Last spring I had the privilege of speaking at a conference for NFL players put on by Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), a group which exists to unite a community of pro athletes and couples to grow as disciples of Jesus and positively impact their spheres of influence. They have a fantastic outreach to professional football and baseball athletes and their wives. I’ve seen firsthand the amazing difference they’re making. In the off-season I exchanged emails and texts with dozens of NFL players and cha..Continue reading→
Home
Thoughts
Motherhood Is a Marathon
I wanted to do great things for God. In the spring of my senior year of college, on the brink of embarking upon my own journey into adulthood, my future was undecided and that was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. As a philosophy major, my path was narrower than I had realized, but I was sure it would take me on some grand and glorious adventure. I knew the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. “Glorify” sounds like such a grand term. It evokes images of battlefie..Continue reading→
1 Peter 5:7–8: How Not to Battle Anxiety
Anxieties attack our faith and torment our peace. The question with anxiety is not whether it will come, but rather, how can I fight it when it does? Watch NowContinue reading→
Is Love of Money Really the Root of All Evils?
Is the love of money the “root of all evils” or only the “root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10)? “All evils” is the formal English equivalent of the original Greek (pantōn tōn kakōn). It is remarkable that all older versions of the Bible translate 1 Timothy 6:10 in the more literal way: “The love of money is the root of all evils” (or all evil). This includes the Wycliffe Bible, Luther Bibel, Geneva Bible, King James Version, Douay-Rheims, Darby Bible, and Revised Standard Version. Bu..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
Military’s Highest Court Denies Marine’s Religious Liberty Claim
In the majority opinion, the judges noted that because Sterling did not indicate until during her trial that the signs had any religious significance to her, the words on the signs could have been interpreted as being “combative in tone.” They concluded the order to remove the signs was valid and did not place a “substantial burden” on her exercise of religion. But in a dissenting opinion, Judge Kevin A. Ohlson argued that, in its decision, the CAAF went far beyond what was necessary to decide S..Continue reading→
This Republican Mayor Has An Incredibly Simple Idea To Help The Homeless. And It Seems To Be Working
In partnership with a local nonprofit that serves the homeless population, a van is dispatched around the city to pick up panhandlers who are interested in working. The job pays $9 an hour, which is above minimum wage, and provides a lunch. At the end of the shift, the participants are offered overnight shelter as needed. Republican Mayor Richard Berry was driving around Albuquerque last year when he saw a man on a street corner holding a sign that read: “Want a Job. Anything Helps.” Throughou..Continue reading→
How Much Should a Christian Olympian Give Up for Gold?
Three-time gold medalist Josh Davis and Rio correspondent Tim Ellsworth on picking between evangelism and family, the athlete’s faith community, and what the Games have in common with missions trips. Did you see the Americans’ sweep the hurdles last night? Do you go to bed at night still thinking about Katie Ledecky breaking her own world records? Do you have dozens of hours of unwatched pool play handball games on your DVR? We have a podcast for you. Two-time Olympian Josh Davis—who swam wit..Continue reading→
Whose Hate? Which Victims?
“So what do victim impact statements and the concept of hate crime have in common? They both point to an evaluation of the moral significance of criminal acts, and of victimhood, that prioritizes the psychological and the subjective.” One of the great problems in today’s world is that hate is rather limited in scope. For society to flourish, we really need more hate—or at least a broader understanding of what hate is. Confused? Well, bear with me a moment while I explain. Last week The Spectat..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Do You Live Like Your Story Matters?
