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Mark Roberts

Columnist

The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo above.)

Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary.

Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After “I Believe” (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014.

Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling: Everyday Conversations About Work, Life, and God, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His “Daily Reflections” can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up.

Mark blogs daily at Mark D. Roberts: Reflections on Christ, Culture and Church.

Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column “Lyrical Poetry.” Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide.

Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.

Works by Mark Roberts

How to Make Your Job So Much More Than Just a Job

Mark Roberts | November 26, 2018

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A Simple "Thank You" That Makes a Big Difference

Mark Roberts | November 22, 2018

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Grace Will Find You Out

Mark Roberts | November 20, 2018

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Unflinching Hospitality

Mark Roberts | October 25, 2018

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Eugene Peterson When Nobody Was Looking

Mark Roberts | October 23, 2018

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The Sweet Taste of Friendship

Mark Roberts | October 06, 2018

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How Can I Really Love My Real Neighbors?

Mark Roberts | June 14, 2018

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Why I Don't Like Work-Life Balance Either

Mark Roberts | May 14, 2018

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Jeff Bezos Cares About Work and Home, But Not Work-Life...

Mark Roberts | May 12, 2018

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Preaching to Yourself and the Example of Bill Hybels

Mark Roberts | April 25, 2018

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Work, Justice, and Rest - A Biblical Basis

Mark Roberts | April 21, 2018

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Should After-Hours Email Be Illegal?

Mark Roberts | April 06, 2018

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Women as Witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus: Affirming...

Mark Roberts | April 04, 2018

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Women as Witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus: Affirming...

Mark Roberts | April 02, 2018

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Serving People Well Isn’t Just Right . . . It’s Also Good...

Mark Roberts | January 03, 2018

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Discovering Your True Business

Mark Roberts | December 27, 2017

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The Miraculous Christmas Smile

Mark Roberts | December 23, 2017

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The Little Lord Jesus, No Crying She Makes?

Mark Roberts | December 22, 2017

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Should We Replace “Evangelical”? A Simple Proposal

Mark Roberts | December 20, 2017

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Beyond Sexual Harassment: Dignity and the Influence of...

Mark Roberts | December 20, 2017

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Beyond Sexual Harassment: Dignity

Mark Roberts | December 18, 2017

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How Work Can Make a Difference in Your Faith: A Striking...

Mark Roberts | December 16, 2017

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Where is God When I Hate My Job?

Mark Roberts | December 14, 2017

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Is It Possible to Experience God’s Peace When Your Work Is...

Mark Roberts | December 12, 2017

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Experiencing the Presence of God in Your Work

Mark Roberts | December 11, 2017

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Can Your Work Make a Difference in Your Faith?

Mark Roberts | December 06, 2017

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Should You Take a Nap at Work?

Mark Roberts | December 06, 2017

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Why I Love Advent

Mark Roberts | November 30, 2017

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How I Learned About Advent

Mark Roberts | November 29, 2017

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Advent Basics: When? What? Colors?

Mark Roberts | November 28, 2017

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Sexual Harassment - Why It's Wrong and a Vision of a...

Mark Roberts | November 27, 2017

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How to Ruin Your Holiday Celebrations

Mark Roberts | November 24, 2017

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Is Gratitude a Leadership Weapon?

Mark Roberts | November 22, 2017

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Can Gratitude Improve Your Leadership?

Mark Roberts | November 20, 2017

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It's the Second Day of Lent. Why Does This Matter?

Mark Roberts | March 02, 2017

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Ash Wednesday: Practice and Meaning

Mark Roberts | February 28, 2017

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The Future of Not Working?

Mark Roberts | February 27, 2017

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Lent Begins This Week on Ash Wednesday

Mark Roberts | February 27, 2017

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Two Excellent Articles in the New York Times on Christmas

Mark Roberts | December 24, 2016

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How to Build the Perfect Team

Mark Roberts | March 02, 2016

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Harvard Crimson Upholds Value of Religious Diversity at...

