The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is typically quiet in the blog-world. So for today, I’ve put together a list of some of the most-read posts this year at Kingdom People.

1. Ten Questions a Pro-choice Candidate is Never Asked by the Media (October 24, 2012)

Debate moderators and reporters love to ask pro-life candidates hard questions about abortion. Curiously, they don’t do the same for pro-choice candidates.

2. How I Wish the Homosexuality Debate Would Go (October 18, 2011). This was last year’s #1 post, but it received another round of attention in the spring of 2012.

Just once, I’d like to see a TV interview go more like this…

3. Why the Chick-fil-A Boycott is Really about Jesus (August 1, 2012)

What we are seeing today is a massive cultural shift that permits leaders to label Christians as intolerant and bigoted simply for expressing their views about how society should function.

4. Dear Stay-At-Home Mom (August 6, 2012)

God loves you – not because you are a good mother but just because you are His precious child.

5. Why Hunger Games is Flawed to Its Core (May 17, 2012)

Nate Wilson was in town recently, and we had a conversation about books, beauty, and bestsellers. Naturally, we talked about The Hunger Games. His take on it was too good to keep to myself, so I asked if I could share it here.

6. Seven Myths about the Columbine Shooting (October 9, 2012)

I thought I knew the basic facts about the deadly shooting at Columbine High School in 1999. I was wrong. Here are seven common myths about that tragic day.

7. Is it Biblical to Ask Jesus into Your Heart? (May 15, 2012)

This conversation about our methods and terminology in evangelism is an important one. I just hope that people who share a lot of the same concerns will understand the common ground they have and not impute mistakes to one another.

8. Grace and Truth Beyond the Elephant Room (January 26, 2012)

When we engage in conflict, let’s make sure it is out of love for the truth, love for Jesus, love for one another, and love for the people we shepherd. Sometimes we may even stand against a brother on a certain issue, but even when we take an adversarial stance, it ought always to be for the good of that brother and the glory of King Jesus.

9. You Are Not “Just a Sinner Saved By Grace” (June 11, 2012)

“Just a sinner saved by grace” is only half the gospel. It’s true that in Christ, God has wiped the slate clean and has forgiven us our sins. But let’s make sure we don’t leave out the flip side – that not only does He forgive our sins, but He also regenerates us through the power of His Spirit.

10. Lessons from the Megachurch Pastor who Killed a Man (May 29, 2012)

Can we learn some things from J. Frank Norris? Yes. His ministry can serve as a cautionary tale in these ways…

Every December, I select the ten books that I most enjoyed reading during the year. These selections were not all published in 2012 (as you’ll see). Neither do I claim these are the most important books of the year. Instead, I choose ten books based primarily on how much I enjoyed reading them.

Here are my top ten picks for 2012.

#1. THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE
Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God
- Tim and Kathy Keller

Quite simply, the best book on marriage I’ve ever come across. I read this book in early January and spent the rest of the year wondering if I would read another book that could top it.
See an excerpt here and here.

#2. G. K. CHESTERTON
A Biography
- Ian Ker

The definitive biography of Chesterton. Ker’s massive research not only unfolds the man’s life but also chronicles the evolution of his thought.
For a dose of Chesterton, click here, here, here, and here.

#3. THE SINGER
A Classic Retelling of Cosmic Conflict
Calvin Miller

Calvin Miller was on my short list of people to interview on Kingdom People before he unexpectedly died this year. Shortly after his death, a friend recommended I read one of Miller’s best-known works. The Singer is a creative, artistic rendering of the gospel that draws out the beauty of what God has done for us in Christ.
Check out a quote from the book here.

#4. CREATURE OF THE WORD
The Jesus-Centered Church
Matt Chandler, Eric Geiger, Josh Patterson

…goes beyond the teaching ministry and instructs church leaders on creating a gospel-centered culture in the church, a culture that shapes all levels and areas of ministry.
Read my full review here, an interview with the authors here, and a rundown of the Creature of the Word simulcast held in October.

#5. THE INTELLECTUAL LIFE
Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods
A. G. Sertillanges

Far from a sterile routine of burying oneself in dusty books, the intellectual life is an adventure, an ongoing exploration of truth. As such, it demands discipline and rigor commensurate with the seriousness of its calling.
See my review here.

#6. READING THE GOSPELS WISELY
A Narrative and Theological Introduction
Jonathan Pennington

…you will greatly benefit from his careful, balanced approach to the books of the Bible that most clearly unveil King Jesus.
Read my review here and an interview with Jonathan Pennington.

