Three Reasons I Moved to a Sermon Manuscript
Humility, Sermons with Pop and Bite, and Readily Transferrable
Preparing a manuscript lets me retool and fortify sentences for their maximum human delivery. Manuscripting lets me work with fresh and new ways to say the same thing; as opposed to saying the same thing in the same way — over and over and over.
Understanding the ‘Federal Vision’
The doctrine of justification is indeed, as John Calvin wrote, “the hinge on which religion turns.”
It is interesting that so many of the men who promote the Federal Vision do so with the express intent of addressing the problem of assurance. The contention of these Federal Vision writers is that many Reformed and Presbyterian church members suffer from a lack of assurance that stems from morbidly introspective self-examination. The reason, say the Federal Vision men, that some Christians engage routinely in such unproductive self-examination is that their view of the faith is overly subjective.
Holiness Is Not the Same as Forced Solemnity
Holiness is not a temperament. It is not a forced seriousness nor a feigned religiosity.
When I was in college I struggled a lot with being holy and being funny. Now, those who know me best may wonder if I’m particularly adroit with either virtue. But stick with me for a minute.
Who’s Afraid of Rick Warren?
The Obama campaign told Politico that the president would not appear with Mr. Romney at any point before the debates.
So why is Mr. Warren covering for the president by suggesting that nixing the forum was Mr. Warren's idea? The pastor's claim that the race has become too uncivil seems more than a little odd. Has it deteriorated significantly since July, when Mr. Warren issued his invitation?
Four Responses to the Challenge of Same-Sex Unions
We are facing a true moral inversion — a system of moral understandings turned upside down
The easiest way to summarize the Bible’s teaching on sexuality is to begin with God’s blessing of sex only within the marriage covenant between a man and a woman. Then, just remember that sex outside of that covenant relationship, whatever its form or expression, is explicitly forbidden
The Weekly Meeting of a Rotary Club on Sunday Morning
With a moralistic lecture on being friends.
The title was "No Greater Love;" the text was John 15:12-17: I looked forward to the message: "Thank you, Lord," I silently prayed, "We will hear the gospel today."
Grace Breaks Through Our Spiritual ‘Awkwardness’ to Give New Life
Awkward, Gawky, Gauche, Adroit, Dexterous, Maladroit, Sinister, Ambidextrous, all showing our need for grace.
Jesus changes everything. At that last great day – “he will wipe every tear from their eyes.There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). And awkwardness will be no more. A friend and I attended a Brewers baseball... Continue Reading
Scholar Sacked by Liberal Book Banner
Liberal seminary professor who can’t handle the truth instrumental is having a colleague fired.
Could it be that Hopkins is an evangelical who earned a degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and who holds a very different view of Scripture than that of Aymer and her phalanx of liberationist, womanist, feminist activists that has obtained faculty dominance at ITC? The Rev. Margaret Aymer, a high profile Presbyterian Church... Continue Reading
Confused by Complementarianism? You probably should be.
Should complementarianism in itself be an issue in organizations whose stated purpose is basic co-operation for the propagation of the gospel?
I am simply not sure why complementarianism is such a big issue in organizations whose stated purpose is basic co-operation for the propagation of the gospel and where other matters of more historic, theological and ecclesiastical moment are routinely set aside. If you want simply to unite around the gospel, then why not simply unite... Continue Reading
Brethren, We Are Not Scholars
Ministerial myths: The minister as scholar
Who am I to think my translation could ever be better than that of teams of scholars who have given us the translations? I am to judge matters of vocabulary and grammar for myself? Who am I to think I might do better exegesis than the best of past and present Old Testament and New... Continue Reading