Knowing vs. Feeling in Worship
Don’t ask me what I feel about myself. Ask me what I know about God.
The Christian faith engages our minds. This is something that we ought to keep reminding ourselves of, so that we don’t allow our minds to fossilize, and that we continue to be sharpened and to make progress. “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed we have a building from God,... Continue Reading
Let’s Rethink This “Covenant” Issue, Shall We
On the other hand, we could just continue to rehash the same old issues in the same old ways.
But all this stress on covenant, what we might call “pervasive covenantalism,” raises the question of whether prominence has turned into overemphasis and imbalance. Are we dealing, as OT scholar John Stek has argued in a fine but somewhat overlooked article (“Covenant Overload in Reformed Theology,” Calvin Theological Journal 29 (1994): 12-41), with a case of “covenant... Continue Reading
Partisan fighting spells trouble for church insurance under Obamacare
The concern is that the church plans won’t be viable if everyone who can get a tax credit leaves and goes to the state exchange
A bill under consideration would assure that employees insured under church plans could use the same tax credits offered to people on government exchanges. In June, Democratic Senators Mark Pryor (Ark.) and Chris Coons (Del.) introduced the Church Health Plan Act of 2013 aimed at allowing church employees to apply for tax credits. More than 1 million pastors and... Continue Reading
The Myth of the Perfect Millennial Church
After searching high and low, this generation ends up just as lost as most of us once were.
The church’s worship is never about me, or my generation, or even about what one writer called “something bigger than me.” It’s about God. And only in thoughtful reference to his word can we have a church for all generations. [Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced is no longer valid, so the link has been... Continue Reading
The Newest in Marriage Degeneration: Wedleases
Human relations have been reduced to the contractual.
A “bad” relationship and “messy” divorce point to the great fear that spurs the wedlease idea. Marriage carries inconvenience and dissatisfaction. People get hurt, make mistakes, and inflict harm. The modern West has stripped away safeguards against the all-consuming self. Easy divorce, lax cultural expectations, and enshrined fulfillment pave the way for social disassociation. It... Continue Reading
A Gameplan for Combating Worry
Anxiety is a universal human experience, and you need to approach it with a plan.
It’s not as though your Father doesn’t care about the things you worry about: your friends, your health, your money, your children, and so forth. Your Father knows what you need. You can go to Him with the things that concern you. Cast your cares on Him, because He cares for you. You’ll have to leave your... Continue Reading
Pastoral Visitation: The God-Given Responsibility to Shepherd
How should one prepare for a pastoral visit?
Out of this spiritual inventory should flow a second area of preparation. Are there any areas in your Christian experience with which you are having problems? In James 5:16 we are called to confess our sins to one another. The pastoral visit is the perfect time to be honest and open about your problems. Are you having... Continue Reading
Breaking News: Pastor Accepts Call to Smaller Church
That's not a headline you see very often
I will admit that some smaller churches are so far down the life-cycle and so dysfunctional that they are unlikely to ever turn around, but I also know that there are many smaller churches that are just praying that someone will come to lead them who believes in them. When such a person accepts the... Continue Reading
Should You Look for a Job You’re Passionate About?
“Don’t focus on the value your work offers you,” Newport says. “That’s the passion mindset. Instead focus on the value you produce through your work: how your actions are important, how you’re good at what you do, and how you’re connected to other people.” When you do, the passion will follow–and if you work hard... Continue Reading
“I Am Not a Monster”—Ariel Castro as Sinner and Sociopath
“I am not a monster. I am a normal person. I am just sick.” Those were among the words Ariel Castro addressed to an Ohio judge
It is normal—indeed universal—for human beings to be sinners, but few among us are sociopaths. And for that we must be ever thankful. Christians must thank God for the restraint against evil that he has given humanity. These restraints include the moral law, the human conscience, government, social structures, and the providence of God in... Continue Reading