Because of our natural human fixation on “the seen,” we tend to think only of the impact of our story in this brief season of our existence: the here and now. Although that impact is not unimportant, as immortal beings we should be far more concerned with how our story will sound when it is told there and then, in that next season of existence that will extend through all eternity. Unfortunately, for many Christians, the goal is simply to get across the finish line after surviving this earthly ..Continue reading→
Preschooler Made to Care about LGBT Agenda in Colorado
According to The Denver Post, a 4-year-old Aurora, Colorado girl was “kicked out” of a preschool last month when her parents raised questions about books read in her class, including ones that told stories about same-sex couples and worms unsure about their gender. The girl returned home from school one day concerned that her daddy might not like girls anymore–and her mommy is a girl. Montview Community Preschool & Kindergarten in Denver — run as a private, parent cooperative — used the stories ..Continue reading→
Disney Demands Georgia Let Go of Religious Freedom
We should have seen this coming. After all it was a Disney / Pixar film that captured the mantra of the secular Progressives: “We scare because we care.” Just as we describe in You Will Be Made to Care, Disney has joined the NFL and other compassionate bullies to try to shut down even stripped-down religious freedom protection in Georgia under the auspices of opposing discrimination. They are threatening to take their Marvel movie-making magic somewhere else if Georgia passes HB 757 to protect r..Continue reading→
Republican Convention Rules: It Takes a Majority
It takes a majority. It takes a majority of delegates to win the Republican nomination for President. It is not complicated. It is not new. These rules have been basically the same since the founding of the Party. A majority of the delegates to the convention must vote for a candidate if he or she is to become the Party’s nominee. Yet Trump and his fans are demanding the rules be changed to accommodate him. They are demanding that the Establishment (whatever that is anymore) rip up the rules and..Continue reading→
Movies
Watch: Idris Elba on being the villain in Star Trek Beyond
The film comes out in ten days and I still don’t have a very clear sense as to what Star Trek Beyond will be about — but one thing we do know is that the big “villain” of this film will be an alien who questions the Federation’s assumptions about itself. This aspect of the movie is teased in a new featurette that went online today. Here is the featurette in question: Incidentally, the film premiered in Australia last week, but no reviews have surfaced yet (at least not in any of the trades), an..Continue reading→
The first four clips from Ben-Hur are now online, and a few other things we learned about the movie today
A lot of new footage from the upcoming remake of Ben-Hur went live today. First, the ShareBenHur.com website posted four clips from the film as part of a “faith-based” discussion guide. And then, a 20-minute montage of film clips was included in a simulcast hosted by Rick Warren and producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey that was streamed to churches and other venues across the country. These clips give us our best look at the film yet, and they reveal some of the ways that this new version of B..Continue reading→
Box office: Pets, Dory set new records for animated films
A couple of animated films set a few new records at the box office this week. First, The Secret Life of Pets made an estimated $103.2 million between Thursday and Sunday nights, which is the biggest opening ever for an original animated film (previous champ: last year’s Inside Out, which opened to $90.4 million). The film also had the sixth-biggest opening of any animated movie ever, behind four sequels (Finding Dory, Shrek 2 + 3, Toy Story 3) and one prequel (Minions). Second, Finding Dory gros..Continue reading→
Prophet Joseph — episodes twenty-one and twenty-two
Synopsis. Joseph continues to encourage his fellow inmates. One day, while they are all on a food break at the quarry, Joseph sees a Canaanite chasing a runaway camel, and Joseph, without revealing who he is, asks the man for news of his family and gives him a cryptic message to take back to Jacob. Apopis is woken by a bad dream and learns that Inarus, too, has had a dream. They ask Joseph to interpret the dreams, and Joseph, to prove his words are trustworthy, makes a prophecy that comes true w..Continue reading→
Review: The Secret Life of Pets
Dear parents: It’s inevitable — you’re going to see “The Secret Life of Pets.” Your kids, who have likely already flipped for “Zootopia” and “Finding Dory,” will eat up this comedy about what dogs and cats do when their masters are away.They are going to love the cartoon antics, slapstick shenanigans and anthropomorphic tomfoolery. Sure, they may have just seen a giant octopus drive a truck in “Finding Dory,” but that won’t stop them from cackling with delight when a homicidal bunny causes a tra..Continue reading→
Chariots of Fire returns to theatres and gets a “sequel”
The Olympics will be upon us soon, and to mark the occasion, Chariots of Fire — the Oscar-winning 1981 film about two athletes, one Jewish and one Christian, who represented Great Britain at the 1924 Olympics in Paris — is coming back to theatres for one night only. An unofficial “sequel” has also started playing in China. The “sequel” in question is The Last Race, a Hong Kong-Chinese film that focuses on the last years of Eric Liddell, the Christian athlete from the earlier film. Liddell was bo..Continue reading→
Paramount releases new character posters for Ben-Hur
