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→
Daily Verses
Proverbs 11:12 (11-12-16)
He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace. — Proverbs 11:12 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Wise folks don't have to prove their wisdom by disrespecting others and putting them down. Instead, they hold their tongues and let their lives speak what is good, honorable, righteous, and true. In a world of sarcasm and in a culture that is attracted to the person who can put down others with quick and razor-sharp "put downs," we..Continue reading→
Colossians 1:9
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,”Continue reading→
1 Corinthians 11:11 (11-11-16)
Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.— 1 Corinthians 11:11 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... "We are all one in Christ Jesus!" Paul told the Galatians (Galatians 3:26-29). Satan, however, constantly tries to divide God's people. One of his most effective means of division has been to divide men and women — whether in families or churches. Paul reminds us that if Jesus is our Lord, we recognize we need each other and ..Continue reading→
We Can See God
No one has ever seen God, . . . God the One and only [Son], who is at the Father's side, has made him known. John 1:18, NIVAll through the ages people have longed to actually see God. They have drawn pictures and written books and composed music and constructed temples, all for the purpose of unveiling the mystery of what He is like. But we are no longer left to our imaginations, wondering in educated ignorance. We can know for sure. Although “no one has ever seen God, . . . God the One..Continue reading→
1 John 2:15-16
“[On Not Loving the World] Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
2 Corinthians 11:30 (11-30-16)
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.— 2 Corinthians 11:30 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... One of Paul's recurring themes throughout 2 Corinthians is that God's strength is made perfect in weakness. In 1 Corinthians, he emphasizes that the strength, wisdom, and power of God are shown in what is normally a sign of weakness and humiliation — the Cross (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5). Paul wasn't a wimp — remember all that he e..Continue reading→
2 Peter 3:10-11
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives”Continue reading→
1 Corinthians 11:29 (11-29-16)
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.— 1 Corinthians 11:29 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... The Lord's Supper is a precious time for Christians. We remember the incredible sacrifice Jesus made to save us from our sins. We also realize that when Christians gather together and take the Supper, we are the Body of Christ, his physical presence on this earth (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:17). Whatever hap..Continue reading→
Created for Commitment
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15, NIV Apart from understanding the work of God in our creation, there is no real meaning to human existence. If there was no Creator, then you are some cosmic accident, having come from nowhere and on your way to nowhere. You are just a nobody with no ultimate accountability or eternal value. Now that’s depressing! Praise God, it’s not true! Where are you seeking lasting satisfaction? You may ..Continue reading→
Prayers
Daily Prayer for November 5
The eyes of the Lord are on those who love him, a mighty shield and strong support, a shelter from scorching wind and a shade from noonday sun, a guard against stumbling and a help against falling. Ecclesiasticus 34:19, NRSV Lord God Almighty, whose eyes keep watch over the whole world, we come before you with the evil from our surroundings still clinging to us. Grant that our lives may be in your hands. Give us your strength to find the way, even through suffering and distress. For we are yours..Continue reading→
Living in the Spirit
Passage: Ephesians 5:15-18 Prayer: Dear Father, Help me to be careful about how I live. May I behave not as an unwise person but as a wise one.Help me make the most of every opportunity, because the days of this age are evil. I don't want to be foolish. I want to understand what the will of the Lord is. May I never use or abuse alcohol or drugs, which would lead to an undisciplined and wasted life. Instead, let me be drunk with your Spirit.In Jesus' name. Amen. Devotional provided by Heartli..Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for November 4
You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant. Hebrews 12:22–24a, NIV Lord our God, we thank you that you have redeemed us and that we may feel united with your holy ones, those in heaven and those on earth who are gathered around Jesus Christ, a people growing in number and stren..Continue reading→
Walking in the Light
Passage: Ephesians 5:6 Prayer: Dear Father,Help me not to be deceived by empty but high-sounding words that cloak the intent of wickedness.I know that it is because of these flauntings that your wrath comes upon the sons of disobedience.Help me not to walk with such people, to think like them, or to behave like them.Let me walk in the light, with the children of light, for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.May I learn to do only those things which are pleasing to you..Continue reading→
Christian Quotes
Trueblood: democracy
Monday, July 4, 2016 Meditation: What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin... —Romans 3:9 (ESV) Quotation: Democracy is necessitated by the fact that all men are sinners; it is made possible by the fact that we know it. ... Elton Trueblood (1900-1994), Foundations for Reconstruction, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1946, p. 105 (see the book) See also Rom. 3:9-18,23; Ps. 143:2; Matt. 1:21; Rom. 5:12; Gal. 2:..Continue reading→
Sayers: down to earth indeed
Sunday, July 3, 2016 Feast of Thomas the Apostle Meditation: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly ou..Continue reading→