Mark Roberts | March 01, 2016

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Finding Jesus at Work in The Atlantic

Mark Roberts | February 18, 2016

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What is Success, Really?

Mark Roberts | January 20, 2016

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Nick Saban Canoes the Mountains and His Team Wins the...

Mark Roberts | January 19, 2016

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Why Do We Love a Good Fire in the Fireplace?

Mark Roberts | January 16, 2016

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Leaders Need a Great Heart

Mark Roberts | December 04, 2015

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Advent Devotion: Waiting for the Shepherd

Mark Roberts | November 29, 2015

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God of Peaches

Mark Roberts | April 22, 2015

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The Curious Meaning of "God"

Mark Roberts | April 08, 2015

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First Impressions of God

Mark Roberts | April 06, 2015

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Insights for Leaders: Gratitude that Defines Reality

Mark Roberts | April 02, 2015

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Servant Leadership on Maundy Thursday

Mark Roberts | April 02, 2015

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“I’m Ba-a-ack”

Mark Roberts | April 01, 2015

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Congratulations HEB! One of Best Ten Places to Work in the...

Mark Roberts | December 11, 2014

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Does Place Really Matter? If So, Why?

Mark Roberts | December 11, 2014

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Does Place Really Matter?

Mark Roberts | December 05, 2014

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Ch-Ch-Changes

Mark Roberts | December 02, 2014

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The First Sunday of Advent: Waiting for the Shepherd

Mark Roberts | November 30, 2014

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Advent Begins Tomorrow. Today Is The Last Day of the...

Mark Roberts | November 29, 2014

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The Advent of Advent

Mark Roberts | November 28, 2014

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Enjoying Your Thanksgiving Dinner Twice

Mark Roberts | November 27, 2014

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Be Sure to Thank People Too!

Mark Roberts | November 25, 2014

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A Brief History of Thanksgiving

Mark Roberts | November 24, 2014

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Don't Overlook the Heart of Thanksgiving

Mark Roberts | November 23, 2014

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Can You Vandalize Vandalism? Imagine Lennon's Wall

Mark Roberts | November 20, 2014

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Nespresso Rocks!

Mark Roberts | November 18, 2014

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How Technology is Enriching My Season of Thanksgiving

Mark Roberts | November 17, 2014

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Astounding Freedom: A Reflection for Independence Day

Mark Roberts | July 04, 2013

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The Pastor as Father: Several Surprises

Mark Roberts | March 07, 2012

What kind of "father" are you?...

The Danger of "Clergyism"

Mark Roberts | February 08, 2012

The church will never become what God intends it to be until God's people embrace their......

Pastoring Is Always Personal: Is This Good News or Bad...

Mark Roberts | December 15, 2011

My last installment in the Pastor's Workshop showed that pastoring is always personal.......

Pastoring is Always Personal

Mark Roberts | November 30, 2011

The seventh part of Mark D. Roberts' "Master Class for Pastors" explains how pastoral......

Nine Stereotypes for Pastors

Mark Roberts | November 03, 2011

The sixth installment in a "Master Class for Pastors" considers the expectations that......

A Master Class for Pastors: Understanding Your Cultural...

Mark Roberts | October 18, 2011

What are the cultural barriers to your effectiveness as a pastor?...

Equipping All of God's People: Seminaries and the Mission...

Mark Roberts | October 17, 2011

If all of God's people are called into his ministry, why shouldn't seminaries at least......

A Master Class for Pastors: How Do You Talk About Your...

Mark Roberts | October 04, 2011

The very language you use to describe your church can encourage a healthy missional......

A Master Class for Pastors: The Impact of Thanksgiving

Mark Roberts | September 20, 2011

How communicating gratitude can change everything....

A Master Class for Pastors: Who Are Your Partners?

Mark Roberts | September 06, 2011

Are you struggling as a pastor because you're trying to do it alone?...

A Master Class for Pastors

Mark Roberts | August 09, 2011

Want to be a better pastor? Why not learn from the master....

The Craziest (and Perhaps the Best) Thing I Did as a...