#7. FUTURE GRACE
The Purifying Power of the Promises of God
John Piper

With his characteristic passion and devotion to the Scripture, John Piper strikes at the heart of short-lived obedience born from ‘the debtor’s ethic’ and lifts up a grace-driven obedience that flows from faith in God’s future promises. The result is a soul-satisfying book that beckons us to marvel at the beauty of King Jesus..

#8. A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND
and Other Stories
Flannery O’Connor

This year marked my first foray into the haunting and memorable stories of Flannery O’Connor.
Check out my conversation with O’Connor biographer, Jonathan Rogers, here.

#9.  WEDNESDAYS WERE PRETTY NORMAL
A Boy, Cancer, and God 
Michael Kelley

…about personal faith forged through the fire of suffering, and the all-encompassing grace of a God who won’t fit into the boxes we try to construct around him. This is not a sentimental memoir or another theoretical look at suffering. Instead, Michael leads us to the intersection of faith and life, of God’s love and our pain, of God’s plan and our questions.”
See my recommendation here, an excerpt, and an interview with the author.

#10. TEAM OF RIVALS 
The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Doris Kearns Goodwin

…a masterful telling of Lincoln’s story that follows the lives of each of his cabinet members.
Read about Lincoln’s ease in overlooking a personal offense, or five leadership lessons clearly seen in this book.

It’s Labor Day! So why not take the day off from blogging?

Here are some posts from the archives that put forth a Christian perspective on work.

1. Here is a video conversation with me and J.D. Greear on “The Gospel from 8-5.”

2. In 2011, I hosted a blog conversation (some might say debate!) between a Methodist, Ben Witherington and a Lutheran, Gene Veith on work.

• Work and the Church
• Cooperating with God in Our Work
• Rewards, Virtue, and Work (Conclusion)

3. Racism, Creativity, Introversion, and Work: Book Discussion #3

4. Just for fun – 7 Things You Don’t Need to Know about Labor Day

And here are a couple more posts about business.

• The Strengths and Weaknesses of Apple and Microsoft
• Harnessing Your Creativity

The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is typically quiet in the blog-world. So for today, I’ve put together a list of the most-read posts this year at Kingdom People.

1. How I Wish the Homosexuality Debate Would Go (October 18, 2011)

Just once, I’d like to see a TV interview go more like this…

2. Urban Legends: The Preacher’s Edition (April 27, 2011)

Those of us who are entrusted with the task of expositing the Scriptures in a local church must take care to verify our sources, illustrations, and stories. No matter how helpful an illustration may be, it is dishonoring to God if it is untrue. Here are a number of urban legends that get repeated in sermons. Some are more pervasive than others, even appearing in commentaries and scholarly works.

3. James MacDonald, David Platt, and the Question of Radical Sacrifice (April 6, 2011)

The MacDonald/Platt discussion was tense at times, perhaps because the practical ramifications of how we think about money always hit close to home.

4. N.T. Wright on Rob Bell and the Reality of Hell (May 24, 2011)

Jesus didn’t “stir things up” by backing off the truth of final judgment. He stirred things up by reaching for the most gruesome, horrifying images imaginable in order to communicate the horror of God’s judgment. I don’t think “stirring things up” among those who think they have it all figured out is the best way to increase evangelistic fervor today. Instead, I want God to use what Jesus taught about hell in such a way that my own heart will be gripped by compassion for lost people, and that I will be bold enough to faithfully represent a Savior whose teaching is increasingly unpopular.

5. Erasing Hell: The Wrong Book at the Right Time? (August 2, 2011)

Erasing Hell is functional, but not beautiful. From a functional point of view, I recommend it. But I think we need to be pushed on the beautiful side of this equation as well. The gospel shouldn’t shut down our imagination, but rather fuel it and direct it toward the beauty that is inherent to the truth. We need more than analysis; we need artistry.

6. Rob Bell and the Judgmentless Gospel: Holy Love Wins (February 27, 2011)

… The love that wins is a holy love.

The love that won on the cross and wins the world is a love that is driven, determined, and defined by holiness.

It is a love that flows out of the heart of a God who is transcendent, majestic, infinite in righteousness, who loves justice as much as he does mercy; who hates wickedness as much as he loves goodness; who blazes with a fiery, passionate love for himself above all things.

7. Your Podcast Is Not Your Pastor (December 19, 2011)

John Piper was right to remind us that we are not pastored by “professionals.” Perhaps it’s time we remembered that we are not pastored by podcasts either.