Phillips: Christ and mysticism
Saturday, July 2, 2016 Meditation: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. —Galatians 3:28-29 (ESV) Quotation: It should be noted, at least by those who accept Christ’s claim to be God, that he by no means fits into the picture of the “mystic saint.” Those who are fascinated by the supposed superiority of the mys..Continue reading→
van Ruysbroeck: the universality of His love
Friday, July 1, 2016 Commemoration of John & Henry Venn, Priests, Evangelical Divines, 1813, 1873 Meditation: For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. —1 Timothy 2:5-6 (ESV) Quotation: Christ was common to all in love, in teaching, in tender consolation, in generous gifts, in merciful forgiveness. His soul and His body, His life and His death and His minist..Continue reading→
Questions & Answers
Brewers Outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis Keeps Things in Perspective
There are times when we face trials and uncertainty in our day to day living. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers, experienced the kind of highs and lows last season that tested his faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Nieuwenhuis started the 2015 season on the New York Mets active roster. On May 19th he was ‘designated for assignment,’ meaning he was demoted to the minor league. On May 27th the Mets traded him to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and placed on the activ..Continue reading→
Did James Believe In Salvation Through Works?
Was James teaching about works contrary to the doctrine of being saved apart from works? Salvation by Grace through Faith The truth is most of the world’s religions require you to do things, in particular some amount of “good works” in order to be saved or be reincarnated as something higher and even to enter into paradise. It’s all about “do, do, do” but with Christianity, it’s “Done!” Just before Jesus died on the cross He said “It is finished’ (John 19:30), or as the Greek puts it, “Paid in ..Continue reading→
The Apostles Wrote the Gospels as Eyewitness Accounts
When you write a book seeking to evaluate the Gospels as eyewitness accounts, you shouldn’t be surprised to find some critics will attack the premise that the Gospels are eyewitness accounts in the first place. Several skeptics have either emailed me or posted comments questioning whether or not the Gospels are truly eyewitness accounts. After all, the accounts are not written as first-person narratives, and there are no direct statements in the Gospels suggesting they were written by people at ..Continue reading→
Did Adam And Eve Have Belly Buttons (Navels)?
Did the first man (Adam) and first woman (Eve) have a navel or belly button? Why is it important to know? Why it’s Important to Know I believe it’s important to know how to answer this question because people who are skeptical about God will ask such things. To know how to give an answer, you must understand where they’re coming from and why they’re asking the question. They probably aren’t going to make a decision for Christ based upon the answer you give, and they may not be sincere in asking..Continue reading→
Church & Ministries
Living with Loneliness During the Holidays
Every year we enjoy having a Thanksgiving meal in our home with family to celebrate the gratitude of God’s blessings. We invite someone into our home during the holidays, someone who for one reason or another isn’t able to be with his or her family. Our kids have taken on the example, and now when they come they always bring someone with them. This Thanksgiving was no different. Our youngest daughter and her husband invited a friend, Charles, who has been to our home before for the holidays. Ch..Continue reading→
Loneliness and Addiction: A Celebrate Recovery Story
I am a grateful follower of Jesus Christ, and I struggle with alcohol and addiction. My name is Ken. The holiday season is upon us. Supposedly, this is a time of celebration. This time of gathering with friends and relatives would seem to be the perfect opportunity to not be alone or feel lonely. However, the holidays were usually the time of year when I felt most alone. As a child I felt excitement and anticipated traveling to see my family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was born in Boston..Continue reading→
Pope Francis Is 80 On Saturday. Here Are 5 Birthday Wishes
Pope Francis is 80 on Saturday. The Vatican has set up special email addresses for anyone wanting to wish him many happy returns.Continue reading→
Church Accused Of ‘Exploitation’ For Using Live Donkeys In Nativity
More than a 1,000 people have signed a petition demanding Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cardiff stop using the donkeys, Kim and Robin, who have featured in the Christmas celebrations for the last six years.Continue reading→
Hot Topics
Why You Probably Don’t Need a Quiet Time
Rightly motivated devotional habits are never legalistic. Neither the strictest obedience to the Word of God nor the most zealous pursuit of holiness is ever legalistic if one’s motives are right. The measurement of legalism is not the consistency of one’s devotional practices but the heart’s reason for doing them. Finally, you’ll likely never be less busy. If you can’t make time to meet God through the Bible and prayer now, it’s very unlikely you will when—if—life does slow down. You’ve always..Continue reading→
Why the Left Hates Tolerance
Many readers will recall hearing sentences like this: “I disagree with you but support your right to voice your opinion.” How quaint that now sounds! The modern social justice warrior abominates disagreement as a form of heresy. Accordingly, he rejects tolerance in favor of enforced, indeed totalitarian, conformity. It is the antithesis of what a liberal-arts education was all about, which is why its installation at the center of our erstwhile liberal-arts institutions makes for such a sad irony..Continue reading→
Five Key Findings on Religion in the U.S.
