Conservative leader Bill Gothard resigns following abuse allegations
Gothard’s resignation from the Institute in Basic Life Principles comes a week after he was put on administrative leave.
Gothard told the Board of Directors he wanted to follow the New Testament command to listen to those who made accusations against him, according to an email sent from David Waller, administrative director of the Advanced Training Institute to families involved in the ministry. Bill Gothard, an Illinois-based advocate for home schooling and conservative dress... Continue Reading
Baking Cakes for Caesar: Why We Need Freedom to Say ‘No’
The call for tolerating same-sex marriage has become a demand for compliance
Even if we assume that Jesus would participate in a gay “wedding,” does that mean we should force everyone to do it? Stamping out the freedom of those whose consciences differ is still unthinkable. I’d never want a judge to order a bakery owned by someone who identifies as gay or lesbian to be forced... Continue Reading
Why I Want My Kids To Be Brainwashed
"I don't want to send our son to church to be brain-washed like those Stoddard kids!"
At the root of the problem is that we put ourselves at the center of the universe and think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We become our own standard, make our own sense out of this world and only trust our own faulty thinking when it comes to making decisions. This process of... Continue Reading
The Christian’s Glorious Freedom
You may have been a Christian for some time and yet not grasped your new status in Christ
But when you begin to understand that in Christ you died to sin and have now been delivered from the dominion of sin; that you are no longer under its bondage; that you no longer need to be a victim of its subtle paralysis—then you find yourself saying not only “Isn’t this amazing grace?” but... Continue Reading
Wise Words on Preaching
Helpful comments on preaching
“The preacher should have grappled with the meaning of the text in his preparation, desiring the Spirit-given purpose of the biblical text to become real in his own life. He should enter the pulpit as someone who has been chastened by the Spirit, or given new hope, or set out on a new course of... Continue Reading
U.S. Evangelicals on the Defense Over Uganda’s New Anti-Homosexuality Act
American evangelicals are denouncing a new Uganda law that criminalizes homosexuality
Since 2009, several American pastors and leaders have condemned legislation in Uganda that in its initial version imposed the death penalty for some offenders. Under the revised law signed recently by President Yoweri Museveni, the death penalty was removed and replaced with life in prison in some cases. Now, American evangelicals who insist they never supported... Continue Reading
Soldier Chooses Duty Above Self
Staff Sgt. David L. Thomas, an army of noncommissioned officer, was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer that metastasized to the brain but has chosen to continue his service
“It was the day after my 46th birthday that I was diagnosed,” Thomas said. “I also learned that I had actually had lung cancer for more than two years, including during my last deployment to Afghanistan.” Elizabeth said her initial reaction was shock. “I remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m hearing these words,” she said.... Continue Reading
When Will Life Ever Make Sense?
We accept the fact that bad things happen to good people: Are we being tested? We remind ourselves, sometimes grasping for straws, that Job was tested, too.
“But yet – I know this; we all do – the crud of life is still crud. To my friend dealing with the worst cancer news, what can I say, what can any of us say? Of course we pray for healing. Of course we trust God’s mysterious ways. Of course we try to believe... Continue Reading
Walking Through Fire
Despite dementia, Elisabeth Elliot Gren holds fast to Scripture.
“Since the onset of dementia about a decade ago, the best-selling and widely known Christian author communicates mostly through slight hand gestures and facial expressions.” Lars Gren led me down a dim hallway to a simple room lit magnificently by floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the Atlantic Ocean. A slim, elderly woman dressed... Continue Reading
Family Worship 101
Family worship is not merely a religious discipline; it is a meeting with the triune God in a spirit of adoration by means of three key ingredients.
“Family worship is an indispensible instrument for instilling both old and young with a consciousness of the Lord, His Word, and our call to worship. In research for a recent book, George Barna demonstrates that parents who pass along to their children the baton of spiritual maturity and vitality have one thing in common: they... Continue Reading