John Piper’s influence on my life and ministry cannot be overstated. Every time I see him at a conference, I stand in line and rehearse my remarks, but I end up stumbling through a thank-you while the crowd behind me wonders why I’m taking so long. I never feel like I say all that needs to be said. But this is the center of my thanksgiving to God for John Piper: He taught me that delighting in God is mandatory and that displaying that delight is a form of ministry.

The church could help her people by providing a memorable language of lament in music. Church history offers such examples, particularly in the writing of Isaac Watts.

What would it look like for believers to recover zeal for God? If Christian zeal is a part of following Christ in discipleship, and if we are told to pursue such zeal in our walk with him, how can we cultivate this virtue?

Christianity is not an isolated idea. Certainly Christianity is an individual faith, meaning each person must place his or her faith in Jesus, but it isn’t an isolated faith, separate from the local church.

I believe Sunday evening services are a particularly helpful part of fulfilling the disciple-making mission of the church, and it has been a journey to get to that belief. I want to create a culture in our church where our time in Scripture is so valuable that the rest of our calendars orbit around it.

I have made it a practice for the past few years to have a hymnal near during my prayer/Bible reading hour in the morning. It has proven to be a gloriously helpful resource in calling my groggy, stagnant heart to worship.

I wrote several articles this year that were published elsewhere. They are here collected for your review.

One of the most significant purposes of Christian higher education is spiritual formation. Formation involves, even necessitates, physical, embodied presence. You should move to campus if you can.

As a Pastor-Theologian, I believe that reading is an important part of our spiritual development. It can help us gain knowledge and understanding, as well as provide us with an opportunity to grow in our character. For this reason, I have compiled a list of books that I think every Christian could read. Not every book is written by a Christian author, but they all have something valuable to offer to each reader. Whether you are looking for a new perspective on or just want to explore different genres of writing, this list will provide you with plenty of options.