“The most significant trend in Americans’ religiosity in recent decades has been the growing shift away from formal or official religion. About one in five U.S. adults (21%) don’t have a formal religious identity.” Religion remains an integral part of most Americans’ lives, but Gallup’s ongoing research shows how this has changed over time. The following are five important findings about religion in the U.S.: 1. America remains a largely Christian nation, although less so than in the past. Sev..Continue reading→
A prayer for worry
The human mind is not compatible with worry! Worry is anxiety about things that you cannot control. Jesus tells you not to worry about even the most basic needs of life. He even tells you how to pray so that you will not worry. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs you to ask God for your daily bread. By reading the verses that come after the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6, we see that Christ was talking about more than just asking God for bread. Three times, (in verses 25, 28, and 31), Jesus comma..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Eric Metaxas: Why Do So Many Evangelical Christians Support Assisted Suicide?
The New York Times bestselling author says he is troubled that so many evangelical Christians have "imbibed this secular outlook".Continue reading→
American Psychiatric Association Expresses Opposition to Assisted Suicide for Mentally Ill
ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has released a formal position statement expressing opposition to assisted suicide in cases where the patient is not terminally ill. According to reports, the statement was approved this month by the APA’s board of trustees after being passed last month by the general assembly. “The American Psychiatric Association, in concert with the American Medical Association’s position on medical euthanasia, holds that a psychiatrist should not ..Continue reading→
XXX Church Shares 3 Ways Wives Can Help Their Porn-Addicted Husbands on Their Road to Recovery
It isn't easy for porn addicts to confess their hidden secrets to their loved ones, but it's no less easy for the spouses of addicts to hear about their partner's porn addiction.Continue reading→
Atheist Bill Maher Says He Greets People ‘Merry Christmas,’ Dismisses Notion There’s a War Against Christmas
William "Bill" Maher, known for the HBO political talk show "Real Time with Bill Maher," does not believe there is a war against Christmas. In fact, the atheist has no problem greeting people "Merry Christmas."Continue reading→
Movies
Goodbye, Family Christian Stores
This week, it was announced that Family Christian Stores — one of the world’s largest Christian retailers — will close all 240 of its stores. This isn’t really shocking; Family Christian had gone through bankruptcy a few years back. But it will have an impact; more than 3,000 employees are going to lose their jobs as the stores shutter and Christian culture loses one of its largest and most diverse suppliers of books, music and trinkets. Granted, this is just the nature of the beast these days. ..Continue reading→
Have you caught up with “It’s My Favorite”?
Hey everyone, Not going to lie: it’s been a week. Work, school and home life have been busy, and the general insanity of our world right now has really robbed me of a lot of energy and will to write. It’s a shame, because I have some really good stuff on deck for you. One new series I want to write and one Oscar-related miniseries of articles, and I’m hoping that starting this weekend those will start posting. And in the weeks ahead I’m going to really be jumping into the reviewing pool again ha..Continue reading→
Watch: New music video for The Shack with new footage
Itching to see The Shack — or at least to get a taste of it before it comes out five weeks from now? Well, maybe this will tide you over: the powers that be have released two new songs from the film’s soundtrack, one of which even has a music video. Here is the video, for a new acoustic version of Skillet’s ‘Stars’: The studio has also released the full version of ‘Keep Your Eyes on Me’, which is sung by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and has previously been heard in the trailers. Here is a Spotify ..Continue reading→
The Story of God: Proof of the Divine
Photo by Amanda Slater, Flickr. C.C. Licensing. Season two of “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central) on the National Geographic Channel. Once again, I’m writing about it here each week from a Christian perspective as a preview. This post is about episode three, the season finale, “Proof of God.” In the final episode of “The Story of God’s” second season, Morgan Freeman travels the world speaking to people who believe they’ve experienced proof — often tang..Continue reading→
Oscar nominations — my own two bits, and a complete list
It looks like La La Land is the movie to beat at this year’s Oscars. The film, a jazzy musical that stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a musician and an actress trying to make their way in Hollywood, racked up 14 Academy Award nominations this morning — tying the record set by 1950’s All About Eve and 1997’s Titanic. However, because La La Land was nominated twice for original song, it is actually nominated in 13 categories — which is more than the 12 categories that All About Eve was nominate..Continue reading→
Let’s talk Oscar noms!
