(A repost from 2019) Daniel 9 is an amazing text. The chapter centers on Daniel’s prayer of repentance. What strikes me is how he repents for sin that he himself did not personally commit; they were his fathers’ sins, Israel’s sins. But Daniel sees himself as responsible for them to some degree. He is grieved … Continue reading Corporate Sin, Corporate Repentance
jesus
Evangelical Engagement with Croatian Culture, pt 2
Yesterday I examined two models for evangelical engagement with non-practicing adherents of the state churches in Europe. I suggested that evangelicals should engage in a way modeled after the way the church in the Book of Acts interacted with the Jewish communities that surrounded it. The earliest Christ-followers were Jews themselves, in a country where … Continue reading Evangelical Engagement with Croatian Culture, pt 2
Why the Small Things Matter to God
(Or why the small stuff isn't small stuff to God) Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long … Continue reading Why the Small Things Matter to God
Mariann Budde’s Sermon from the National Prayer Service, 21 January 2025
Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde set off a bit of controversy earlier this week. As part of the Trump inauguration ceremonies, she preached at a prayer service at the National Cathedral. Some, including President Trump, found her remarks objectionable and "nasty". Court evangelical Robert Jeffries said, "She insulted our great President." Instead of throwing out a … Continue reading Mariann Budde’s Sermon from the National Prayer Service, 21 January 2025
Why Should You Care, pt 1?
I've been posting about church planting in Croatia for a couple of weeks now. Today, I am reposting this, something I wrote several years ago (2019), about why American Christians should care about the work of the Kingdom of God in Croatia. Why should you care about the work of Biblijski institut (and dozens of … Continue reading Why Should You Care, pt 1?
DiscipleTrips
As I talk to American churches about the Biblical Institute of Zagreb and our work, one of the things I regularly hear is, "We would love to come and visit, but what would we do?" In American churches, it's traditional to send groups of people on missions trips to help build or maintain buildings at … Continue reading DiscipleTrips
The Mission Has a Church
Beth and I encountered Momentum Yes at ICOM this past November ... (ICOM = International Conference on Missions, the successor to the old National Missionary Convention. It's an annual gathering of 5,000+ Christians from around the globe who believe in, support, and are active in missions.) Recently, we've been watching Momentum Yes's video curriculum. And … Continue reading The Mission Has a Church
Teaching Theology at Evanđeosko Teološko Veleučilište
This semester, I am teaching theology TWICE at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, Croatia. January - March, I am teaching undergraduate students, "Biblical Theology of the New Testament". March - May I am teaching graduate students, "Contemporary Approaches to New Testament Theology." I'm ridiculously excited about this! Theology is my favorite class to teach, … Continue reading Teaching Theology at Evanđeosko Teološko Veleučilište
Keller on Church Planting
Tim Keller writes: "A vigorous and continuous approach to church planting is the only way to guarantee an increase in the number of believers, and is one of the best ways to renew the whole body of Christ." The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for (1) the numerical … Continue reading Keller on Church Planting
Circleslide 