk about Pharisees. You can be very close to the truth and still very far from Christ. Only when Scripture humbles us, when truth is joined with love, and when the cross silences our comparisons, do we escape their trap. 1) They quote Scripture—but miss its heart. Jesus   […]

I have decided to try something new and invite you to join. Each Monday, I will be sending out a short email with a reflection from Scripture, a story of what God is doing around the world, and a helpful resource. That's it! Something really simple to start your Monday. A   […]