Why Jethro? The Wisdom of What God Doesn’t Say
Regarding secondary or administrative things, God leaves much to our figuring out
In Exodus 18, while visiting his famous son-in-law, Jethro observes Moses’s judicial administrative methods and then gives sage advice on delegation. The outcome was a much more effective and efficient way of serving the people. But why didn’t God just tell Moses that from the beginning? “Thus the Lord used to speak to... Continue Reading
Not a Celebrity Pastor’s Wife? That’s Okay!
You are not ordinary because God forgot to make you famous. You are ordinary because, from the beginning of time, He had good works planned for you to do
Ordinary women, being relational creatures, often see well-known men and women in ministry--the ones who write books, speak at conferences, launch ministries, or are married to people who do--and retreat into feelings of worthlessness. Stop it. Right. Now.
Will Piper, Carson, and Keller Alone Be Left Standing?
(Or why don’t rappers rap about Native Americans?)
Perhaps the best way out of this dilemma is to toughen up. After all, how happy were the early Christians hearing the apostle Paul quoted in their worship services? Wasn’t he the guy who helped kill Christians? In fact, if we apply our standards of social justice all the way through the past, we will have to close the good book altogether. The reason is that none of the Bible’s saints could withstand our moral rectitude
The Church and Israel in the New Testament
Some covenant theologians have adopted a view that many dispensationalists describe as “replacement theology.”
One of the most common questions asked by students of the Bible concerns the relationship between Israel and the church. We read the Old Testament, and it is evident that most of it concerns the story of Israel. From Jacob to the exile, the people of God is Israel, and Israel is the people of God. Despite the constant sin of king and people leading to the judgment of exile, the prophets look beyond this judgment with hope to a time of restoration for Israel.
Six Reflections on Protestant Decline in America
We need to re-examine how we define Christian discipleship in a culture coming apart.
Why this trend? The Pew report only touches on a few of the reasons—but all kinds of causes have been suggested: a move away from the gospel, failure of Christians to live out their faith, identifying Christianity too closely with politics, suffocating materialism, the pluralism of our global age, a spiritual but post-Christian worldview pumped... Continue Reading
A “Moderate” Makeover
Moderate has this advantage: no odor of hype. No excessive hopes that breed disillusionment. No danger of overpromising but underdelivering.
I find myself weary of dramatic hyperbole in descriptions of the ideal Christian life. Extreme! Radical! Passionate! Awesome! Edgy! On fire! Dramatic! I can understand the emotional appeal of such hyperbole. After all, who wants to live half-baked, mediocre, listless, dull, bland, and boring?! But the opposite of listless is not necessarily all fired up. Our faith contains a wonderfully curious surprise.
Asking Questions Like Jesus
What kinds of questions did Jesus ask, and how can we learn from them?
My mentor in college assigned our discipleship group the task of studying Jesus’ questions in the gospels as a means of becoming more effective in evangelism. He then assigned us to go out and ask questions – specific in number and type. That study changed my life.
Biden, Ryan, and the State of American Politics
Was Thursday night's Vice Presidential Debate reflective of a generational divide?
It’s easy when watching presidential and vice-presidential debates simply to treat the affair like one would treat a sports event. Root for your candidate’s victory and ride the ups and downs, the give and take. It’s also interesting to step back and consider what the debates say about American politics.
Seven Reasons Why Evangelism Should be a Priority of Your Church
What are you doing to lead your church to become more evangelistic?
Evangelism is dying in many churches today. No, that’s not an overstatement. I am not speaking hyperbolically. Evangelism is dying.
New Birth Evangelism
Personally, I question inserting the Johannine emphasis on regeneration into the Pauline ordo salutis
We may join Whitefield, moving casually back and forth from new birth to justification! Isn’t that timely for the proclamation of the gospel? Aren’t people much more conscious that their lives need changing than that they need forgiveness? Don’t they yearn more deeply for transformation than for justification?