No matter how much you like angels, or how much you pray, or how often you mediate, or how much you are into yoga, or how much you believe in miracles, if you do not understand, cherish, and embrace the cross you are not a spiritual person.

For many churches and many Christians our mission work and mission aims have become indistinguishable from that of any number of humanitarian organizations.

Frankly, I'm not sure how to answer the question. But I think in telling you why I'm not sure you'll be able to get a grasp on it. In one sense, as soon as we sin we should be punished eternally. We shouldn't get another breath.

Jesus shows unambiguously that the greatest obstacle to getting the gospel is not "cheap grace" but "cheap law" – the idea that God accepts anything less than the perfect righteousness of Jesus.

Discipleship is a hot topic within the local church right now. Discipleship manifests itself in the local church most often through small groups. But they often struggle to be successful and transformational because of wrong expectations, beliefs, or myths about how they work best.

I want to remind of us two points that we can easily forget when a somewhat high profile evangelical converts (or seems about to convert) to Rome. Let's remember that the traffic across the Tiber is not one way, not by a long shot.

It's sin not to like the true doctrine of election. It's sin not to like what God likes. I want to say it like that because many people have conceptions of doctrines—all kinds of doctrines—that are inaccurate.

How do you help your teens have a great summer instead of a boring one? How do you help them turn it from typical to transformational?

Of the many complexities involving the church and homosexuality, one of the most difficult is how the former should speak of the latter. So how ought we to speak about homosexuality? Should we be defiant and defensive or gentle and entreating?

Well, some people do. The assumption is, "Why don't we see it" — I guess — "regularly, as often as we'd like, or as often as they did?" And that's true, I think. I think that's true globally.