To Purchase “I Love Jesus but Not His Girlfriend”: Click Here Depending on what has been done to you, forgiving the church is going to cost a lot. It will be hard. But you have a Savior, whose Spirit lives inside you, and he can give you the strength and faith to pull it off. How…
Jesus & Politics: The Environment
The environment is playing a significant role in this presidential election. Below is a graph from Business Insider on how the candidates view the issues regarding creation. Clinton is holding to the Democrat standard position with high governmental regulation on industry to enforce environmental standards. On the other hand, Trump is holding a…
A Quick Guide for Small Group Leaders
We recently re-started our small group ministry at Anchor Way Church. I had the privilege of training our leaders. Part of our strategy at Anchor Way is to be an equipping and unleashing church. That means we place very few “controls” over lay ministry models. We want people to be free to do ministry…
Jesus and Politics
This Sunday, October 2nd, I am starting a new series on Jesus and Politics. This series is an attempt to insert a Biblical voice into the current political narrative around key issues. This series is not going to intentionally endorse a candidate, position or party. However, Christians should know what their faith teaches about current…
The Death of Vision (Statements)
We don’t have a vision a statement. Crazy. I know. When I was a student pastor in the late 90’s I read the book, Purpose Driven Youth Ministry. I grew up going to an Episcopal church that didn’t have much of a youth ministry. So I didn’t have a clue how to do youth ministry….
Three Types of Church Leavers
David Kinnamen wrote a very important book called, You Lost Me. In his book he points out that there are three different types of people who have left the church. He categorizes the group of leavers into three groups: nomads, prodigals and exiles.[i] Kinnamen’s research describes the prodigal’s movement away from faith as a hard…
I Love Jesus but Not His Girlfriend
Maybe the best way to start this is to explain the title you have curiously clicked on. So I just finished (not yet published) a book called, “I love Jesus but Hate His Girlfriend.” Let me start by putting your mind at ease that this is not a Jesus conspiracy theory. Jesus didn’t date Mary…
First 100 Days
President Franklin Roosevelt established the importance of a president’s first 100 days. FDR believed the activity and relationships the president accomplished in the first 100 days were a gauge for measuring the rest of his presidency. Since the FDR administration the press has paid special attention to every president’s first 100 days. A pastor’s…
The Submissive Wife
18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. We live in culture that is opposed to the Biblical concept of the submissive wife. Usually people justify their objection to the submissive wife by saying the Bible was written during a time when women like being submissive. I guess people who want…
Apologetic Preaching
I once heard one of my favorite preachers, Louie Giglio say, “preaching is a craft.” What he meant was we should not all sound like whoever is famous at the time. I think it was Rick Warren back then, now it would be Matt Chandler. Anyways, it’s a good point that young preachers should spend…
Don’t Wish Me Luck
“Luck is for suckers.” – Orphan Annie I recently experienced a life change and, what may be common for most us, well-meaning friends would often wish me luck. In fact, I can’t think of a time in my life when I have been wished more luck. Being from the South I have a special…
A Better Reason to Love
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Paul is excited about the growth of the…
Andrew Werley 