Slavery is still alive and well today in every country, under every language, tribe, and corner of our globe. This slavery doesn't include any harsh or primitive apparatus such as chains, whips, shackles, or cuffs ... but rather it is an enslavement that needs no physical tools of bondage. This is not the slavery that happens across the world fueled by racism, sex trafficking, and hatred, but is far more subtle and rampant. This slavery touches every human being on the planet. This enslavement is the enslavement of self. And no matter what degree of social justice, reparation, or equality that we as humans try to engender with one another, we will never be able to free ourselves, from ourselves. This final, and only true freedom, must come from outside ourselves. When discussing the topic of freedom, Jesus stunned his hearers by speaking of a freedom that dealt with a slavery they were ignorant to. A slavery of the self. A slavery to sin. Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin." John 8:34 This is the most profound form of slavery, and a slavery that has eternal repercussions. The only way to be free of this self imposed form of slavery (Rom 3:23), is to be set free by the only one who has never been in bondage, the Son of God (Heb 4:15). Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:35-36 This is the most powerful freedom that any human can ever experience, freedom from the self. For whoever loses his life with gain it (Lk 9:24). As Christians this is the freedom that we have to offer the world, freedom from themselves. But before we can offer that freedom we must in fact be free ourselves. #philosophy #spirituality #racism #theology #prejudice

Question: This question comes from Ryan: "What are your thoughts on the command to "hate my wife and my children" and love God with everything I have? What does this look like in practice? This has been a big question for me as I wrestled with staying in a ministry that I love but requires a great deal of time versus leaving that ministry in order to have time to care for my family. Am I still loving God even when I take a step away from serving Him? This is difficult as I desire to attend Unboxed (for personal growth, opportunity to share with other disciples, and worship God), but know that my wife needs me to help as she wraps up the final semester of her masters. Whom am I loving more?" ANSWER: Thanks for your question Ryan, this is indeed a difficult one that strikes at some of the grey issues we can face, but I will try to unpack your question: 1.  You mention, "Am I still loving God even when I take a step away from serving Him?" which is a vital question.  What does it mean to love God?  What does it mean to serve God?  Can you do one without the other?  More to your point, can you not serve God by prioritizing and loving your family?  Has he not called you to that as well (Eph 5)?  Perhaps our understanding of what it means to "serve" God is too narrow?  I believe the heart of your question here stems from your understanding of Jesus' call (not command) to follow him as his disciple.  In Luke 14 as well as Matthew 10, we see the idea of following Christ being supreme in one's life, even over family (loving him more than these - Mat 10:37). But is discipleship to Christ the same as serving in a particular ministry in a church?  I believe this is what must be settled in order to answer your question. Unfortunately I don't think there are any one-size-fits-all pat answers.  And remember, it is very possible for us as believers to shroud our true motives of selfishness and laziness in the vein of "I'm doing it for my family (or whatever else we can plug in for family)".  These are difficult things that we need the Lord to help us weigh out and discern (Ps 139:23-24). 2.  A principle that I learned a long time ago and has served me well in these types of arenas, is what I heard called, the "divine order".  It essentially places a divinely (Scripturally) appointed prioritization on different relationships and circles in my life.  I am to love God first and foremost (Mat 10; 22; etc), then my immediately family (spouse, children, etc. - Eph 5; 1 Tim 5:8; etc.), then my church/spiritual family (1 Cr 12, Mat 12:50; 1 Jn 3-4; etc.), then the rest of the world (Mat 5; etc.).  This has been a helpful way for me to think about practical decisions in my life and how God would have me prioritize my limited time, energy, and resources available to me. This is not an easy process, nor are two believers going to necessarily make the same decision in the same circumstance.  I hope this response is helpful in some way! And for what it's worth, I believe this kind of thing is exactly what the apostle Paul is trying to spare all my single readers out there from! ;)  (1 Cr 7:32-35)

