Category: Culture

  • Dan

    MLK.2

    This is an excerpt from a sermon of Dr. King’s. You can find the full transcript HERE. But I have a message that I would like to leave with Alabama this evening. (Tell it) That is exactly what we don’t want, and we will not allow it to happen, (Yes, sir) for we know that it was normalcy in Marion…

  • Dan

    Inauguration

    This prayer for the president is a good one, and one I am praying this morning. We pray at the urging of Scripture: I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God…

  • Dan

    Seething

    13 The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?” “I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.” (Jer. 1:13, NIV) One of my favorite preachers in Bible college was David Owen. He was a Welsh preacher on the faculty and his accent just added to the mastery of his…

  • Dan

    MLK

    So I have not said to my people: “Get rid of your discontent.” Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist. But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to…

  • Dan

    Stand

    Daniel 3 is one of those great kids’ stories. The fiery furnace. Standing up to the king. Not bowing to idols. As I prepare this chapter for preaching, I am coming to really not like this chapter. My series is looking at the example of Daniel in hostile territory and learning how that speaks to us in our ever-changing culture. Facing idols…

  • Dan

    Disagreement

    Why the one word titles: HERE.  We are living in incredibly divisive times. I am sure we can find same periods, and worse, in history. But these current times in our culture, and then in the church culture as an extension, really have us in ideological trenches and it gets discouraging. We simply do not know how to disagree anymore. In…

  • Dan

    Empires

    12 Now there are some Jews, ones you appointed to administer the province of Babylon—specifically, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored your command. They don’t serve your gods, and they don’t worship the gold statue you’ve set up.” (Dan. 3:12, CEB) What happens when belief clashes with culture? When the idols of the culture are so prevalent and your lack of…

  • Dan

    Culture

    I’m still trying one word titles, so I would actually like to say “Cultural Shifts.” Cultural shifts happen. Some like them. Some do not. We, as believers, serve in an unshakeable kingdom. Shifts do not catch our King by surprise. Our allegiance is greater.  

  • Dan

    Unshakeable

    44 “But in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will be indestructible. Its rule will never pass to another people. It will shatter other kingdoms. It will put an end to all of them. It will stand firm forever” (Dan. 2:44, CEB) The vision Daniel saw in this chapter was one…

  • Dan

    Slavery

    Today is National “Human Trafficking Awareness Day.”  I am teaching American History this semester and have the awareness we are in the middle of the commemoration of 150 years since the Civil War. This year would be the pivotal year of Gettysburg. While the Civil War was fought to end slavery in America, the cold awareness needs to grip us again…