8. Should We Baptize Small Children? (February 21, 2011)

I believe that we should be very careful in how we handle the precious little ones that the Lord has entrusted to our care – neither discouraging them from believing in Christ nor giving them false assurance of their decision by speedily baptizing them.

9. Top Ten Reasons I Am Optimistically Pro-Life (March 2, 2011)

Those of us who believe unborn children deserve human rights can be encouraged. Though we still have many hurdles to overcome before we arrive at the place where all human life is legally protected in the United States, we can be optimistic about the end result. Here are 10 reasons why…

10. An Open Letter to Steve Jobs (January 7, 2011)

By taking this action, Apple muzzles Christians and labels our convictions “harmful.” Society says one thing about sexuality. Christians beg to differ. But apparently, according to Apple, to differ is to hate. Please consider the ramifications of adopting this kind of policy. Consider what it means for religious people of all faiths.

Every December, I select the ten books that I most enjoyed reading during the year. Please note that I am not giving a blanket endorsement to everything in these books (after all, some of them contradict each other at points). I choose ten books a year based primarily on how much I enjoyed reading them.

Here are my top ten picks for 2011.

#1. GOD’S GLORY IN SALVATION THROUGH JUDGMENT:
A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
- James Hamilton

Hamilton puts the Bible together in a way that leads the reader to marvel – not at his own theological acumen, but at the majestic and loving God whose saving actions are at the heart of the Bible’s grand narrative.
See an excerpt here.

#2. UNBROKEN:
A WORLD WAR II STORY OF SURVIVAL, RESILIENCE, AND REDEMPTION
- Laura Hillenbrand

… the riveting life story of Olympic runner Louis Zamperini, is easily one of the best books I’ve read… I was moved to tears by the wondrous power of the Holy Spirit to change a heart.
For more information, check out: “What Finally Broke Louis Zamperini.” 

#3. NOTES FROM THE TILT-A-WHIRL:
WIDE-EYED WONDER IN GOD’S SPOKEN WORLD
N. D. Wilson

… while guys like me are blabbing on about the need for beauty, guys like [Nate] are already delivering thoughtful, rich, dare-I-say exuberant prose that stirs up a sense of wonder at life, love, and the beauty of Christian truth.
Check out my interview with Nate here as well as some great quotes from the book (here and here).

#4. THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS:
THE EPIC STORY OF AMERICA’S GREAT MIGRATION
Isabel Wilkerson

By interweaving three individuals’ lives and the larger narrative of the Migration, Wilkerson paints a stunning portrait of life in the Jim Crow era…
Read my full review here.

 #5. READ THE BIBLE FOR LIFE:
YOUR GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AND LIVING GOD’S WORD
George Guthrie

… an easy-to-read yet in-depth approach to hermeneutics that focuses on connecting the dots of the big story line of the Bible.
See my review for Christianity Today here or my interview with George Guthrie here.

#6. THE LORD OF THE RINGS
J. R. R. Tolkien

Frodo’s humble devotion to a cause and Sam’s unflagging devotion to Frodo is the foundation of this epic battle of good versus evil.
Read one of my favorite passages here. 

#7. HERETICS
G. K. Chesterton

 It’s ironic that Chesterton’s literary foes who believed him backwards and old-fashioned are largely forgotten today, while we are still reading Chesterton a century later.
Read some of my favorite quotes here, here, here, and here.

#8. GOSPEL:
RECOVERING THE POWER THAT MADE CHRISTIANITY REVOLUTIONARY
J. D. Greear

[J. D. has] expressed in laypeople’s terms the type of confidence and security that comes from believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ…
Check out my conversation with J. D. here.

#9. DESTINY OF THE REPUBLIC:
A TALE OF MADNESS, MEDICINE, AND THE MURDER OF A PRESIDENT
Candice Millard

Not only did I finish it feeling like I knew James Garfield, I also enjoyed the thrilling pace of the plot development…
See my full review here.

#10. GOSPEL WAKEFULNESS
Jared Wilson

Anyone hungry and thirsty for righteousness will be refreshed by the invigorating streams of truth that flow from Gospel Wakefulness. Jared Wilson wants us to delight in the gospel to the point that sin becomes bitter and Christ becomes our supreme treasure…
See my full review here.