Paramount released three sets of posters today featuring the five main characters from Ben-Hur. Curiously, the main set of posters — released via the film’s official social media accounts — did not include any images of Jesus, but the other two sets (at least one of which is aimed at foreign audiences) did. Check ’em out below the jump. First, the main set, which consists of four posters — all of which, incidentally, say the film has been rated PG-13 for “sequences of violence and disturbing ima..Continue reading→
Watch: Trailers for eight independent “faith-based” films, all coming out between August and October of this year
The first months of the year and the last weeks of summer are the slowest moviegoing times of the year. Not coincidentally, perhaps, those are also the two times of year when a lot of the smaller, independent “faith-based” films tend to come out, since they don’t have to worry about blockbusters crowding them out of the multiplex. This year is no exception. In the last few weeks, I have received a lot of press releases and watched several trailers for “faith-based” films that are coming out betw..Continue reading→
“The Fight Within” hits theaters in August in a faith-film cage match
A young fighter grapples with the choices he must make to overcome a troubled past and survive in the world of MMA as he builds a new life of faith and love. “THE FIGHT WITHIN”—a muscular faith film set in the rough-and-tumble world of MMA (mixed martial arts)—premieres in limited theatrical release, nationwide August 12, 2016, from GVN Releasing. With a mashup of faith, fighting and romance, the film’s pro..Continue reading→
Music
Switchfoot and Relient K Announce Second Leg of Looking for America Tour
Switchfoot and Relient K announced this week that they've been enjoying their co-headlining tour so much that they'll be extending it into a second leg in 2017. "Our nation needs hope and healing more than ever- playing these songs of healing every night with our friends Relient K has brought such beautiful moments to life," Switchfoot explained through a facebook post. "In fact, we want to extend the tour and bring these songs to a few of our favorite cities that we missed along the..Continue reading→
Natasha Owens Releases Video For ‘Wings’
Natasha Owens has released the encouraging song "Wings" to Christian radio, and the message of the inspirational tune is already impacting radio and hearts all across the country. The song is the third single release from her latest recording, No One But You, available on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon, among others. The reach of Natasha's ministry continues to expand. Including tour dates with Ryan Stevenson, ..Continue reading→
Ginny Owens Releases ‘Love Be The Loudest’ Friday, November 18
Award-winning singer-songwriter Ginny Owens releases her ninth studio album, Love Be The Loudest, this Friday, Nov. 18, on her indie label, Chick Power Music, with The Fuel Music distribution. The acclaimed new music shares a timely message for today's culture and will premiere on several different platforms this week, including two live events that will be available for audiences internationally. Two songs, the reimagined version of Owens' No. 1 hit song "If You Want Me To" and "The L..Continue reading→
Grayson|Reed To Release New Project ‘Walk’ January 13
Husband and wife duo, Grayson|Reed, will release their first project for Centricity Music, Walk, on January 13, 2017. The six-song EP will be available at all online music outlets, with a nine-song version of the record only being sold at Grayson|Reed concerts. Besides the amazing talents of Mike Grayson (Mikeschair) and Molly Reed (City Harbor), numerous producers took part in creating this project including Justin Ebach, Ben Glover, Jeff Pardo and Seth Mosley. Grayson|Reed co-wrote all the ori..Continue reading→
Unto Us by JJ Heller
Track Listing 01. Winter Wonderland 02. Christmas Is Here 03. White Christmas 04. Unto Us 05. I'll Be Home For Christmas 06. Oh, To See Christmas 07. Count Your Blessings 08. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 09. Let It Snow 10. O Little Town of Bethlehem 11. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 12. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring 13. Silent Night Continue reading→
These Things Take Time EP by S.O.
Just over a year since his highly-acclaimed So It Ends album which charted well in the US and UK S.O. thought an EP would be the perfect transition after completing the So It Ends, So It Continues, So it Ends series of albums. "I thought it would be good to give the fans something," S.O. said. "When you make a trilogy, it's fine-tuned. These Things Take Time was a way for me to give the fans new music as I begin to work on my next project." The EP's artwork a picture of S.O. covered in clay suggests[...]Continue reading→
Waiting For The Dawn by Salt Of The Sound
Salt Of The Sound is the award-winning musical collaboration of Stockholm-based husband and wife duo Anita and Ben Tatlow. Their aim is to create songs that encourage a spirit of reflection both in church environments and in times of personal quiet, while also exploring musical styles and expressions that bring a freshness to the Christian music scene. Salt Of The Sound's new EP Waiting For The Dawn centres around the theme of light, which is echoed in different ways across all of the songs, and features heavily in the Advent traditions of Nordic countries. Waiting For The Dawn combines these[...]Continue reading→
American
Abortion Pill Injures More Women as More Incomplete Abortions Leave Parts of Baby Inside Them
The State of Ohio is among the best in the U.S. when it comes to abortion reporting requirements, seeking as much information as possible from abortion providers about abortion methods, gestational ages, and maternal demographics. Now, one statistic reported to the Medical Board of Ohio has shed new light on the danger of abortions using the drug Mifeprex, also known as Mifepristone or RU486. Ohio requires abortionists who dispense the drug, often referred to as the Abortion Pill, to fill out a..
