Exegesis has Consequences
Not only do ideas have consequences, so too does exegesis
If we are faithful, then we, like Paul, seek to handle God’s Word not deceitfully but with integrity and open accountability before God and all those who hear (2 Cor. 4:2). We must not be peddlers or corrupters of God’s Word (2 Cor. 2:17). Rather, we preach Christ and faith in Him. We must remember... Continue Reading
When the New Year Doesn’t Feel New
It’s inevitable, all things corrode, wear down or die
So how do you tap into these promises and begin to experience the newness that has begun in the coming of Christ? The clue is found in verse 6. Do you see the word thirsty? That is where it begins. Thirsty people are aware that they need something outside of themselves in order to survive. You... Continue Reading
The Confidence of Jerry Coyne
Eliminative-materialism makes a kind of hard-and-fast moral realism logically impossible; it can never get to an absolute “thou shalt not murder”
The theme of his argument is the crucial importance of human agency under eliminative materialism, but if under materialist premises the actual agent is quite possibly a fiction, then who exactly is this I who “reads” and “learns” and “teaches,” and why in the universe’s name should my illusory self believe Coyne’s bold proclamation that his illusory self’s purposes... Continue Reading
Possible Reasons Why Churches Don’t Pursue Being Cross Cultural
Some problems or obstacles to developing cross cultural churches
Most minorities learn such skills in order to survive while living in a majority context. Missionaries learn these skills intentionally in order to serve the people group to which they are called. We speak here of learning cultural cues, language, the history, glory, hopes, and fears of a people group. We speak here of “friend... Continue Reading
Will Utah Eventually End America’s Same-Sex Marriage Debate?
The final ruling on Kitchen v. Herbert could accomplish what DOMA and Prop. 8 cases failed to do.
The case will now go through the Tenth Circuit, which granted an expedited briefing schedule for the state’s appeal. Utah’s successful request for a stay of Shelby’s ruling restores the same-sex marriage ban in Utah until the appeal process is complete. More than 900 gay and lesbian couples have already married since the ruling. The... Continue Reading
Evangelicals and Hollywood Muck
At what point does our cultural engagement become just a sophisticated way of being worldly?
I find it hard to imagine the ancient Israelites admiring the artwork on the Asherah poles they were called to tear down. I find it hard to picture the early church fathers attending the games at the Roman coliseum, praising the artistic merits of the arena even as they provide caveats against violence. Yet now... Continue Reading
How to Love Your Gay Neighbor
How to deal compassionately with real people in morally tragic and complicated circumstances.
It is true that Jesus cared about individual people and was stern with those who prosecuted sin ungraciously and cruelly. He came to call sinners to repentance, to seek and to save the wayward and the lost, but He never stood against the truth in doing so. He was faithful to the law even as... Continue Reading
To Everyone Who Has Left Father or Mother
Jesus’ final promise to those who leave family is the most sweet: “and in the age to come, [you will receive] eternal life.”
I may not have my mother living down the street, but I have never lacked for anything. The biological sibling who is not here has been replaced by sisters and brothers who have hugged me through tears, taken my dirty laundry and returned it washed and folded, and driven 50 miles round-trip to buy preemie... Continue Reading
Teach Like a Girl
Women who use their gifts to teach the Scripture—whether through writing or speaking—can sometimes feel like their femininity is a weakness.
So to all you Priscillas and Dorothys out there who have been gifted to communicate the word of God, do so; and do so out of your femininity. Do not be afraid of your curves or what Kuyper calls the “tenderness of feminine appeal.” Do not believe that you must adopt a masculine voice or... Continue Reading
Don’t Let Your Kids Say This Phrase: “That’s Not Fair!”
This is an insidious phrase, revealing a sin so bankrupt it goes back to the very beginning, back to the Fall of Man.
When we say, “That’s not fair”, we are saying to God, you haven’t distributed things as evenly as I would. Even though I’m a sinful human, I know much more about what is just and right than you. That’s a dangerous position to be in, because we know from Scripture that God is the perfect... Continue Reading