Kingdom People was launched five years ago this week. Today is the last day for revisiting some past Kingdom People posts. Here are some notable posts from the fourth and fifth years of this blog:

“In Defense of Proselytism: Talking Points for Brit Hume” (January 11, 2010)

As Christians, we must recognize that before we can make a robust defense for the Christian faith, we may have to clear the air by making a case for evangelism in general. After having listened to some of the remarks made about Brit Hume, I have compiled a list of common objections to “proselytism” and why each of them are unpersuasive.

Jennifer Knapp and Larry King: Why We Always Lose This Debate (April 26, 2010)

I’m convinced that we continue to lose the argument about homosexuality and Christianity because the traditionalist almost always makes his case within a conversation that has been framed by the opposing viewpoint. The Christian doesn’t lose the argument at the micro-level. The argument is lost from the beginning because of how the discussion is framed.

Building Deep Relationships Before Sharing Christ? Impossible! (November 9, 2010)

It’s true that effective evangelism usually takes place after trustworthy relationships have been built. But something is amiss when we can “get to know” people well over a period of months and never talk about Jesus.

So You Want to Go Deeper… (January 6, 2011)

I once met a youth pastor who was so frustrated with accusations of “shallowness” and demands for “more depth” that he told me, “Fine! If they want to go deeper, I’m going to go so deep it drives them nuts. I’ll drown them in depth!” Not exactly the best posture to take as a disciple-maker of the next generation.

I didn’t like the youth pastor’s attitude. But I did understand his frustration. Sometimes it’s hard to please the people clamoring for “deeper” teaching because everyone seems to have a different idea of what “deep” is.

Urban Legends: The Preacher’s Edition (April 27, 2011)

Those of us who are entrusted with the task of expositing the Scriptures in a local church must take care to verify our sources, illustrations, and stories. No matter how helpful an illustration may be, it is dishonoring to God if it is untrue.

Here are a number of urban legends that get repeated in sermons. Some are more pervasive than others, even appearing in commentaries and scholarly works…

This week, I’m taking a break from posting new content, and since this blog is turning 5, we’re taking a look at some past Kingdom People posts. Here are some notable posts from the blog’s third year (2008-09).

I’m convinced one of the reasons people like this blog is because of the interesting people who agree to be interviewed here. Blogs that are all about the blogger usually bore me, primarily because none of us are as interesting as we think we are. So I try to point people to interesting people that I run across and interesting ideas that deserve a hearing.

One of the most interesting people I’ve interviewed here at Kingdom People is Andy Crouch. I sent him a few questions about Culture Making, which he answered at length. Crouch’s work is provocative and engaging, and even when people disagree with his conclusions, his work serves to stimulate good discussion about the creation mandate. “Interview with Andy Crouch” (January 9, 2009)

During Kingdom People’s third year, I also began posting more regularly about pro-life issues, beginning with this post after Obama’s election titled “Can the Pro-Life Movement Succeed?”

The 2008 presidential election represents a major setback for the pro-life cause. President Obama will likely replace two or three judges on the Supreme Court. His replacements are sure to maintain the majority opinion that favors Roe vs. Wade.

Despite this major setback, the ascendancy of Obama to the highest office in the land fills me with tremendous hope that the abortion debate will be turned around in this country. Why?

I also started writing more regularly about issues related to the Southern Baptist Convention. My favorite post on SBC matters is where I tried to imitate C. S. Lewis by offering Screwtape the demon’s perspective on Convention matters. “Screwtape on the Southern Baptist Convention” (March 30, 2009)

The fact that we lost the battle over the Book almost caused me to lose hope. But we still have a chance. The gospel and the cursed Commission are the tools the Enemy has used against us all these years. You will do well to make sure that these Baptists focus on everything else.

I fear what lies in store for us. The Enemy will not give up on these people. So neither should we.

For the first three years of blogging, an inordinate amount of my focus was on reading and reviewing books. I’ve backed off the reviews a little bit in recent years, but I still like to tackle the books creating the most conversation. The Shack was one of those books:

We should never let a cultural phenomenon go by without wondering about the reasons for its popularity. Here are a few reasons I think The Shack is so popular…

As this blog turns 5 this week, I’m pulling out some posts from the archive and giving them new life. Yesterday, we looked at several posts from Kingdom People’s first year. Today, we’re jumping into Year 2.

The most monumental blog post of Kingdom People’s second year was the podcast and lengthy transcript from my sit-down conversation with N.T. Wright - “Interview with N.T. Wright – Full Transcript” (November 19, 2007). I had been reading Wright since my years in Romania, primarily his work on Jesus. I had recently begun to read up on the controversy surrounding his views on justification and Paul. Wright agreed to an hour-long interview at Asbury Seminary, where he answered a number of questions related to his life and work as well as the current discussions of justification. A few months later, I sat down with Bishop Wright again in Nashville to discuss his book Surprised by Hope. In the second interview, I brought up specific criticisms from Mark Dever, Doug Wilson, and other pastors and theologians.

