“Exist means to stand out of being or non-being, but the word that the theologians use with respect to the trinity is not the word three existences, but three subsistences. That is, underneath the pure being of God, at a lower dimension, we must distinguish among these subsistences which the Bible calls Father, Son, Holy... Continue Reading

“Doubts about God’s goodness and generosity echo the primal sin that came about as humanity questioned these same things in the Garden of Eden. James beseeches us to not repeat this sin, which is behind so much other sin. Jesus Christ and God’s lavish grace in him should have put such questions to an end,... Continue Reading

“When one considers David and Solomon, one tends to think of gold, silver, crowns, thrones, victory, wives, children, fame and pleasure. After all, were not David and Solomon both honored with a double-portion of this world’s pleasure? However, consider David in the cave, and consider David on the run from his own son. The same dismal... Continue Reading

“Either way, the Phillips-Jones scenario seems to move the anxiety that Martin Luther faced from pre-justification blues to post-justification angst. Have I grown in holiness today? Am I becoming more sanctified and more sanctified? And if I am not, and if sanctification is necessary for salvation, then does my lack of growth in holiness mean... Continue Reading

“As someone who was raised entirely in the public school system and who has subsequently used homeschooling, homeschooling cooperatives, online school, and a little bit of Christian school in my kids’ education so far, here’s my “vision” of what an ideal Christian education would look like. I know I’ll never find this perfectly in this world,... Continue Reading

Watch for this continuing diversity as even more Great Homeschool Conventions are coming to a town near you and local support groups of all flavors continue popping up. A number of years ago R.C. Sproul Jr. lamented the changes in homeschooling; I am excited about them. I see homeschooling coming full-circle and eventually returning to the ideals of... Continue Reading

If, after all your efforts to protect the young ones in your church from a predator, the unthinkable happens then do not compound the tragedy by covering it up. You have a moral and legal responsibility to report accusations of child sexual abuse. It is not “gospel-centered” to get the child to forgive his abuser.... Continue Reading

 In the midst of the process of exploring Christianity, he had been struck by the reality that the Bible was translated into the Mandinka language.  All his Islamic training, of course, had taught him that one had to work very hard to master a very special language in order to approach Allah, (assuming one was... Continue Reading

I guess that’s what people really mean when they say they want a divorce because their spouse “changed.” It’s not change itself they oppose, but changes that challenge them and make them uncomfortable. What they should say is: “I want a divorce because she changed in a way that doesn’t fit inside my comfort zone.”  ... Continue Reading

A few years ago, I was lovingly confronted by a dear friend and fellow pastor that I was not using all my vacation time.  In his rebuke, he explained to me the reasons I should be taking every day of vacation the church gives me, which I had never done.  Here was the basis for his... Continue Reading