Category: The Gospel Coalition

The Gospel Coalition

Blog can be found on:

http://theologica.blogspot.com/

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By micoots
15/08/2016 0

How Parenting Flies By

Growing up in central Texas, the idea of getting in a car and driving to another state in less than four hours was foreign to me. I could get to Mexico faster than I could get to any neighboring state. Texans are proud of their long highways. In fact, not long after you enter Texas from Louisiana, you’re greeted by a sign that says “Beaumont 23, El Paso 857.” That’s not being helpful, that’s just showing off.

When I arrived at DePaul University in Chicago in 1991, I was not only entranced by th..

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By micoots
15/08/2016 0

When God Asks Too Much

I feel for Elijah. It wasn’t easy being the prophet of Yahweh under the reign of Ahab. We’re told the king “did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him” (1 Kings 16:30). Elijah starts his prophetic ministry by bringing the unwelcome news that Israel would suffer a drought, which would not be removed until Elijah said so (1 Kings 17). This puts the prophet in immediate danger. Far from holding himself and his evildoing responsible for the drought, Ahab considers Elijah th..

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By micoots
15/08/2016 0

Are You a Bruised Reed?

Editors’ note: Taking the advice of C. S. Lewis, we want to help our readers “keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds,” which, as he argued, “can be done only by reading old books.” Continuing our Rediscovering the Forgotten Classics series we want to survey some forgotten and lesser-known Christian classics. Previously in this series:

John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress (Louis Markos)
Richard Lovelace’s Dynamics of Spiritual Life (Douglas Groothuis)
J. C. Ryle’s Hol..

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By micoots
14/08/2016 0

We Must Resurrect Church Revitalization

The mere existence of Brian Croft’s most recent book, Biblical Church Revitalization: Solutions for Dying and Divided Churches, should encourage lovers of the gospel. Churches are being reborn as faithful Christians quietly labor to restore life and health according to God’s Word.

Still, church revitalizations are rare. Ten years ago, Thom Rainer managed to fit almost every extant case within a single volume (Breakout Churches). So-called “dying” churches appear hopeless, with few pastors initi..

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By micoots
14/08/2016 0

Bringing Physical and Spiritual Nourishment to Zambia

They served up the Word of God along with meat, greens, and nshima—a dish made from cornmeal. The mission team from Minnesota wanted to provide nourishment to Zambian kids who often receive just one meal per day.

Zambia, in southern Africa, boasts natural beauty that includes the world’s largest waterfall. The majestic Victoria Falls attract tourists from around the world. Even so, this country has one of the highest undernourishment rates on earth. Nearly half of its roughly 16 million people ..

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By micoots
13/08/2016 0

What You Should Know About the Libertarian Party Platform

Note: This is the first in a series examining the social positions of several minor political parties. A previous series covered the Democratic Party platform and the Republican Party Platform.

Although minor parties — often called “third parties” to distinguish them from the dominant two — have always been a part of American politics, the dissatisfaction with the Republican and Democratic parties in the current election season has led some Christians to give them more consideration than usual…

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By micoots
13/08/2016 0

7 Pitfalls to Avoid in Preaching

Preaching is hard work.

To those sitting in the pews, preaching can look relatively effortless—especially when it’s done well. But don’t be fooled. Preaching exhausts the body and soul in ways incommensurate with its duration. I could work in the yard all day in 90-degree heat and (somehow) feel less exhausted than preaching two services.

But it’s not just the physical and spiritual toll that preaching takes. The complexity of the task is what makes it difficult. Just standing up and talking f..

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By micoots
13/08/2016 0

Will the Real John Calvin Please Stand Up?

Ever since his own time there have been wildly differing assessments of John Calvin, some very wide off the mark.

In his latest book, John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion: A Biography, Bruce Gordon—professor of ecclesiasitical history at Yale University—traces the fate of Calvin in general and his Institutes in particular all the way to the present day. As author of the standard biography on Calvin (Yale University Press, 2009) [review], Gordon is well equipped to do this.

Predes..

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By micoots
13/08/2016 0

How Ministry Rescued My Marriage

A few mornings ago, my husband and I prayed together with our kids. Before we walked out the door, we looked into each other’s eyes, and we kissed. Later, at lunchtime, we had a significant discussion about personal priorities for our finances. We also discussed our church. No one shouted or cried or clammed up. Later that evening, we ate dinner as a family. We laughed a lot. I did the dishes. He paid bills in the family room. After the kids were in bed, the two of us ended the day reading side ..

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By micoots
11/08/2016 0

Gospel Resources for Rio and Beyond

Portuguese is the sixth-largest language group in the world, and the official language of Brazil—home of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Thanks to the diligence of dozens of gifted volunteer translators who speak Portuguese, we currently have over 1,000 Portuguese-language resources in our TGC Resource Library, with more being translated each week.

Your giving during the Olympics and through August will help us expand the reach of these gospel-centered resources in Portuguese. Our prayer is that the Lor..