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 The biological sibling who is not here has been replaced by sisters and brothers who have hugged me through tears, taken my dirty laundry and returned it washed and folded, and driven 50 miles round-trip to buy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
The Internet Makes Us All Miserable
Don’t let the Internet determine how you see yourself. Serve faithfully and let God be the judge.
Every day hundreds of people post about the awesome life they are living. Newly engaged couples post photos of themselves sitting together, foreheads touching, fingers intertwined. Meanwhile, you’re single, with no prospects other than a full Netflix queue. Parents give a shout out to their four year old, who just learned one hundred Latin words.... Continue Reading
Six Ways to Look Godly While Not Growing Your Faith in 2014
For 2014, six ways to look godly while doing little
Rearrange the Christian books on your bookshelves. Last year, #6 was “Buy Christian books and put them straight on your bookshelf”. This year, you can save yourself some money by simply rearranging the ones you bought last year. After all, only really seriously godly Christians read books twice. Leave a few scattered around your house,... Continue Reading
The Lord’s Day and Discipleship
Jesus established the priority of the local church and Lord’s Day ministry in discipleship
Pastors can be reticent to speak about the Lord’s Day, fearing perceptions of legalism or self-aggrandizement. But we need to be reminded through teaching and the example of church officers of the importance of the Lord’s Day for Christian discipleship. As Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27). The Lord’s Day is... Continue Reading
Was Calvin Advocating Introspection as the Way to Know God?
Know God. Know yourself. Know yourself to know your need of God. Know God to know you are not gods
We must know God, not in order to understand our feelings, temperament, and history-again there is a place for all this-but to understand our need for God. For when we see God as he has revealed himself, “What wonderfully impressed us under the name of wisdom will stink in its very foolishness.” It has... Continue Reading
Genesis 9: Honor Authority
The failures of righteous men are a constant and recurring theme throughout Scripture
Do not interpret God’s long-suffering grace with always-suffering grace. The Hamites or Canaanites were shown common grace by God for many centuries. God was long-suffering in judging them. Their day of condemnation did not come until Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and Joshua led them across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Even... Continue Reading