One of the longer blog posts I wrote in 2008 was called “Don’t Replace the Substitute!” I registered my concern with replacing reductionistic, past presentations of the gospel with newer presentations that were equally reductionistic:

When I evaluate a gospel presentation, I try to imagine what kind of disciple the presentation will produce. The gospel presentations of past generations have given us individualistic Christians without an understanding of the missio Dei and the nature of the church. They need to be fixed.

But I hope we don’t trade the inadequate presentations from the past with other inadequate presentations. I can see future generations who have grown up with this newer presentation asking questions like, “What does the gospel say about my guilt? How do I know I’m okay with God? How can I be sure I’ve been doing enough for the Kingdom?” And eventually, we will have self-focused, self-centered Christians who have turned introspective precisely because the gospel presentation they heard and believed did not say much to them about that.

During the spring of 2008, I began gathering a number of definitions of “the gospel” in an ongoing series titled “Gospel Definitions.” As far as I know, the result became the largest grouping of gospel definitions on the Internet today. Carefully working through these definitions was instrumental in helping me develop the ideas that would turn into the book Counterfeit Gospels.

Also of note during the blog’s second year – the 2008 presidential campaign. I did quite a few posts about the campaign, including this one, which analyzed what we learned from the campaign slogans of both candidates: “Yes We Can? What Our Campaign Slogans Tell Us About America” (September 16, 2008).

“Yes We Can” has become the mantra of the Obama campaign. ”Country First” has become the tagline for the McCain camp. No doubt these easy-to-remember slogans will help the strategies of both campaigns. But Christians should carefully consider both the commendable and the condemnable aspects of these sayings.

As promised yesterday, we are taking a look back through the past five years of this blog’s history. Here are some highlights from Kingdom People’s first year (October 2006-September 2007).

The first significant blog series that I did was done out of curiosity. Having spent several years in a country dominated by Eastern Orthodoxy, I was curious about Orthodox theology and why some American evangelicals were converting to Orthodoxy while Orthodox adherents in Romania were converting to evangelicalism. To explore the differences, I interviewed two converts who went opposite ways and then pointed out the major fault line between the two traditions: sola Scriptura. 

• Theron’s Story: Why I Left Evangelicalism for Eastern Orthodoxy (November 8, 2006)
• John’s Story: Why I Left Eastern Orthodoxy for Evangelicalism (November 9, 2006)
• Sola Scriptura: The Dividing Line Between the Orthodox and Evangelicals (November 10, 2006)

The most trafficked post of Kingdom People’s first year dealt with the rise of church gossip blogs. I had come across a blog devoted to demeaning and diminishing the ministry of the pastor who had recently followed Adrian Rogers as pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church. I thought the development of publicizing this kind of church gossip would do great harm to churches and ministries, so I wrote a post called “How ‘Saving Bellevue’ is Destroying Bellevue” (February 8, 2007). The Bellevue furor has since died down, but blogs devoted to critiquing mega-church pastors and their ministries have only increased.

Ironically, more damage is being done by the effort to “preserve” Bellevue by ousting Gaines. The people running this Web site are airing their dirty laundry for the whole world to see. Bellevue is suffering, Gaines is suffering, and ultimately Memphis is suffering because the reputation of a great church has now been stained and will probably suffer reproach for several years. The church’s credibility in the community is eroding. There are people all over the country and the world who are logging on to SavingBellevue.com and reading the gossip.

Here’s an article that still challenges me today, and it’s one of my first blog posts that was published in print: “The Upside-Down Resume” (May 10, 2007).

Have you ever felt as if you were swimming upstream against a current of paperwork? When I plunged into the seminary application river, I expected an invigorating swim. Instead, I was swept away by the details that flooded my mind as I sought to enhance my résumé. Two weeks later, I finally managed to wade ashore, soaking wet, but triumphantly clinging to a single sheet listing all my shining achievements and spiritual victories. Yet before I had fully savored the moment of accomplishment, the Holy Spirit quietly reminded me of the utter frailty of my good deeds in comparison to the Savior’s cross. Suddenly my mindset was turned upside-down, and the paper that listed my triumphs crumpled into a soggy mess.