Some quick thoughts on the 2017 Academy Award nominations, which were announced earlier today. A full list of nominees is available here. At first blush, my biggest surprise is that there isn’t a ton here I would bicker with. The list of nominees this year is really darn good, spread out over several movies. Maybe it’s because I saw fewer movies than normal this year or simply because so many of the nominated films are on my best-of list, but I can’t really find a bad choice among the films. Re..Continue reading→
Star Wars Episode 8 gains a title
Earlier today, the official Star Wars Twitter feed ended more than a year of speculation by revealing the title of the latest entry in the saga, due out this December: It’s official. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is the next chapter of the Skywalker saga. This December. #TheLastJedihttps://t.co/ySkVwQcMTPpic.twitter.com/eHrPgbsRJq — Star Wars (@starwars) January 23, 2017 [Read More...]Continue reading→
Encountering the Mystical in the ‘The Fits’
The fascinating film about adolescent encounters with the sublime gives us plenty to ponder. If you’re looking for a film that inspires lively conversation, you’ve got to check out The Fits. Anna Rose Helmer’s debut feature film runs a brief, but intense, 72 minutes, leaving plenty of time for discussion and debate afterwards. It caused a stir last year at Sundance, and critics have been talking about it ever since. Fortunately, Amazon Prime subscribers can currently stream it for free—and for ..Continue reading→
Review: The Resurrection of Gavin Stone (dir. Dallas Jenkins, 2017)
The Resurrection of Gavin Stone is a “faith-based” comedy about a washed-up former child star who, having trashed a hotel roof bar, is told to do a couple hundred hours of community service at a Chicago-based megachurch and ends up starring in their Easter play. It’s a safe, formulaic and utterly predictable film — precisely the kind of “Christian” movie I tend not to review here — but because of my interest in movies about Jesus, I was interested in seeing how this film would depict the play. T..Continue reading→
Music
One-Way Conversations by Hollyn
Hailing from Ohio, this Dove Awards New Artist of the Year nominee has been working the past year on her debut full length album titled "One-Way Conversations". Listeners were introduced to this vibrant you lady on TobyMac's latest release with the songs "Backseat Driver" and "Lights Shine Bright" and later with her debut #1 single "Alone (featuring TRU)". As a songwriter, Hollyn co-wrote all of the songs on her debut full length album and worked with producers Bryan Fowler (Ryan Stevenson), Wit and 42 North (Andy Mineo), Cole Walowac of Capital Kings, Eric Ramey (Britt Nicole) and more. The album[...]Continue reading→
Run The Race (Single) by Holly Starr
The new single from Holly Starr, co-written with and produced by Bryan Fowler (Ryan Stevenson, Tobymac, Mandisa, Hollyn).[...]Continue reading→
The Garden (Deluxe Edition) by Kari Jobe
Grammy nominated Kari Jobe is the premiere female worship leader in Christian music. Coming off her last live album, Majestic, which featured the worship anthem 'Forever' and radio hit 'I Am Not Alone', Kari Jobe has returned to the studio to record her new album, full of brand new worship anthems for the church and for personal reflection. Finding inspiration from life's joys and hardships, Kari leans into the firm foundation of Christ through it all. With career sales that top 1 million, Kari still comes back to the reason why she started in the first place- leading people into[...]Continue reading→
Canopy by nobigdyl.