In the 21st century where so much of our information can be fed to us by algorithms and marketing ploys, growing in the ability to spiritually discern is very important as disciples. I don't remember when I first heard the expression, "eat the meat and leave the bones", but I have found it is a very helpful concept in my spiritual life.  Typically the phrase simply means to take the good, and leave the bad.  Anyone who has been a Christian for longer than a year (or maybe even two weeks!) knows that there are a lot of things that the bible doesn't seem to give us black and white instruction on, and while there are many biblical principles that can be applied to much of life, we find ourselves navigating in the grey perhaps more than we like to admit. It is in this reality and context that I believe this 'eating the meat and leaving the bones' concept is most helpful.  One of the marks of spiritual maturity is the ability to feed and train oneself spiritually (Heb 5:14; 1 Tim 4:7).  In order to do this you must be able to discern what the "meat" is, and what the "bones" are. The Meat I would describe the "meat" as that which is helpful, beneficial, and not in conflict with the revealed will of God through his word.  If you are not able to discern what is in conflict with the word of God and what is not, then obviously you are not in a position to "eat the meat" of some other persons ideas (whether they be in a book, conference, podcast, or some other form of communication).  So if you do not know the word well enough to have a grasp of the major doctrines and ideas therein, that would be exactly where you need to start (a good place to start with this is to make is a goal to read the bible each year - this takes discipline and perseverance, but ultimately I believe ones devotion to the word of God, and their application of it, reveals their belief in whether it is truly divine). The Bones I would describe the "bones" as that which is not helpful, beneficial, or perhaps that which is even in conflict with the word of God.  Again, you cannot leave the bones, unless you are in a position to at least identify what the bones could be.  Once you are able to recognize what the bones are, then you simply leave them on the plate and move one, not allowing them to taint for you the wonderful taste of the meat that is good. Can You Eat Discernibly? We run into situations all the time where we are forced to choose what we think about something.  For instance, take your typical Sunday church service experience: do you believe everything you see, hear, and experience there?  If you are not swallowing everything "hook, line, and sinker", than how are you making your judgments and decisions?  There comes your ability to discern.  We all do this all the time, but for many of us we are not aware that we are doing it, and worse yet, we aren't aware of why and how we are doing it.  If you never develop the ability to discern, you stay spiritually immature, and ultimately must rely on someone else to teach you the elementary truths of God (Heb 5:12), not to mention you are more predisposed to being a doubting wave of the sea tossed back and forth by the wind (Jam 1:6). As an example, are you able to put yourself in a position to learn from someone that doesn't agree with you in every area?  Could you read the classic Confessions by St. Augustine even though you likely don't agree on every doctrinal point (perhaps even some that you believe are vital) and still be able to get something out of it?  Or could you read a book, listen to a sermon, or attend a conference with John Piper, Francis Chan, David Platt or Bobby Harrington (perhaps even this article itself) and not feel like you are subjecting yourself to "spiritual pornography"? (Yes, I have actually heard of such things referred to this way).  Hopefully as a disciple of Jesus Christ, you are dedicated to being a lifelong learner, and your ability to discern, much less how you feel about this process, ultimately comes down to your spiritual maturity and understanding, your ability to "eat the meat and leave the bones". #philosophy #spirituality #training #theology #discipleship

I came across this idea in something I read recently ... could you see Hitler in heaven? Before you make a judgement, just stop and think. You could read this several different ways, for instance; "Could you see ADOLF HITLER in heaven?", ... or perhaps "Could YOU see Adolf Hitler in heaven?". When I first read this I thought to myself; "yea I suppose God's grace is enough to cover anyone's sin" (but of course I concluded; "in theory") ... I mean after all, Hitler ordered the execution and genocide of millions of people, the atrocities of which is literally hard for me to even fathom! I'm not sure what my response would be if I were living in a German rural township hearing the wailing of human agony in the train cars as they went by again and again ... carried off to God knows where ... to succumb to God knows what. Certainly if there is a heaven, this guy isn't getting in ... right ... ? Then I thought to myself, how would I feel if I did in fact get to those ever precious pearly gates, King Jesus welcoming me in only to find ADOLF HITLER waiting there joyously as well? How would you feel? ... Would you be surprised? ... Would you be shocked? ... Would you feel