“Messy Grace is a powerful memoir of a child raised by two lesbian moms and a gay dad. Despite the negative depiction of angry Christians at gay pride marches and other public events, the young boy is befriended by compassionate Christians who share the rugged gospel with him—complete with its sexual ethic of biblical marriage between... Continue Reading

If you’re a layperson in the church, watch out for these people!  These aren’t Christians who have a tender conscience and need your open arms and open homes.  In fact, it’s best to stay away from such people.  If you’re a pastor or elder in a church, these bullies and abusers are the people from... Continue Reading

After viewing the film, I was motivated to climb back into the pulpit this coming Lord’s Day and preach the power of the Gospel afresh with the aid and help of the same Holy Spirit that filled the Doctor. If this film does anything, it helps to safeguard the power of preaching for another generation, especially in... Continue Reading

Where Wonka’s gospel fails is that it is rooted in moralism. Charlie is acceptable because he is too poor to be spoiled, too hungry to let his stomach guide him, too weak to be obsessed over chewing gum and too impoverished to watch television all day. I know from my research on the story that... Continue Reading

Why is Peanuts so popular?  It’s simple, lovable characters portray dilemmas, emotions and dreams most of us have experienced…or want to…or hope we never will.  Who hasn’t felt uncertain or insecure about love, friendship, or personal shortcomings?  We all know bossy know-it-alls (Lucy), loyal companions (Snoopy), “A-Dork-Able” nerds (Marcie), and soft-spoken sages (Linus).  We see... Continue Reading

But my list is guided by these main criteria: (a) books that focus on the theological side of biblical authority and not as much on the historical evidences for the Bible’s history (though some overlap is inevitable); (b) books that are “modern,” meaning they have been written sometime between the Reformation and the present (otherwise,... Continue Reading

“Evangelical preachers will want to take note of Packer’s strong words of caution (which have a wider application than just to the preacher). He assumes the content of preaching will come from Scripture, and insists a preacher know it and instill in his congregation a desire to learn it; the preacher, after all, is “there to teach from the Bible.”... Continue Reading

Things have not improved in our time. Vast numbers of people still listen to those who tell them what they want to hear without checking to see if this is what the Scriptures teach. “God is all love and everyone is going to heaven.” No! That is not what Jesus or the rest of the... Continue Reading

A fifth reason for education is the theological argument.  By this Riesen means that the Christian message itself is an intellectual thing and thus it lends itself to the project of education.  Theology is an ally of education, and the Bible itself tells us to think.  Finally, there is the apologetic argument for education.  This... Continue Reading

But the main reason that I bring up the confusion about the Book of Revelation and the error of dispensationalism is because I have had a couple conversations recently about these things. In these conversations, I’ve received questions about Reformed (or covenant) theology, eschatology (the study of the last days), and the book of Revelation.... Continue Reading