Listening to Young Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity
Asking the question: What led you to become an atheist?
These students heard plenty of messages encouraging “social justice,” community involvement, and “being good,” but they seldom saw the relationship between that message, Jesus Christ, and the Bible. Listen to Stephanie, a student at Northwestern: “The connection between Jesus and a person’s life was not clear.” This is an incisive critique. She seems to have... Continue Reading
Another Look at the Bikini Question
We need to be careful not to encourage false confidence in a dress code
Clark compares our wearing a bikini in the company of men to someone following us around with chocolate cake when we are on a diet. Is this analogy fair? First of all, I am a woman made in the image of God, not a piece of cake. Isn’t that a huge part of the problem... Continue Reading
How Many Points?
How many points? Surely there are more than five
The Reformed faith includes reference to total inability, unconditional election, limited efficiency of Christ’s satisfaction, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints, not as the sum total of the church’s confession but as elements that can only be understood in the context of a larger body of teaching including the baptism of infants, justification by... Continue Reading
Super Bowl Champ Matt Birk Skips Meeting With Obama Over ‘God Bless Planned Parenthood’ Remark
When Obama made his remarks about Planned Parenthood, Birk decided to protest by missing out on a visit to the White House with the rest of the champion Ravens.
“…. I have great respect for the office of the presidency but about five or six weeks ago, our president made a comment in a speech and he said, ‘God bless Planned Parenthood.’ ” Birk, a devout Christian, has taken public stances before, especially recently when it has come to gay rights issues. Birk notably... Continue Reading
‘My God, My Father, Blissful Name’: A Hymn of Patient Hope in God
Anne Steele’s poetry focuses on God who reassured her life as all around seemed uncertain
In Anne Steele’s life, the rain was falling. She longed for the sun to warm her days, but often she was given no respite from pain and loneliness. She felt out of control. And the gracious, merciful Father she saw in the Scriptures picked her up, and held her, and it calmed her down. ... Continue Reading
The Bible Becomes A Bestseller In Norway
In Norway, people are buying more Bibles than any other book
The excitement started when The Norwegian Bible Society published a new Bible translation in 2011. Contributors included many Greek and Hebrew scholars, as well as many well known authors and poets. They worked from the original Greek and Hebrew texts.…People lined up outside stores to be the first to purchase the new translation. A year... Continue Reading
Christianity Explored Appoints First Executive Director in North America
Dr. Alan J. Avera has been appointed as executive director of Christianity Explored USA
Christianity Explored is an informal seven-week course for people who would like to investigate Christianity, or just brush up on the basics. Looking at Mark’s gospel, it explores who Jesus is, why he came, and what it means to follow him. This can be summarized in three words: Identity, Mission, and Call. Dr. Alan... Continue Reading
The Drastic Decline in Mainline Churches: A Warning for Other Churches
Conservative churches need to grow by more than just with transfers
But I often find those churches that call themselves “contemporary” or “seeker -sensitive” to be facile and sophomoric. We now actually have young adults, those in their late teens and in their twenties, who were raised in a seeker –sensitive environment, who are now joining “liturgical” churches. When asked why, some answer to the effect... Continue Reading
A Preview of the 2013 EPC General Assembly
The 33rd General Assembly meeting of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church will be held at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo., June 18-22
A big part of the assembly will be the integration of hundreds of new delegates from churches that have realigned their denominational affiliation to the EPC in the past 12 months. Every minister member of the EPC and a complement of elders from every EPC congregation may be seated as commissioners. With more than 400... Continue Reading
Everyone ‘Homeschools’
‘Homeschooling’ is about the everyday need for parents to live and teach God's Word
I attended the public school. My entire childhood. And yet my father and mother homeschooled me. Such an understanding of the biblical mandate to train children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord should be a uniting truth among Christians who disagree over formal methods. Christian nurture is not about any specific formal or... Continue Reading