repulsiveness and disappointment? Would you feel elated? I believe as we ask ourselves these types of questions, something in our hearts can be revealed ... perhaps our own prejudice and self-righteousness for instance. If seeing Adolf Hitler in heaven (or plug in your own version of this type of person) is unthinkable to you, or even repulsive ... than you have missed the point of the gospel (c.f. Luke 18:9-14), and possibly in jeopardy of missing heaven all together yourself ... (of course I have no idea if you will see Adolf Hitler in heaven, but the point is what if you see him, or someone "like him"). While God's justice and wrath are certainly real (Rev 14:9-12) and Jesus warned of it (Lk 12:5), the very basis of heaven biblically; an eternity with a righteous and holy God beyond which we cannot even understand, is fundamentally about the fact that none of us deserve to be there ... Hitler, you, me, or anyone else (c.f. Rom 3:23). So the next time you and I think of heaven, which no eye has seen and no mind has imagined (Isa 64:4; 1 Cor 2:9), we would be wise to think about how we would feel if God surprised us with just how far his grace reaches and how richly it is lavished ... and then remember that we should only, and properly, feel grateful if we were to see someone the likes of Adolf Hitler there along with us. #theology #spirituality #heaven #prejudice

Some of you will know what the title of this article is referring to, and some will not. If not, don't let that discourage you as if you are some old out of touch individual, similar to those who were viewed as people that couldn't be trusted over the age of thirty in an era gone by ... and if you do get the reference ... just make sure you don't think to yourself that old people over the age of thirty can't be trusted. Our current cultural climate of vilifying the aged and glorifying the youth is having very negative consequences, but that would be a different post. To "swipe left" in modern vernacular (as in ... that's what the kids say on the streets these days) means to find someone or something unattractive (and yes you can look these terms up on the urban dictionary website), and the swipe right means the opposite; to find someone or something attractive. These terms come from the way that many smart phone apps work, particularly a newer dating app called Tinder has made this popular. And while I have heard of Christians being on hook up dating apps like Tinder, I pray to God that this would be a VAST minority of Christians, if we would allow ourselves to even to refer to them as that. I literally wouldn't even know where to begin to tell someone why a Christian on Tinder is a bad idea ... there are just too many reasons. The bigger picture to me is that apps like Tinder (and technology in general) are changing how we see and understand people. It's shifting our perception of what is valuable and beautiful. With the unattractive gone in the 0.5 seconds it takes to swipe left, and the attractive's personal contact info and current GPS location at your disposal in the 0.5 it takes to swipe right, we are learning as a society to value the wrong things. We are valuing things like instant self-gratification, and the path of least resistance, while also embracing the overarching dehumanization that comes from seeing people as commodities rather than as human souls. This is a dangerous slippery slope that leads to increased problems like human trafficking just to name one. The reverse often comes with this as well; like the growing inability to deal with the inevitable pain and grief that life deals out because of a high-jacked and short circuited spiritual and emotional maturity that has not been allowed to develop properly. Now I'm sure that every culture and every generation has thought that they were on the cutting edge of some discombobulating change for the worse, and I'm sure we are no different, but I think we would be wise, most especially as Christians to heed the wise words of a king long past: Beauty is fleeting and charm is deceptive, but a woman (person) who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Prov 31:30) However in this culture of instant gratification and the heightening value of sexual pleasure while devaluing the human eternal soul, we as Christians can plant our Chuck Taylors deeply in the sand (check out the urban dictionary again if you need to) and embark upon a massively counter cultural movement as we follow our Lord Jesus, who was and is the most counter cultural agent that has been or ever will be by necessity (Jn 18:36) and remains as the most beautiful of all things to our souls. Ask yourself as a Christian, do you find Christ among the most attractive things in the world? What do you swipe right for over and above him? If you are not a Christian, ask yourself, what do you find to be the most attractive thing in the world (think valuable, not just aesthetics)? Why do you find that particular thing attractive, and how long will it remain attractive ... what is it's shelf-life? #culture #relationships #spirituality #technology #beauty

