Four Rules To Simplify Christian Dating
Is it just me, or has the whole Christian dating / courting / dorting thing become really, really complicated?
When it comes to dating, God’s wisdom is desperately needed. There are so many issues which aren’t explicitly addressed by Scripture, and therefore require wisdom. Is it sinful for a couple to drive to a deserted area at night just to “hang out”? No, but it might not be the wisest thing. Is it wise... Continue Reading
The God Who Comforts
Have you experienced God’s comfort? How can you then comfort someone else?
Do you ever go through seasons of discouragement and wonder why your faith is so fragile? Do you ever think that since you’ve been a believer for so long, you shouldn’t ever struggle, experience weakness, or feel stabs of fear? Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the pressures of life and wondered what is wrong and... Continue Reading
Between Hagiography And Cynicism
We should tell the truth about the past as best we can and that includes letting the reader know that our subject was human and thus fallen.
It does no service to Christians now or in the future to beatify our forebears in the faith. An overly sanitized story is ultimately not a true story. Scripture itself is quite realistic in its portrayal of some of the great figures in redemptive history. One is repeatedly shocked by Moses’ brutal honesty not only in... Continue Reading
The Federal Vision and The Dualism Duel
In a system where salvation is all of grace, how can a common personal union with Christ securely save some and not securely save others?
Both Reformed theology and Federal Vision soteriology have their dualities; yet there is a crucial difference. The dualities in Reformed theology do not reach into the heart of the mystical union with Christ. In Reformed theology, there are no dualities that divide between those who are in union with Christ. In Reformed theology, all who... Continue Reading
The Doctrine of Justification Among the Puritans
Justification is a gospel mystery—a matter, that is, of divine revelation by grace
Baxter was convinced that those who held the ground and formal cause of our justification to be the imputing to us of Christ’s own righteousness (i.e., his fulfillment of the precept and penalty of the moral law) were logically committed to Antinomianism, on the “payment-God-will-not-twice-demand” principle. At this point in his thinking… Baxter assumed, with... Continue Reading
The Conflicting Narrative of Jerusalem
Jerusalem has two conflicting narratives accompanied by differing holidays, songs, and stories; this results in two identities that are in conflict with each other
Peace treaties do not negate long standing narratives that give identity. There must be a larger story … Jesus promised to bring a peace that this world cannot give. Such peace is both internal as it relates to Jesus giving us a clear conscience before God the Father, but also a peace between those who... Continue Reading
8 Tips For Talking to Your Kids About Sex
Maybe those of us who are religious and less conflicted about sex discussions need to offer some tips
Of course, if we want to raise children who care about something deeper and less fleeting than satisfying physical desires, that should be just one component of a larger discussion about who we are as humans, the gift of our sex, how our sexes complement each other, the significance of that complementarity, family formation, personal... Continue Reading
The Psychology Behind Messy Rooms: Why The Most Creative People Flourish In Clutter
Albert Einstein: “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, then what are we to think of an empty desk?”
While it might look completely random to strangers, a lot of times, a person’s mess is very methodical – with respect to himself. Psychological scientist Kathleen Vohs, from the University of Minnesota, who set out to debunk this urban legend, didn’t confine her study to solely the desk. No, Vohs, clearly a creative mind, chose... Continue Reading
Christ’s Love for the Law
Jesus understood God’s law to be positive and helpful, even if occasionally painful.
Living in our humanistic culture, there is probably no more hated word than ‘law’ (unless it’s pre-destination)! To our world apart from Christ, the ultimate priority is to live free from any constraint, allowed to authenticate oneself with one’s own choices. Many people in our age work as hard as they can for unbridled freedom.... Continue Reading
Slow-er Relationships
Social media and texting can damage your soul—they work against human design rather than with it
Get ready for a backlash—a surge in longer dinners with friends, tech-free small groups, and a general break out of a pent-up desire for human fellowship. Get ready for a retro movement back to slow-paced relationships. The pendulum is already swinging toward something more in sync with our humanity. But it will test us, because... Continue Reading