Why Do Unborn Babies Matter? Just Because They Are
A few of us were having a conversation yesterday and something a member of the class I lead said reminded me of a quote I had just read and to which all pro-lifers would probably say a hardy “amen.” The great apologist G. K. Chesterton once wrote, “All men matter. You matter. I matter. It’s the hardest thing in theology to believe.” Rob Renfroe took Chesterton’s observation and concluded, “And that God—the God who is big enough to speak all of that [just the part of the universe we know about] ..
Utah House Passes Bill Telling Women How the Abortion Pill Can be Reversed to Save Their Baby
The Utah House passed a bill Friday that would require women seeking abortions to be informed that the abortion pill possibly can be reversed and their baby’s life saved. The Salt Lake Tribune reports Utah House Bill 141 passed with strong support in a 56-13 vote, despite some very angry comments from opponents. If passed, Utah would become the third state to require that women be informed of the new medical procedure, which has saved more than 200 babies’ lives after their mothers took the fi..
God Wrote My Life Story Around Surviving an Abortion, How Did He Write Your Story?
I don’t believe God originally wrote abortion into my life, as God is the Creator of life. But when it was introduced by man, or in my case, a woman, He rewrote the story of my life around it, to create the story of a life that is more intricate, more redemptive, more grace-filled, than anything anyone else could have planned or written. “How do you know that you are not part of a book? That someone’s not reading your story right now?”—Jodi Picoult. Everyone has a story. Everyone. But every st..
Australia
Bible Society registered in Azerbaijan
BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS | World Watch Monitor Wednesday 5 October 2016 The recent registration of a Bible Society in Azerbaijan, after a 20-year fight, has brought fresh optimism to the country’s minority Christians, but there remains some confusion about the types of books it will be allowed to print, with even Bibles potentially falling foul of the country’s strict regulations. Terje Hartberg from United Bible Societies called it “a great development, which will start a new chapter in Bible mini..
Bible Society registered in Azerbaijan, but may not be allowed to print Bibles
BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS | World Watch Monitor Wednesday 5 October 2016 The recent registration of a Bible Society in Azerbaijan, after a 20-year fight, has brought fresh optimism to the country’s minority Christians, but there remains some confusion about the types of books it will be allowed to print, with even Bibles potentially falling foul of the country’s strict regulations. Terje Hartberg from United Bible Societies called it “a great development, which will start a new chapter in Bible mini..
Man Raped His Own Daughter for More Than a Decade and Then Forced Her to Have an Abortion
An Australian man who admitted to raping his daughter and then coercing her into having an abortion was sentenced to 16 years in jail on Thursday, according to the Illawarra Mercury. The man plead guilty to sexual assault charges involving more than a decade of abuse to his teenage daughter, and a judge sentenced him on Thursday in Illawarra, a region of New South Wales, the report states. The man also plead guilty to sexually abusing two of his siblings in the 1980s. The man, who is not named..
Australia: Anglican bishop backs same-sex marriage ahead of possible referendum
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has introduced legislation for a referendum on same-sex marriage. An Anglican bishop in Australia has come out in favour of same-sex marriage ahead of a possible referendum on the issue next February. Ballarat's bishop Garry Weatherill, who opposes the referendum, told the ABC that he supported "marriage equality". Bishop Weatherill said: "The local position of this particular bishop is for marriage equality. The Bible teaches marriage is..
Law & Government
Abortionists Sue to Stop Texas From Requiring Burial, Cremation of Aborted Babies
AUSTIN — A coalition of abortion providers have filed suit in an effort to stop Texas officials from requiring that they bury or cremate the bodies of the unborn children they kill instead of having them incinerated with medical waste and dumped in landfills. “The regulation enshrines into law an exceedingly narrow set of beliefs regarding embryonic and fetal personhood, and what is appropriate for the disposition of embryonic and fetal tissue,” the lawsuit, filed on Monday, asserts. “These vie..
