Sometimes God sees fit to allow the church to take a giant step forward, as in the days of the Reformation, but more often the church has slowly and deliberately developed doctrine that accords to Scripture. Today we have unprecedented access to the Scripture and to resources dealing with the Bible. For this we ought... Continue Reading

In the words of the Missouri Presbytery’s report on their investigation of Revoice, “The statement alienated the Side B community, who felt that the authors of the Nashville Statement did not consider the,ir [sic] viewpoints or experiences. They were especially offended by the language ‘we deny adopting a homosexual or transsexual self-conception is consistent with God’s holy... Continue Reading

We all like strength. We want it for ourselves and for our heroes, and the advertising companies bank on this desire, bombarding us with products that will make us strong, tough, resilient, and victorious. But what if that strength eludes us? What if it seems completely out of reach?   One of my favorite movies... Continue Reading

A disturbing fact that should motivate Christians toward vigilant, courageous action is that sexual misconduct and abuse of power happens even among us. To us. By us. It’s not only those “out there,” like the child in the car, who need protection, but all those who are vulnerable within the church.   A heartbreaking twenty-year... Continue Reading

It’s easier to remain at a baby or immature stage of theological knowledge than to struggle through understanding the complexities of the doctrine of justification or to work through comprehending the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. But the problem with remaining at a baby stage in our knowledge on these points is that... Continue Reading

This story is symbolic of the way entrepreneurial North American evangelicals often operate. Mahaney saw a talented young man, he plucked him from obscurity, and groomed him to become his successor. This is not how a real church operates but it is the way American evangelicals often operate. Christian, you need to learn that there... Continue Reading

Psalm 104 celebrates the Lord’s marvelous provision. Yahweh’s trees, the cedars of Lebanon, are watered abundantly (v. 16). The Lord provides for a wide variety of creatures (from stork to rock badger; vv. 16–18). He makes the moon to shine at night and the sun in the day (v. 19). As part of God’s perfect,... Continue Reading

The fact Jesus saw fit to load the prayer he taught his followers with this dark reminder should not go unnoticed. Not only does it press home to those who truly pray this prayer how much the cross of Jesus really matters, it actually leads us into the breath-taking panoramic knowledge of the God to... Continue Reading

Jesus once said to his disciples, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” (Matt 8:26). The disciples had put their trust in Jesus and made their new allegiances known, and now Jesus was calling them to grow in their confidence in him. As his disciples, we, too, are invited to hear the question and... Continue Reading

We can easily misinterpret what is being said; we can get locked into a tradition of interpretation which isn’t actually faithful to the text; and we can use the story to suit our own agenda. (I read a sermon last week on the Parable of the ‘Good’ Samaritan, and it turned out that the point... Continue Reading