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What Should You Pledge to the Story Continues Giving Campaign?
March
22
,
2019

If we want to understand the relative importance of our money and our giving to God, all we need to do is open God’s Word. There we will find thousands of verses about our money and our possessions. The sheer volume of verses on money shouts to us about the importance of money to God. There are way more verses in the Bible about money than there are about sex. There’s more about money in the Bible than there is about marriage. Jesus said more about money and possessions than any other topic including prayer or faith or heaven or hell. 

Social Issues
Church
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A Home That Is Filled With Treasure
February
1
,
2019

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Proverbs 24:3-4 

Christian Living
Christian Virtues
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10 Reasons Why I Oppose Abortion
January
26
,
2019

I write this post as a pastor appealing to people’s consciences. I do not write in an attempt to persuade anyone regarding their choice of political parties or how they may choose to vote in an election. This post is simply an attempt to shape the moral sensibilities of the reader’s heart regarding one of the most significant moral issues of our day. So, I write as a pastor (and former lawyer) who has been morally opposed to abortion for more than four decades. 

Social Issues
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An Exciting New Chapter In The Story Of Vineyard Columbus
January
6
,
2019

“There is no success without a successor.” 
Nearly 20 years ago, I read a classic book on leadership by Jim Collins titled Good to Great. The book was about how to build enduring greatness in companies and institutions. Collins wrote, “Great companies (churches) are led by level 5 leaders. The good to great leaders never wanted to become larger-than-life heroes. They never aspired to be put on a pedestal. Level 5 leadership is not just about humility and modesty. It is equally about ferocious resolve, an almost stoic determination to do whatever needs to be done to make the company (church) great. 

Church
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Our Best Days Are Ahead Of Us
December
3
,
2018

This next year I’ll celebrate my 32nd year as Senior Pastor of Vineyard Columbus. Marlene and I joined the church 41 years ago when we moved to Columbus for me to attend law school at The Ohio State University. Back then, the church was an independent, non-denominational church of about 35 people. We had no pastor, but we had lay leaders, who we called elders (and who were all in their mid to late 20’s!). 

Church
Christian Virtues
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A Church For Us
October
30
,
2018

On the Day of Pentecost, when the Christian church was birthed, the Apostle Peter told us who the gospel and the church was for. He said this: “The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord will call” (Acts 2:39). As I understand it, the reason we do church, at least as far as it concerns people, is for us – to meet our needs, to heal our hurts, to minister to our pain, and to encourage our discipleship. Church is also for our children – to minister to our children’s needs, our children’s hurts, to care for our children who are in pain and to develop our children into fully committed disciples of Jesus. 

Church
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Where I Stand Politically
September
26
,
2018

In this incredibly partisan and politically divisive time, it seems that any time I communicate thoughts about topics that I regard as biblical—topics such as immigration, abortion or civility in public discourse—I receive a flood of emails and Facebook messages telling me that I’m becoming “too political”. So, I thought I might offer a few of my thoughts regarding one pastor’s perspective on politics. 

Social Issues
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What Does the Recent Survey Tell Us About Vineyard Columbus?
September
18
,
2018

Every two years, since 2002, Vineyard Columbus has done a survey of every adult who is present at one of our services on a weekend in the spring. What does our 2018 survey tell us about Vineyard Columbus at this time in our history? 

Church
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Why Christians Pray
May
2
,
2018

At the age of 24, I was fired from my first job out of law school. It’s a long story, but the bottom line is that I was asked to do something that, as a Christian, I could not do. So, at the age of 24, I was out of work with a pregnant wife, a house payment, and no income. Do you think I prayed? You better believe I prayed! I prayed every way I knew how to pray. I claimed God’s promises. I prayed in Jesus’ name. I prayed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God. I prayed in the name of the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I prayed loudly. I prayed softly. I knelt down. I stood up. 

Prayer
Christian Living
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How We Can Stop Talking Past Each Other
March
31
,
2018

At the dawn of the 21st century, the President of the National Association of Evangelicals, Leith Anderson, was asked what he thought were the most divisive issues facing Christians in the 21st century. His response: how Christians approach the LGBT issue and how Christians approach the exclusivity of Christ. I recently heard Leith say that he was right about the first issue (LGBT has loomed very large) and wrong about the second (Christians have not generally been fighting about the exclusivity of Christ). Leith went on to say, “In my wildest dreams I never imagined that politics would be the most divisive issue for the church in the 21st century!” 

Christian Virtues
Social Issues
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