Trump Says Obama ‘Really Doing Great,’ Does Not ‘Care’ About Prosecuting Clinton Following Election
Speaking at “thank you” rallies in both Louisiana and Michigan on Friday, President-elect Donald Trump told those gathered that he believes Barack Obama has been “really doing great” and that he has no interest in prosecuting Hillary Clinton now that the election is over. He mentioned Obama in discussing concerns about voter fraud, which he said has only “gotten worse” since the current president spoke of the matter in 2008. “President Obama—who by the way I’ve gotten along with so well,” he s..
Mississippi City Settles Lawsuit Filed by Christians Harassed Outside State’s Last Abortion Facility
JACKSON, Miss. — Officials in Jackson, Mississippi have settled a lawsuit filed by a number of Christians who were reportedly harassed while conducting pro-life ministry outside of the last remaining abortion facility in the state. “We are pleased that the City has finally agreed to follow well-established legal precedent in this area of First Amendment rights,” Allison Aranda, senior staff counsel with the Life Legal Defense Foundation, said in a statement on Wednesday. “Our clients have been ..
Colorado College Student Charged After Using Skewer to Forcibly Abort Girlfriend’s Baby
COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. — A Saudi man attending college in the United States on a student VISA has been charged with unlawful termination of a pregnancy and sexual assault after he allegedly used a skewer to forcibly abort the child his girlfriend was carrying. Ahmed Almesbahi, 23, is a student at University of Colorado Colorado Springs and studies mechanical engineering. In May, his girlfriend, a Kazakh immigrant, contacted police to state that she had been assaulted by Almesbahi in August 2015 ..
Entertainment
Talking adoption, foster care and faith with the author of Bridge to Terabithia and The Great Gilly Hopkins
Comment countThe following is a guest post from Jedd Medefind, president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans, who recently talked with one of my favorite authors, Katherine Paterson, about some issues pretty close to my own heart. I love what she has to say here. It’s well worth the read. *** Embed from Getty Images“No book made a greater impression on me before high school,” a 40-something magazine editor recently shared with me. My 10-year old daughter said much the same, “Oh, I just loved i..
A Game About Grief and God Wins Major Award
That Dragon, Cancer was never meant to be the next big video game franchise. You don’t shoot aliens or run anyone off the road. You don’t fight the Joker or, despite its name, even battle any dragons. The game, designed by Ryan and Amy Green, was simply meant to help players understand what they went through as their son, Joel, suffered from and eventually died of cancer. You’re there with the doctors as they break the bad news, despair liberally flooding the room. You try to comfor..
“The Shack” official trailer released!
Octavia Spencer and Sam Worthington in “The Shack.” Courtesy Lionsgate, The official trailer for “The Shack” was released today. The film, based on the NYTimes best seller, will be released in March, 2017. Just know that this film goes where no other film has gone before, speaking theologically. I normally don’t post trailers before release but since I have seen this film twice I am posting it so you can get a taste of the film.
What Would Moana Do? Seven Life Lessons From Disney Princesses
Comment countFrom Moana, photo courtesy DisneyMoana, Disney’s latest animated heroine, sails into theaters this week. While she might not live in a palace or charm the socks off the nearest Prince Charming, everyone—especially the girls who’ll be flocking to see her—knows exactly who and what she is. “You’re in a dress and you’ve got an animal sidekick,” says resident demigod Maui. “You’re a princess.” Princesses have ruled Disney’s magic kingdom since Snow White first trilled into her animated ..
Health and Science
Jimmy Carter Visits Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter, Tells Reporters: ‘I Believe in Evolution’
Former President Jimmy Carter toured Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter on Friday, but told reporters that he was not necessarily endorsing Ham’s views, as he personally believes in evolution. “The earth is four billion years old, … but I don’t see a conflict there,” Carter told reporters, referring to the conflict between Christianity and evolution. “And as a scientist, I believe in evolution.” “But all things are possible through the divin..
‘Nobody Understands’: Chemist Debunks Evolutionary Viewpoint on Life’s Origins
An illustrious chemist who has previously shed light on critical shortcomings in scientists’ understanding of evolution has written a detailed essay explaining “the massive gaps in our understanding” of how life first originated. Dr. James Tour is a professor of chemistry, computer science, and materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University. He has written over 590 research publications and over 100 patents, and he is the recipient of numerous scientific aw..
