Brian Myers; Dr. Roger Olson of Baylor University recently made some disparaging remarks about Calvinism, but his problem isn’t really with John Calvin.
Clobbering “Biblical” Gay Bashing: The Apostle Paul Condemned Homosexuality
Currently, the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning) community asserts forcefully that the Apostle Paul did not denounce homosexuality in his writings. In their minds, their interpretation of Paul’s comments confirms their attempts to legitimize, even Biblically, homosexuality. Despite extraordinary efforts, their attempts fail. Paul wrote three different passages in which he commented on homosexuality, […]
Finding The Flip Side of Evil
In the wake of the horrific Aurora, Colorado shooting the words of the Apostle Paul reaches across time to bring a measure of understanding to the madness. In his letter to the church in Rome Paul describes the heart of humankind apart from the grace of God. “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in […]
Fifty Shades of Freedom
In June, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force drafted a recommendation that “clinicians screen women of childbearing age for intimate partner violence (IPV), such as domestic violence, and provide or refer women who screen positive to intervention services,” extending the call to include even those “women who do not have signs or symptoms of abuse.”[1] […]
It’s Never a Waste of Time to Love a Kid
In honor of National Mentoring Month (which ends tomorrow) I wanted to share an article I wrote forReal Men back in October. My friends at Fuller Youth Institute have been researching what makes faith stick as youth transition to adulthood. The study they did with 500 youth group graduates revealed three surprising and key findings. […]
For Jesus Died For Me
Doing sermon prep a couple of weeks ago I came across this prayer from Martin Luther. I wanted to share it with you: I do not come because my soul is free from sin and pure and whole and worthy of Thy grace; I do not speak to Thee because I’ve ever justly kept Thy […]
Ready for Either?
A great passage from Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotional from Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” (ESV). The believer did not always live to Christ. He began to do so when God the Holy Spirit convinced him of sin, and when by grace he was […]
Jesus Wants The Rose
A dialogue that I was watching on Facebook yesterday reminded me of how often our dialogue as Christians toward unbelievers (or about unbelievers as often times we like to talk about them and not actually dialogue with them) puts up a barrier to the Gospel. How much of evangelicals’ political rhetoric toward those on the […]
Divisions in the Church (1 Corinthians 1:10-17)
10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling […]
The Philippian Jailer Converted (Acts 16:25-40)
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and […]
Preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:1-8)
4:1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is […]
Paul Accepted by the Apostles (Galatians 2:1-10)
2:1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or […]
The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example (1 Thessalonians 1)
1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor […]
He Is Risen!
Happy Easter! From the Gospel of Matthew: Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone […]
The Gospel Message
I just started reading Death by Love: Letters from the Cross by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears. Just on page 11 the following quote jumped off the page at me. So basic, but yet profound. Central to the Christian faith, but easily lost in incoming surge of relativism that currently marks our culture. The gospel […]
You’ve Been Warned.
Up and at ’em early for church. I was reading 1 Corinthians 10, and the devo in Our Daily Bread for today. There is a tendency in our culture today to approach the Bible as story. It is true that there is much narrative in scripture, historical accounts and one can say that the entirety […]