"I wrote Canopy coming out of a time of isolation and darkness. It felt like my life was completely falling apart and I'd have to start over again from nothing. God showed me that sometimes there's safety and protection in isolation. Sometimes, the darkness makes it easier to see the light," confessed nobigdyl. when speaking of the anticipated release. 'Canopy' is nobigdyl.'s first album release since his debut in 2015 with the 'Smoke Signal' EP. Check out indie tribe and nobigdyl at his website, nobigdyl.com.[...]Continue reading→
Kat&Jared EP by Kat&Jared
"Everyone goes through difficult seasons. When we're in those seasons we can either choose to magnify our problems or we can magnify who God is. These five songs are really just a collection of songs that celebrate the life that comes by choosing to enter into God's presence." Kat Hartmann Kat&Jared, Kat and Jared Hartmann, are worship leaders and songwriters whose passion is to help people discover the life that comes from friendship with God and spending time in His presence. Kat and Jared spent the first nine years of their marriage traveling the world with Flyleaf, a platinum selling[...]Continue reading→
Books
A Look at Notable 2016 Publications
TEDS President offers his list of best books “There is no end to the making of many books,” says the author of Ecclesiastes. In the United States alone, there were close to one million titles published during the past year, with revenue approaching $1.8 billion. Hundreds of titles competed for our attention during 2016. I offer the following observations with the recognition that I have no doubt missed several important works that some of you would have included in such a survey. The books not..Continue reading→
Recommended Biographies By or About Women
Faith Cook is an author, biographer, and hymn writer. She grew up as a missionary child in war-torn China and has chronicled her story in an autobiography. Her own biographical work has been on both men: Fearless Pilgrim: The Life and Times of John Bunyan William Grimshaw of Haworth and women: The Nine Day Queen of England: Lady Jane Grey, Selina: Countess of Huntingdon: Her Pivotal Role in the 18th Century Evangelical Awakening, and Anne Bradstreet: Pilgrim and PoetContinue reading→
Bibliotheca Bible – a Review
There are many things that I have great admiration for, but perhaps one of the things I enjoy the most is seeing a long-awaited, labor of love come to full fruition. The tenacity, hard work, dedication, and pitfalls along the way in seeing something through to the end is something that, for lack of better terms, gets me emotionally invested in a project. Yet not all projects are equal and not all catch my particular attention – but if we’re truthful, that’s precisely what makes these types of th..Continue reading→
Christianity Today’s 2017 Book Awards
Our picks for the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture. Make a list of all the blessings the Protestant Reformation has brought, and eventually—long after jotting down iconic phrases like “salvation by grace alone through faith alone”—you’ll get around to the CT Book Awards. Books, of course, had existed long before Luther posted his 95 Theses. But there’s no denying that reading and the Reformation, with a vital assist from Gutenberg’s printing press, soared toget..Continue reading→
Where Should Our Women be Discipled?
Pastors and elders want thinking women in the church, right? And yet popular beliefs that came out of the nineteenth century’s cult of domesticity still seem to linger in the evangelical culture today. Back then, people taught that women’s brains were inferior to men’s intellectually and that women needed to reserve their energy and blood flow for reproductive purposes. These are ideas we usually joke about now, even to provoke a woman in innocent fun, because we know them to be scientifically p..Continue reading→
10 Books Every Christian Teenager Should Read
A reader recently asked the question: Do you have a suggested list of books for teenagers, something like a “Ten best books every Christian teenager should read?” It surprised me that I have never compiled such a list, especially since I’ve got two teenagers of my own. I decided I’d better remedy this oversight straight away. Here, then, is a list of ten great books every Christian teen ought to read—or at least consider reading. Please note that these are not necessarily the ten best books your teens will read in their lifetime. Not all of these books will stand the test of time as Christian classics. But each of them is suited to twenty-first century teenaged readers and together they will provide a foundation for the Christian life that will prove both deep and wide. I list them in no particular order. The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul. It is rare that a book is elevated to the ranks of the classics, but The Holiness of God is a prime candidate. Sproul’s book will introduce teens..Continue reading→
Signposts to God and More (RJS)
Books, books, books … What is the best book you’ve read on Science and Christian faith? It seems to be the season … not the holiday season, but the book season. I recently received three new books. Books by a physicist, a biologist (with training in theology as well), and a philosopher. All three tackle questions of science and Christian faith. Each of the three presents an interesting perspective – and I intend to dig into them more completely over the upcoming months. Peter Bussey’s book, Sign..Continue reading→
2016 Reading Challenge Update: September & October
This year I have been participating in the 2016 Reading Challenge, a fun way to increase and diversify your reading through another year. I took the challenge and set this year’s goal at 104 books. However, because so much of my reading has to go toward reviewing books that are recently published and of interest to Christians (both for reviews published here and in WORLD magazine), I decided to pick from all over the list rather than working through it in order. What follows are the books I completed in September and October and, in parentheses, the reading challenge category they fulfill. Below that is the complete list of categories I need to cover. As you can see, I did not finish many books over the past couple of months, something that is not unusual as my reading ebbs and flows over the course of the year. You can see my previous updates for January, February, March-April, May, June, and July-August. Sexual Morality in a Christless World by Matthew Rueger. This is a brilliant w..Continue reading→
6 Reflections on Community Inspired by Bonhoeffer
My church has recently launched a series on community called Better Together. In conjunction with the sermon series, I, in collaboration with my senior pastor, wrote a small group curriculum to compliment the series. I love community, which is why I love small groups. Like many of you, I work hard on our small group system at my church to equip leaders and to help many in my church experience the fullness of community—the good, the bad, and the ugly. However, as I continue to reflect on communi..Continue reading→
American
Is the Book of Acts Loveless?