Scientists Beginning to Doubt Discovery Once Touted as Evidence for Evolution
An influential scientific discovery that was once celebrated as compelling evidence for evolution may require reinterpretation, according to a growing number of scientists and researchers. In 2008, biologist Richard Lenski of Michigan State University jubilantly announced that he had witnessed a “major evolutionary innovation.” Lenski, as part of his Long-Term Experimental Evolution (LTEE) project, had been carefully observing the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) reproduce in a lab. Finally,..
Inscriptions Found in Ancient Fortress Support Biblical Timeline, Challenge Skeptics
TEL AVIV, Israel – A team of Israeli researchers has found evidence that literacy was widespread among ancient Israelites, thus challenging critics of the Bible who claim most people in Old Testament times were illiterate. Critics of the Bible have long alleged that Israelites prior to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. were largely illiterate. Therefore, they argue, many of the Old Testament books were written after the destruction of Jerusalem, which is much later than the Bi..
US
What Trump has done so far
(2) The U.S. has now pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the vast and complicated free trade pact with Asian countries, Canada, and Australia (not including China).(3) A hiring freeze for the federal government is now in effect.After the jump, 18 more things that the new administration has done in its first 72 hours.Critics are saying that Trump has broken his promises in not doing various things that during the campaign he said he would do on his first day. See this scorecard. But a da..
When Jesse Jackson was pro-life and why he changed
In a tribute to the recently-deceased Nat Hentoff, Carl Trueman describes an encounter on a train between the pro-life leftist and Jesse Jackson. From Carl R. Trueman, Strangers on a Train | Carl R. Trueman | First Things: There is one passage in Speaking Freely (177-78) that offers disturbing insights into modern political culture. Hentoff quotes a certain politician on abortion: “What happens to the soul of a nation that accepts the aborting of the life of a baby without a pang of conscience? ..
Mathematical proof of God’s existence?
The great mathematician and logician Kurt Gödel, who died in 1978, left behind a series of equations that purport to prove the existence of God. As I understand it (and I don’t understand the math!), the equations test the validity of St. Anselm’s ontological argument for God’s existence, which defines God as the greatest being [Read More...]
Many gods were invoked at the Inauguration service
The traditional Inauguration Service at the National Cathedral was an interfaith service featuring Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Baha’is, Native American religion, Jews, and Christians–including Catholics, Orthodox, mainline Protestants, and evangelicals–who aren’t bothered by syncretism. After the jump, a list of the participants, with a link to a story about the event. UPDATE: For a description of the [Read More...]
Church & Theology
A Brief Case for Reading Scripture with a Trinitarian Lens
Whatever your method of biblical exegesis, theological construction, or preaching and teaching, the Trinity should never be taken for granted in how you read Scripture. The triune God choosing to reveal himself to mankind is the cornerstone of our relationship with him and the bedrock content of his revelation. He didn’t have to communicate with us–before or after the Fall–and he certainly didn’t have to leave us his Word. But he did. So we should be careful not to forget the God who speaks thro..
8 Characteristics of an Effective Discipleship Program
One of the core ministries that God has greatly blessed in our church is the organized discipleship on Wednesday evenings. Not only are there new people continually being enrolled in discipleship and others completing the course, but the biblical grounding and personal mentoring that takes place during the weeks of discipleship continues to bear fruit in people’s lives years after they have finished. At our church, we use the Continue discipleship book and have found it both helpful and fruitfu..
What Do Pastors Do All Week?
I think one of the most common misconceptions of those who have not served as a senior pastor is that a pastor’s work is only the work of preaching. If you look at it that way, it would seem the pastor hardly works at all—perhaps for an hour two or three times each week. Yet, when Paul described the “office of a bishop” (pastor), he specifically called it “work.” This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.—1 Timothy 3:1 It was a joy a few months bac..
Did New Testament Writers Understand the Trinity?
In a thesis I recently wrote for Ridley College, under the supervision of Michael Bird, I argued that the Book of Revelation contains an incipient Trinitarianism. I made the case that John, looking back at his Old Testament (OT) and reflecting on the Christian tradition that would produce the New Testament (NT), at some level understood the divinity of the Son and Holy Spirit. No doubt, NT writers were not Nicene-confessing Christians–but I think it is an overreach to assu..