I recently found myself at a retreat center out in the middle of nowhere South Carolina, which if you aren't familiar is really out in the middle of nowhere ... we do that pretty good 'round here. There was a nearby set off church bells that could be heard for miles at the retreat center (if you didn't know, sound travels those sorts of distances when you are nowhere), and they played beautifully every hour. When I first heard them I quickly dismissed them as a bit annoying and disruptive to whatever I was saying or thinking in the moment. Then the second and third time I heard them it made me pause and realize how long it had been since I heard church bells (can you remember the last time you heard them?). I don't think I had heard church bells since I was a young boy in the middle of nowhere North Florida (perhaps church bells have a magnetic like calling to the places that are in the middle of nowhere?). It reminded me of my youth, and an age gone by, one that I imagine my one year old boy will never grow up to know. I suppose you can't stop change. The melody that these bells made and the ensuing feeling it produced inside of me was truly surprising. I felt a peace and tranquility that I rarely do anymore these days, and I thought of how much slower life was in ages past. Then I thought of the biblical principle of Sabbath and Jesus' words that, "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath". The Sabbath was made for man ... that's right! God in his infinite and unsearchable wisdom knew that this peace and tranquility that I was feeling from some melodious bells was something that I needed. And oh how desperately people are searching for some sense of peace. Peace is not something that can simply be bought by the rich and famous, but something that is needed by each human. Something that I know in my modern western context is more and more difficult to come by. So my encouragement to all of us in 2017 is to heed Jesus' words (all of them preferably) about the principles of the Sabbath, and prioritize making ways for our souls, minds, and bodies to rest this year. Godly rest is not only leisure, but is something that is revitalizing and refreshing, something that is restorative. Find ways, be creative, and prioritize for yourself (and for your family) to rest in the Lord this year, he says, "Be still and know that I am God." (Ps 46:10) #culture #worship #spirituality #rest #peace

During the greatest shopping weekend in the U.S. (and a vital part of the national economy - as 30-40% of retail shopping happens between black Friday and Christmas) we see some of the worst in humanity come out. With roughly $700B spent on Black Friday with an average of about $400 per person in 2015, unfortunately the sale floors of stores like Target and Walmart often turn into something like the stage of a bad Jerry Springer episode (and FYI, all Jerry Springer episodes are bad). It seems to be a bit odd, and perhaps ironic, that the consumerism and greed that marks Black Friday comes on the heels of what is supposed to be a national holiday of giving thanks. Now don't get me wrong, I love a deal as much as the next guy, and I love me some techno gadgets too, but I see how the power of greed and consumerism can overshadow my gratitude. We are taught from the Scriptures that we are to rejoice always and give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus (1 Thes 5:16-18) and yet the culture around us teaches us to get what we can while we can because it is what gives us happiness and meaning, a direct contradiction to the wisdom of Solomon who said that in all his observations, chasing after such things was a waste of time, a "chasing after the wind" (Ecc 2:10-11; c.f. Lk 12:18-21). So how can we fight against the cultural tsunami, as well as the war that rages inside of us (Gal 5:17), to truly give thanks, and honor the heart of the Thanksgiving holiday in the first place? Pause: pause and take a deep breath (literally take a deep breath right now), and give a prayer of thanks to God (Lk 11:13; Jas 1:17) Keep It 💯: write down and journal 100 things that you are grateful for in your life currently (yes actually record them). This will help to push you to think more thoroughly about all that there actually is to be grateful for, rather than only being reminded by media how much you don't have. (if you can record 100 easily, try 200!) Family Time: plan a family devotional with your family (or roommates) where you take some time to talk (and even write down) things you are grateful for this year as family, as well as one thing that you own that you are willing to part with in order to give it to someone that needs it more. #culture #money #spirituality #family #parenting

