In the Zone

As I view our country today and our current political landscape, I often get discouraged. Disney, Apple and the NFL have come out against a law protect religious liberty in Georgia. Some companies have threatened to pull out of the state if the law passes and is signed into law. In North Carolina, some citizens are in an uproar about a new law that will require transgender people to use the bathroom of their original gender. In presidential politics, we have candidates threatening to bring wives into the political spectrum and other candidates pre-emptively protecting their wives. Already we have legalized gay marriage in the United States. Abortion has been the law of the land for 30 years (resulting over 50,000,000 abortions). Currently laws in Texas limiting abortion clinics faces Supreme Court review where only eight justices remain and a ninth judge could swing the court back to a liberal stance. And I as read all these things, I start worry and wonder about the cou

Recently, Andy Stanley made some comments in a sermon that went viral.  In his message, he called parents "selfish" for taking their teenagers to smaller churches that didn't have separate middle school and high school youth programs.  Stanley since apologized in Christianity Today and on Twitter for his remarks. I like Andy Stanley. I've used many of his books in my ministry. His book on preaching has been a big influence on my own preaching and teaching style. He does great work at his church in Atlanta. Plus, he apologized, and we all make mistakes and say things we regret, especially on stage. So I'm going to give him a pass. No shots or anger or vilifying here. But I do want to take a minute to defend small churches. You see, in my rural ministry context, I have attended and served in almost exclusively small churches. None of the churches I have served on staff were greater than 200 people in attendance. All had strong and vibrant youth ministries.

In Illinois, the primary election is less than two weeks away. Election signs are just starting to crop up. Commercials are starting to air. The political season has arrived. As a pastor, I am often asked about voting and candidates and the political process. People will ask me whom I'm voting for or what I thought about the recent debates. They will pose questions about picking the best candidate and how to determine that. As a pastor, I am very honest about my choice. And I'll be honest now when I say I'm not totally sold on any one candidate. I am evaluating my choices and probably won't have a final decision until the day of the primary. But my process and my recommendation is always the same. Research the candidates for office. Don't just watch the commercials or believe the rhetoric. Don't blindly believe all the shots the politicians take. Spend time reading about each candidate and learning their positions on important issues. That's what mat