Here’s one more post you might find interesting since we are coming up on Reformation Day: “Top Ten Moments in Reformation History” (July 24, 2007).

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact starting and ending dates for the Reformation, but we can point to two events that seem to begin and to culminate the Reformation era: 1517 (Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses and his protest against the indulgence system of the Roman Catholic Church) and 1648 (The Peace of Westphalia, treaties that ended both the Thirty Years War and the Eighty Years War and thus put an end to most of the civil disruption caused by the religious movement). Here are the ten most important moments within that time frame…

Five years ago this week, I registered a new blog on WordPress and called it “Kingdom People.” From time to time, readers ask me about the circumstances that led to the beginning of this blog. The five-year mark is as good a time as any to tell the story of how the blog got going. Over the next few days, I will be linking to and commenting on some older posts in the archives.

A Major Move

The decision to launch this blog in October 2006 was made during a particularly difficult time in our life and ministry. Fifteen months earlier, I was wrapping up my fifth and final year as a missionary and student in Romania. Corina and I had been married for just three years, we had a one-year-old son, and we had settled into a life of service in several village churches. As much as we loved life in Romania, my wife and I sensed God calling us back to the United States.

Moving back to the States as a family turned out to be much more difficult than leaving for Romania on my own when I was 19. The knowledge that our decisions affected multiple people – family members on both sides of the Atlantic, and especially our son – added weight to our thought processes. In the end, we obeyed. We endured the tough goodbyes, abandoned nearly all of our possessions in Romania, and then flew to the States with five suitcases between us. A week later, we moved to Louisville, KY, where I was to begin seminary. After we unloaded our few belongings, we wept together, sensing that the beautiful first chapters of our journey had officially come to a close.

Seminary and Ministry

During our time in seminary, ministry opportunities proved difficult to come by. I applied for positions at the seminary, sought opportunities in local churches, and added my name to any ministry-help list I could find. But ministry doors remained closed. I assumed that five years of cross-cultural missions experience would open doors for me to minister again in an American context. Unfortunately, it sometimes felt like my missionary experience was a liability, not an asset.

The eighteen months we lived in Louisville were lonely and trying for our family. Aside from a couple of country churches that asked me to do some pulpit supply, I went for more than a year without preaching or teaching. The frustration was compounded by the fact that I didn’t have an outlet to share with others the biblical insights I was gaining from my classes at Southern Seminary. Nevertheless, I am grateful that the Lord put us through this season. The Lord strengthened our resolve, focused my calling, and increased our empathy for others going through similar circumstances.

The Blog as an Outlet

In October of 2006, we were especially discouraged as a ministry position had opened up to us and then fallen through. I was bursting with passion for teaching and preaching, but since the doors had remained closed to that type of ministry, I decided to channel my passion into writing.

I’ve long felt compelled to write, even from childhood. There were thoughts in my head and stories in my heart that had to get out. Writing was the only way I knew how to think through and organize the thoughts that kept ping-ponging in my mind. The more I learned in seminary, the more I felt like these Scriptural truths were just too great to keep to myself. If I couldn’t preach, I could write. So why not blog?

I had dabbled in blogging since September 2004 on a different site, but my busy schedule had reduced the regularity and consistency of my writing. So I decided to switch to a WordPress blog, change the name to “Kingdom People” and begin with a new goal of blogging daily. I organized different types of posts for different days of the week.

Development of a Blog

Within a few months, the Lord opened a door for me to serve as an associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Shelbyville, TN. While we were in Shelbyville, the blog morphed into something more pastoral as my new ministry context served to shape me and my thought.

For the first two years, I saw “Kingdom People” as a hobby rather than a ministry tool. I thought of my local church as the place where true ministry took place. My blog was just something on the side. I was encouraged to hear from pastors and church leaders who found the content helpful, but I didn’t think of the blog as anything more than a hobby.

Then in late 2008, my pastor and another respected Christian leader challenged my view of the blog as a hobby. At different times and in different ways, these men advised me to rethink the purpose of my blog and start looking at it as an extension of my local church ministry. They challenged me to take seriously the increasing number of people who were reading the blog and to start looking at my blog in terms of service and stewardship. I’m thankful they pushed me to be a better steward of people’s time.

5 Years

So that’s the back story to the blog. Five years later, I’m grateful for God’s providence. Out of a time of personal struggle, God brought about something good. I’m glad He did… and still does.

Over the next few days, I will be linking to and commenting on some of the more significant posts from the “Kingdom People” archive. I hope you enjoy the retrospective look at the past five years of “Kingdom People.”