Many are rejoicing at the newly elected president of the United States today … many are not. For those that voted for the winning president, you may be feeling a sense of relief, hope, and excitement as a new president takes office to the most powerful seat in the land and all the opportunity that comes along with that. For those that voted against the winning president, you may be feeling afraid, discouraged, or even apathetic as your hopes have been dashed and your anxieties heightened … perhaps especially so if you are a woman, or a minority. For those of you that abstained from voting at all, you may be feeling regret ... perhaps you could have made difference? Perhaps you are feeling vindicated, justified, and relieved in your abstinence … that you didn’t pick between the “lesser of two evils”. For those of you that prayed for the election and its outcome … please don’t stop. For those of you that prayed for the election and its outcome … please don’t stop. But don’t be deceived, whether you won, lost, or abstained, for all of us as Christians, we indeed have won … no matter who sits in the oval office of the United States of America. In fact, the American nation, and all of her presidents, will one day be a footnote in the history of the world. For our lives are fleeting and momentary (2 Cor 4:17; Ps 39:4; Jam 4:14) and in the vast landscape of time, so are the lives of nations and civilizations. Our allegiance as Christians is aligned to another, above and beyond the president of the United States. Your allegiance and hope is in a kingdom, and a king, that cannot be shaken (Heb 12:27-29). In fact, the American nation, and all of her presidents, will one day be a footnote in history And yet, this is not to make light of your possible fears or anxieties, or sweep them under the rug with some stroke of spiritual cliché. No, this is to remind you that nothing strange is happening to you. In fact, it has been happening to believers for a very long time (1 Pet 1:3-9). Remember that Jesus already told us that we will have trouble in this life, but take heart … for he has overcome the world (Jn 16:33)! And what is our allegiance to the unshakable king and kingdom supposed to result in? Praise, awe, glory, honor, reverence, and living hope. So whether you are rejoicing over the new president, or are in mourning, or perhaps somewhere in between … remember to be alert and sober minded with your hope set on the grace to be brought when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming (1 Pet 1:13). Your hope is explicitly not to be in the rulers of this world or this nation, and our allegiance is never to be to them over our Lord Jesus. Trials will come, whether at the hands of a new president, the work of Satan and his cohorts, or even from within our own sinful nature … thank God that our hope can be in something unshakeable. #culture #politics #spirituality

Our case study begins with “Toni”, a single person, 33 years old.  You might be able to fill in the rest of this story, because the pattern is so typical.  They came to Christ with a sincere profession of faith and a biblical conversion when they were a teenager.  At about the same time their 20 year struggle with lust began.  It involves episodic use of pornography and episodic masturbation, about which Toni is deeply discouraged.  Over the years they have experienced many ups of “victory” and just as many downs of “defeat”. Toni comes to you for help: They are deeply discouraged by recent failures, by the latest downturn in a seemingly endless cycle.  Over the years they have tried “all the right things”, the standard answers and techniques.   They have tried accountability - sincerely.  It helped some, but not decisively.  Accountability has a way of starting strong, but slipping to the side.  At a certain point, to tell others you failed yet again, and to receive either sympathy or exhortation, stops being helpful. Toni had memorized scripture and wrestled to apply truth in moments of battle.  It often helped, but then in snow-blind moments, when they most needed help, they would forget everything they knew.  Sex filled their mind and scripture vanished from sight.  Other times they just overrode the truth in an act of “who cares?” rebellion.  Then they would feel terrible - their conscience would go snow-blind for only half an hour at a time!  They prayed.  They fasted.  They sought to discipline themselves.  They planned constructive things to do with their time, and to do with and for others.  They got involved in ministry.  They even tried things that aren’t in the Bible: vigorous exercise, cold showers, dietary regiments, etc. Toni had tried it all.  Most things helped a bit. But in the end, success was always spotty and fragile.  Toni had gained no greater insight into their heart and into the inner workings of sin and grace.  For 20 years it was, “Sin is bad.  Don’t do it.  Just do _______ to help you not sin.”  Their entire Christian life was conceived and constructed around the struggle with episodic sexual sin. Their pattern was as follows: seasons of relative purity might last for days, weeks, even for a few months.  They measured their success by “How long since I last fell?”  The longer they went, the more their hopes would rise: “Maybe now I finally broke the back of my besetting sin.”  Then they would fall again.  They would stumble through seasons of defeat, wandering back to the same old pigsty.  “Am I even a Christian?  Why bother?  What’s the point?  Nothing ever works.” They were plagued with guilt, discouragement, despair, and shame.  Sometimes Toni would even turn to pornography to dull the misery of their guilt over using pornography.  They would beg God’s forgiveness over and over and over, without any relief or any joy.  Then, for unaccountable reasons the season would change for the better they would get sick of sin or get inspired to fight again. That’s when they contact you; they really want deliverance once and for all… How would you help Toni? #theology #pornography #sex #training #ministry #leadership #discipleship