Mark Roberts | July 28, 2011

Are you ready to be a fool for Christ? It may just change your ministry....

The Craziest (and Perhaps the Best) Thing I Did as a...

Mark Roberts | July 12, 2011

Our church's story of foolish worship....

Taking a Good Vacation from the Pastorate

Mark Roberts | June 28, 2011

What if you can't stop being a preacher?...

Preaching Living Water When Your Well Has Run Dry, Part 2

Mark Roberts | May 31, 2011

Is it possible that you might be a better preacher when you're spiritually dry?...

Preaching Living Water When Your Well Has Run Dry

Mark Roberts | May 17, 2011

How can you preach when you're exhausted?...

Essential Relationships for Pastors: The Loneliness of...

Mark Roberts | May 03, 2011

What relationships are essential for every pastor?...

The Peculiar Task of Preaching on Easter

Mark Roberts | April 13, 2011

Easter preaching is unusual. Why? What difference does this make for preachers?...

The Loneliness of Pastoring, Part Three: The Secrets of a...

Mark Roberts | March 29, 2011

Pastoring is a lonely business. But pastors don't have to be -- and shouldn't be -- as......

The Loneliness of Pastoring, Part 2

Mark Roberts | March 16, 2011

Does the professionalization of ministry lead to pastoral loneliness?...

The Loneliness of Pastoring, Part 1

Mark Roberts | March 02, 2011

A pastor's suicide points to how deeply lonely the pastoring experience can be....

3-D Preaching: The Technology of the Word

Mark Roberts | February 16, 2011

When does the use of cutting-edge technology serve more to undermine than enhance the......

The Groundhog Day Preacher

Mark Roberts | February 02, 2011

Improving your preaching takes daily and consistent work. Here's one approach....

Leading a Church in Challenging Financial Times

Mark Roberts | January 19, 2011

Financial turmoil can split a church . . . or hone its mission, motivate its laypeople,......

Exegeting Your Congregation

Mark Roberts | January 05, 2011

One of the most important tools of an effective preacher is a thorough understanding of......

Preaching on Christmas

Mark Roberts | December 22, 2010

How do you approach one of the toughest sermons of the year?...

Preaching the Neglected Christmas Story

Mark Roberts | December 08, 2010

We preach about the Magi from Matthew, or about shepherds and angels from Luke. But what......

Can Thanksgiving Transform Your Ministry?

Mark Roberts | November 24, 2010

Pastors, like all Christians, are called to give thanks at all times. But can......

Introducing "The Pastor's Workshop"

Mark Roberts | November 10, 2010

Pastors need a place where they can be themselves, where they can experiment, where they......

An Ironic Ending

Mark Roberts | February 24, 2010

At the empty tomb, God used ordinary people -- not heralds, not heroes, not kings -- to......

A Day of Dust, Ashes and Hope

Mark Roberts | February 18, 2010

The central meaning of Ash Wednesday is in our fragility and mortality, our desperate......

Out of the Deepest Pit: A Thursday Work Meditation

Mark Roberts | December 31, 2009

Even when all you can do is cry out in despair or shout in rage, keep talking with God....

A Mighty God, a "Little Town"

Mark Roberts | December 24, 2009

That God became human in the "Little Town of Bethlehem" shows the upside-down way in......

Taking Up Our Cross

Mark Roberts | December 10, 2009

The way to true life passes through death. How do we live this out in the workplace...

Making Time to Remember

Mark Roberts | November 25, 2009

Set aside time to remember Gods goodness True Thanksgiving will follow...

God's Inconvenient Truths

Mark Roberts | November 20, 2009

What if God is telling you something that you do not want to hear...

Who Touched Me?

Mark Roberts | November 13, 2009

A woman sought healing from Jesus Why did she reach out to him in secret...

Focusing on Your Primary Purpose

Mark Roberts | October 30, 2009

Christians are called to focus not on crowds and the will of men but on their calling......

Remembering the Sabbath

Mark Roberts | July 10, 2009

Why is the call to remember the Sabbath the one commandment we ignore without qualms?...

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