What’s Killing Our Congregation? Hidden Factors Undermining the Health of Your Church
The longer congregations are in existence, the more they are comfortable with the way things happen in their congregation. They have lost the prophetic, cutting edge nature of the vision they are seeking to fulfill. Good enough has become good enough. A subtle mediocrity has set in. Life is fragile. But you know that. All... Continue Reading
Dr. Tim Keller and BioLogos
The first year, Dr. Keller spoke at the workshop on the topic, “Barriers to Accepting the Possibility of Creation by Means of an Evolutionary Process: II. Concerns of the Typical Parishoner” and presented his paper, “Creation, Evolution, and Christian Laypeople.” Last August, I noticed that Dr. Keller was no longer listed as a “leading figure”... Continue Reading
Blind to Our Blindness
The third stage in this sad progression, falling away, captures this well. When we cut the rope that connects us to Scripture and rest in the grace of Christ, we will always end up drifting further. Do you really know yourself as well as you think you do? I ended my last article asking you... Continue Reading
Why Do We Seem Negative about Psychiatric Medications?
Two people struggle with anxiety. One has no acquaintance with how the heart (inner person) impacts anxiety, and so thinks first about medicating away the unwanted symptoms. The other begins with, “Lord, help.” And then an endless world of fine words and promises begin to emerge from Scripture. We have always talked about psychiatric medications... Continue Reading
The Law is Not of Faith, Part I
There you go. There’s more than the pedagogical use in view here. The writers of the Larger Catechism want us to keep our eyes on Jesus; and they want us to move forward in our union in Him to pursue application of living out God’s law. They speak to the map use. They speak of... Continue Reading
If Noah had a blog – it would probably look something like this
Everybody’s been writing me, asking for blueprints. Honestly, I didn’t have any. If you’ve read the story, you know everything about building an ark that I do. I will say this: don’t skimp on the pitch. Seriously. Noah’s blog Day 1 Rain. Day 2 Rain. Day 3 Rain. Day 4 Rain. Day 5 Rain. Day... Continue Reading
The Best Blog I Never Wrote
There is only one thing wrong with Kim. She is a Georgia Bulldog fan – big time. This has led to our one irreconcilable conflict. I am lifelong Florida Gator. Last spring I bought a big bag M&Ms, picked out all the orange and blue ones and sent them to her as an “encouragement.” She... Continue Reading
Do Academic Papers Matter, or Are They Pointless?
Hear me carefully: I think pastors lead the charge in the work of Christ’s cosmic dominion-taking. The local church is set up by the Lord to be a lab for discipleship. The Christian school is not (though it can make very meaningful contributions). I just submitted a paper proposal for the 2012 meeting of the... Continue Reading
The Shroud of Turin and Absurdity
If these 500+ people simply had a mystical encounter with a bed-sheet, then why not say they were foolish pre-scientific simpletons who believed in magic, or, that they are liars……If they really had an encounter with a mystical bedsheet, then go out tonight, have a party, raise your glass into the air, toast the meaningless... Continue Reading
My Shopping Addiction
Hi. My name is Katie and I’m a shopaholic. It’s been 12 days since I last used my store card It all started so innocently, really. “Would you like to save an additional 15 percent today? You know the more you spend with us, the more you’ll save!” After years of avoiding credit cards, I... Continue Reading