Question: This question comes from Daniel: Question: I'm curious of your thoughts on a question I wrestled with recently. In seminary, I read the book "The End of Sexual Identity: Why Sex Is Too Important to Define Who We Are", a progressive book written by Christian anthropologist Jenell Williams Paris. Among many topics she discusses in her book, she wrote about the importance in creating a welcoming environment (even promoting and inviting this environment) in the church for people who would like to remain unmarried for their lives. Here is a quote from the book: "Celibacy should be an invitation, not a punishment. In order for it to be an invitation worth responding to, however, Christian communities must cultivate plausibility structures for sexual holiness in which long-term celibacy becomes not just moral, but also plausible and practical. When they practice it and support it, Christians keep the possibility (and the plausibility) of celibacy alive, both for our own communities and for the surrounding societies" (Paris, 131). Considering this, along with Matthew 19:10-12, and 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, how do you think Christian communities should (or shouldn't?) conduct a welcoming environment that promotes and endorses long-term celibacy, and well as life-time "singleness". ANSWER: Thank you for your question Daniel, as this is one that is personally near and dear to my heart as I spent a decade as a celibate Christian and wrestled with the question of whether I wished to remain that way for the rest of my life (in view of the passages like the ones you mentioned). To answer this question honestly, I think we must first recognize some assumptions.  For generations in America (and throughout much of the world) marriage and family have been the norm, and even the societal expectation.  And in the church, this culture was and is perhaps in even greater magnitude (I even had a major Christian ministry and publisher want to direct a piece of my writing to indicate that marriage and family was the desired Christian outcome over singleness, to which I cannot agree). Catholic doctrines of celibacy aside, as Paris seems to assert (I haven’t read the book yet), the Western Protestant church has not provided an environment (much less a welcoming one) for Christians to search out their marital calling from the Lord.  It has seemed to me more of an environment that if you are not married by a certain stage in life, then something must be wrong with you.  And while this is diminishing in popularity in the secular culture as the institution of marriage is losing footing amongst the youth, it seems alive and well in Christian culture. I think one of the best ways to systemically change this view of singleness and celibacy in the church is to simply start by talking about it more.  To talk about both the joys and privileges of being single in the Lord (1 Cor 7:32-35), as well as honestly talk about the joys, privileges, risks and challenges of sex as Christians (both inside and outside of marriage).  One thing I have found in my ministerial work, is that far too many single (and married) Christians have far too low a view of sex and sexuality in the Lord, and many singles are gullible, thinking that marital sex in the Lord is both easy and will fix all of their self-control issues.  It is not, and it does not.  Modern media has lied to us in a most severe fashion. Another way that the church can bring what I believe is a more balanced biblical view on singleness and marriage (see my sermon on the topic here), is to give greater public attention, priority, and authority to those that are single in the church.  Having more single people in full-time pastoral and ministerial leadership is indicative of this as well.  Personally talking to Christians that are single and encouraging them in their singleness and celibacy, to be open to God leading them in whatever direction he desires, is also needed. While I grant that many, if not most, in the church will find themselves lead by the Lord to be married (as I was), I am afraid that far too many Christians aren’t even asking the question as to whether God would be leading them to seasonal, or lifelong singleness and celibacy.  We must find ways, publicly and privately to help create environments for people to do just that.