“Think like a Calvinist. Preach like an Arminian.” That is how one preaching professor taught his students to call people to faith in a sermon. He couldn’t reconcile a theological system that embraces God’s sovereignty in salvation with a plea for sinful people to change. Ultimately, this prof thought Calvinism makes sense biblically and logically,... Continue Reading

Jesus told parables both to clarify for those who had ears to hear; and to obscure for those who heard without such ears. The point in all this is that we should not be at all surprised if Jesus was trying to teach the rich young ruler through a riddle; trying to penetrate through to... Continue Reading

At the briefing, (PCA Minister) Calvin Beisner, founder and national spokesman for the Cornwall Alliance, rejected the use of the pro-life cause to further the campaign against mercury emissions. “It is in fact not a serious risk to life at all,” Beisner said. “Those who are exposed to the supposedly harmful levels of methylmercury do... Continue Reading

Almost twenty years ago, I began to note that the tenure of a pastor often follows a predictable pattern. Now, almost two decades later, I still see many of the same patterns, though I have refined the categories and time spans a bit. I fully understand that these categories are not definitive, and there will... Continue Reading

An issue is whether this new, radical theistic evolution view makes theological sense. If God did not even guide the evolutionary process, how is God sovereign over his creation? Did God intentionally make us in his image? If humans gradually evolved, and our sinfulness is merely the inherent selfishness resulting from a Darwinian process, then... Continue Reading

Supporters of educational choice have always maintained that it is not about money, or systems, or adults. It’s about kids having access to the best education possible—by whatever delivery mechanism best suits their individual needs. Money. It makes the world go round, or so I’ve heard. But when it comes to choice in education, money... Continue Reading

The question…should not be whether a particular viewpoint is right but whether an expressive association has a right to espouse it. Unfortunately, in the name of tolerance, what is tolerable is being defined ever more narrowly. Illustrating an intellectual confusion common on campuses, Vanderbilt University says: To ensure “diversity of thought and opinion” we require... Continue Reading

Did Schaeffer believe that only Christians should occupy all positions of authority in all secular institutions throughout this age? He did not. Schaeffer happily honored, gladly received, and cheerfully benefited from the skills of unbelievers who worked in many different kinds of secular institutions. Jerram Barrs is professor of Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture at... Continue Reading

Is gospel centrality just a trend? Is “gospel wakefulness” just a buzzword? Perhaps. If so, we will end upstanding before Jesus at the end of days, resting in justification by vocabulary. Matt Smethurst recently interviewed me for The Gospel Coalition on my new book Gospel Wakefulness. Here is an excerpt that has been making the... Continue Reading

The freedom and absence of accountability many experience in the search for a new church can cause a sinful complacency. In other words, you do not ever want to become comfortable being one of God’s sheep who has wandered away from the fellowship of the flock and the accountability of shepherds to care for you,... Continue Reading