But I’m hearing a fair bit of defeatism among younger Christians, defeatism that may also bleed into spiritual laxness. Grace is big, and our fundamental reality as believers, yes. But we are saved to grow. The gospel is super-charged. It transforms us (Romans 12:1-2). Paul’s expectation was that his Roman audience, for example, really would... Continue Reading

Men preparing for the ministry can easily become blindly ambitious, even idolatrous, without realizing it. When that happens, we risk turning our wives into means to making much of ourselves. If they get in the way of our goals, we run them over. It’s therefore critical, as I say, to stop, loosen our grip on... Continue Reading

I’m convinced that we don’t really have a conflict here. What James is saying is this: If a person says he has faith, but he gives no outward evidence of that faith through righteous works, his faith will not justify him. Martin Luther, John Calvin, or John Knox would absolutely agree with James. We are... Continue Reading

“There was an excitement coming into the vote,” Campbell observed. “I think there was a quiet sigh of relief when the results were announced. We’re ready to move on.“ This church is so excited. As stressful as this (process) has been, our attendance has grown, our giving has grown, and we have people waiting to... Continue Reading

So there are a great many things to which, if any mere mortal today were to try them in Spurgeon’s name, the title of this post would make a sufficient response. Here are a few examples: “I know I’m only 16 and I’ve only been saved for one year, but I want to get up... Continue Reading

Good ends justifying means. It is a sad fact that many victims of other kinds of abuse have been asked to be silent for the sake of community comfort. Indeed, community comfort is important. But forcing a victim of abuse to be silent and to forego seeking justice is a form of spiritual abuse.  ... Continue Reading

In my original post, I contended that apart from the Bible there is no salvation. Bird thinks that this is “Christologically disastrous” and that this suggests that one can be saved by the Bible apart from Christ. This critique pushes language to the brink. I wonder if Bird would offer the same critique of David’s... Continue Reading

Sometimes I meet leaders who want all of the influence without any of the hassle. But that’s not how it works. The more people who report to you, the more people who can be upset with you. The more people who listen to your message, follow your tweets, and read your stuff, the more people... Continue Reading

Humphrey also noted that it would only be a matter of time before gay adults began participating in the BSA as well. “The LGBT community has already said it — it’s going to be the next logical step,” he said.   Neal Humphrey, pastor of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in north Utah, recently resigned as... Continue Reading

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