By John Frye For the observant reader of the Bible, it comes as a shock to read the Gospel of John with it use of the word “love” some 39 times. John: the gospel of love. The shock sets in as the reader continues on into the Book of Acts. How many times does the word “love” appear? Zero. None. Not once. We know that “love” is one of Luke’s vocabulary words because he uses it 19 times in his Gospel (I’m working with the NIV). Why the absence of this great word in Luke’s sequel to Theophilus—the B..
Michael Licona: The Gospels as they Really Are
Years ago, when my research was on the Synoptic Gospels, I composed a list of how the Evangelists “edited” their sources. Using the standard theory of their relationships (Mark first, then used by both Matthew and Luke, both of whom also used another source called “Q”), I came up with the following sorts of edits by the Evangelists: 1. Instead of editing they “conserved” or “preserved” by copying. 2. They sometimes conflate two sources into one. 3. They sometimes expand the source they are using..
Pro-Abortion Whoopi Goldberg: Quit Using the Term Pro-Life “Because Nobody is Not for Life”
Thursday on The View, the mostly liberal panel surprisingly talked about an event that ABC News routinely ignores: the annual March for Life. The hosts were respectful of the marchers but Whoopi Goldberg took issue with the march’s use of the term “pro-life.” The whole panel then made contradictory and confusing arguments then about how one could be both “pro-choice” and “pro-life.” The show began with Whoopi announcing this Friday was the annual March for Life. She then began to tear into the ..
EPIC: Jonathan Cahn Sums Up Obama’s Anti-Christian Legacy
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s last words to Barack Obama, as described in his National Prayer Breakfast remarks, are perhaps the most fitting summary of Obama’s anti-biblical and anti-Christian legacy. He said, Obama: “led this nation to champion the killing of the unborn, and not only within its own borders, but in that of other nations across the world. “labored to strike down the standards and order ordained by God concerning man and woman and marriage, not only within these borders, but around the w..
US
Vocation in Hacksaw Ridge
Notice how many movies are about vocation. For example, consider Hacksaw Ridge, Mel Gibson’s movie about Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector who won the Medal of Honor. A medic, he rescued 75 wounded servicemen in the Battle of Okinawa. I haven’t seen the film yet, but a review in World Magazine by Sophia Lee quotes a passage that goes to the heart of the doctrine of vocation. Read it and my discussion after the jump. From Sophia Lee, A pacifist at war | WORLD News Group: Desmond hold..
Red Letter Christians
Tony Campolo and some other liberal evangelicals have started a movement they call “Red Letter Christians.” The term comes from the convention in many editions of the Bible to print the words of Jesus in red. Red Letter Christians believe that Christianity should be about following the words of Jesus, rather than getting involved in theological disputes, culture war issues, and right wing politics. Rather, followers of the words of Jesus will be advocates for the poor, promote tolerance, and be ..
So why the loss of interest in the NFL?
Television ratings are way down for professional football games. The NFL is trying to figure out why the sudden loss of interest. I have to say that I am not as interested in the games as I used to be, even last year, and I’m not sure why. I don’t think it’s just because the Packers aren’t doing all that well. I saw them through rougher times. And it’s not because the games are too long. I like long games. And it’s not because Colin Kaepernick is disrespecting the flag. He’s getting sacked so mu..
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Another remarkable prophecy of Christ in the Old Testament (the study of which is a classic devotion for Advent), is Isaiah 9:1-7. Not only do we learn that the Messiah will live in Galilee and will be the eternal Davidic King. Verse 6 also establishes His deity and does so in Trinitarian terms: And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The child who is born to us will be called “Mighty God.” We also have an intimation of the inter-relat..