This past week I hosted a panel discussion entitled Ministry and Marriage in an Ashley Madison World: Staying Faithful in a Hyper-Sexualized World. Joining me on the panel were Midwestern College Dean John Mark Yeats, Professor of Theology Owen Strachan, and Kris McGee, Minister of Counseling Systems and Member Care at Redeemer Fellowship here in Kansas City.

The immediate reason for the panel was self-evident—the Ashley Madison Scandal and its aftermath. But the larger narrative of which Ashley Madison is just a small part—sexual anarchy and the ruin it has brought to so many lives, families, and ministries—may be the greatest challenge facing the church today. And it shows no sign of letting up.

As I conversed with the panelists and as we engaged questions from the crowd, I was struck by the alertness and engagement of the audience. Their questions were honest and urgent. It appeared as though we indeed struck a nerve.

The panel has near-universal application. All who care to guard their own hearts, and especially those in ministry charged with the shepherding of souls will find it helpful. I pray the Lord uses it to strengthen lives, marriages, and churches, and to help all three guard themselves from the evil one.

Last week I was pleased to welcome Dr. David Dockery, president of Trinity International University, to the campus of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Dockery spoke in chapel on Tuesday, delivering the State of Evangelicalism address. After chapel, I was honored to host a panel discussion with Dr. Dockery, Dr. Jason Duesing, and Dr. John Mark Yeats. I want to invite you to watch our conversation of many issues pertaining to evangelicalism. Read more