Why is it that organizations like the SPLC can designate conservative Christians as hate groups while ignoring radical leftists like Antifa? Why is that Facebook and Google and YouTube and Twitter appear to punish conservatives disproportionately for alleged violations of community guidelines? The answer is as disturbing as it is simple.

When will churches learn that the only way through abuse charges and complaints is early transparency and accountability regardless of who will face consequences? The harm and trauma have already occurred.

What many don't understand from Scripture is that there are even more stages of salvation in the life of a follower of Christ.

I asked seasoned pastors to share with me the areas they wish they could be better prepared and better equipped. The results were voluminous, and the needs are great. Here are the top eight:

Believe it or not, there are still people who haven't heard the gospel or don't have access to a copy of the Scriptures.

For thirty pieces of silver Judas sold out Jesus! Is it possible that we in today's churches sell out Jesus for even less?

Firefighters don't think twice. It's their job to go where lives are at stake. I believe this is the role of the church in the world. What I see today is a worrisome trend of God's people hesitating rather than rushing to the rescue of those in need.

You'd think incredibly harsh laws designed to protect the planet would—you know—protect the planet. But that's not typically the case.

Each person is held accountable for their own actions. Understanding this truth has brought me great peace. We are responsible for getting the message of the gospel out there. We give defenses for the faith. But ultimately, each person is responsible for him or herself.

While the rate of cosmic movement is now being debated within the scientific community, one fact is clear, and this simple truth has profound implications: The universe is expanding. As astronomers and cosmologists imagine rewinding the cosmic clock, the most reasonable inference is that the expansion of the universe (like the expansion of the balloon) had a beginning.

When it comes to youth ministry there are tons of myths floating around out there. Here are 5 of the biggest :

When I was a kid, there was an expression: "Stop the world. I want to get off." Glancing at the headlines sometimes make me feel that way. Why is America seemingly sinking into the abyss?

It is now a year since the violent racial clashes on August 11 and 12, 2017, in sweet Charlottesville, Virginia. There were three bad factions whose foolish purposes clashed violently, leaving one person dead, worsening racial misunderstanding, and obscuring the real racial issues in Virginia and in our country.

So just how many alien civilizations are out there in the vast expanse of space? Let's do some number-crunching.

We conducted a professional survey with our entire church. One of the many questions we asked our congregation that day was the following: What topic would be of most interest to you during a Sunday sermon? There were two topics people asked us to address: finding purpose and marriage.

I am shocked and saddened to see the attack that some pastors, who have been working over the course of the last year in order to help advocate for long-needed prison sentencing reform, received at the hands of thousands of their social media followers, many of which I'm sure they consider friends. And some are just vicious and outright evil.

Praying for the needs of others is something each of us can do better. Not only personally, but in our own church. I have great interest in how my own church can learn to do this more effectively.

This year alone, more than 42,000 people will be released from federal prison. Many will return to their communities with strained relationships and sparse job skills, stacking the odds against their future upward mobility.

When a classic children's book gets turned into a TV series, it's usually a cause for celebration. Usually.

Amazon Prime day just recently took place and I found lots of great deals. While big sales like this can be great for saving us money, I actually was saddened by the number of people I saw trying to fill a void with stuff.

Some years ago, a friend of mine told me how, after losing his wife to cancer, he encouraged his embittered young adult children to return to church. One kid asked, "Dad, if God answered all those prayers, why didn't he answer ours?"

The vast majority of Pentecostals and Charismatics around the world deeply care about social work and poverty alleviation. Research even indicates that Pentecostalism is the largest movement for social justice that has ever existed.

In the Bible we often find strange truths that seem, well, counterintuitive (if not contradictory). In reading the words of Jesus, I've identified at least three of these truths that are significant. So significant, in fact, that grasping them could radically change everything about us.

I will always remember the first time I heard Bill Hybels speak in person.

The Millennial generation (those born between 1982 and 1996) is now the largest living generation. A respect for civic duty must be cultivated in the next generation of Christian voters.

It's an awful thing when a woman, let alone multiple women, are hurt by a male leader. It is equally egregious when an organization doesn't appear to leap to a woman's defense regardless of the consequences. I'm thankful for the influence Bill has had on my life and that Willow has had on Crossroads. But these are times to continue to learn lessons from Bill and Willow.

When it comes to President Trump, the lefties have literally lost their collective minds. Say the words "Donald Trump" and many unleash a primal scream. They run around as if their hair is on fire. I have never seen anything quite like this and I've been a political junkie since the late 1970s.