-
Christianity — Rescued “from” and born “into?”
“The Christian story is not primarily about how God in Jesus came to rescue sinners from some impending disaster. It is about God’s work of initiating us into a fellowship and making us true conversational partners with the Father and the Son through the Spirit and, hence, with each other (1 John 1:1-4). Attaining heaven and avoiding hell represent just…
-
We live in panic
We continually live our lives in panic and frustration and anxiety, letting the storms of life dictate the condition to us, all the while forgetting the GOD of those storms resides in the boat with us (Mark 4:35-41)
-
On the stronghold of busyness
“… busyness may sometimes be an excuse for laziness. As Eugene Peterson observes, busy people are too lazy to take control of things, so they fit themselves into other people’s demands. Activities can be an excuse for spiritual inertia or acedia, an unwillingness to accept God as God, that is, his absolute claims on our lives. It is easier to be…
-
Frontline Prayer
I am getting into Timothy Keller’s book Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City. I have been refreshed by the subject matter of prayer, and more specifically revival prayer. He discusses “frontline prayer,” which consists of these elements: 1. A request for grace to confess sins and to humble ourselves. 2. A compassion and zeal for the flourishing of the church…
-
How to spot a cultural stronghold
1. Pick a hot button topic: Abortion, gay rights, gun control. 2. Make a position on it concerning funding, backing, etc. 3. Watch for vitriolic responses. CAUTION: If the vitriolic response seems to come too easily in your own case… you may need to check inside as well.
-
Should we keep striving for “relevance?”
“Modern Christians are not lacking in ‘relevance.’ What they do lack is a disciplined life and a critical mind to resist the temptation to conform to what everybody thinks or does (Rom. 12:1-3).” — Simon Chan, Spiritual Theology
-
Clarity and accuracy in translation are helpful
Over the years I have done a very bad thing in the eyes of scholars. I have drifted more toward translations that work to make the text more readable. For ESV, NASB, NRSV, and RSV lovers… I am a heretic. For KJV only people, I’ve been apostate for years. I still use “word for word” translations, but for preaching and…
-
Talking baseball
It may come as a shock, but I LOVE baseball. I watch the Ken Burn series every spring. So I will say something probably only shocking to me. Its time to let Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame. And soon, we need to give it up for Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds.
-
Thirsty People
There spiritually thirsty people everywhere. Often, they are at the margins. They are in very visible places at very invisible times, like the woman at the well, because we have buffered our lives from needing to view “people like that.” It’s easier on us, and isn’t that what the gospel is all about? One of the reasons we keep our…
-
Permanently dead?
Our life in Christ is powerful. We too often take Lent and think on our miserable failures without realizing the glorious power of the Savior. Today’s reading in Romans gives us the glimpse of power we need. Our present activity is VITAL. It should powerfully reflect God’s will in our lives, if we are truly dead to our sin and alive to…
