Articles
Hymn Highlight: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Advent is a season of reflecting on Christ’s first advent as recorded in the Gospels, and of expectant waiting for Christ’s second advent. We are in the midst of the “already-not yet” period, having experienced the kingdom but awaiting its consummation. This is perfectly summarized in Wesley’s familiar Christmas tune.
The Prosperity Gospel as a Modern-Day Indulgence System
October – particularly today on Halloween –brings out all manner of spookiness. In keeping with the general theme of the season, I want to talk about a particularly spooky development in theology: The historic practice of selling indulgences, and how that has informed an equally influential branch of evangelicalism today.
A Candle that Shall Never be Put Out
Beginning in early 1555, Queen ‘Bloody’ Mary as she is now known, oversaw the execution of several prominent Protestants. By October, two church leaders had been arrested in Oxford: Bishop of Worcester Hugh Latimer (1487-1555) and Bishop of London and Westminster Nicholas Ridley (1500-1555).
Reflections on Asbury
Over the last few days, something has been up at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. Some are calling it a revival, some an awakening, some a stirring, and yet others are referring to it as a distraction, a confusion of truth, or a manipulation of students.
Resilient Discipleship
Resilient discipleship is not purely a reactionary measure the church must take against the rising tide (tsunami?) of secularism. Rather, the church must always be edifying the saints for kingdom work. Edification is a construction, building word. What I mean to say is this: The church must seek to build people up into maturity; to give priority to the ministry of disciple-construction.
A Review of ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’
While the film takes a journey away from the prosperity gospel, it ends up at a wrong destination. Sadly, ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ errs in its direction away from error.
My Favorite Reads of 2022
Between starting a new job and moving to a new house, I wasn’t sure I’d have much time to read. But thankfully, I’ve been able to take in several great works. Here are six that I deem my favorite reads of 2022.
A Word to Preachers from John A. Broadus
While Broadus has maintained a reputation as one of the greatest preachers to have been a part of the Southern Baptist Convention, I want to focus today on a quote Broadus made about regarding another preacher.
Deconstructing Deconstructions
If you’ve been involved at all in the evangelical conversation that takes place online in the last few years, you’ve heard the word deconstruction. Deconstruction is the word used by those leaving the evangelical faith after they begin taking issue with certain ideas, doctrines, ethical concerns, or cultural aspects of evangelicalism.
The Cure to an Anxious Soul: Living in Light of Luke 12:22-34
In this short post, I want to call Christians away from the pull of anxious feelings regarding our current climate or circumstance, and toward Jesus’s cure for anxious souls. When we look around our communities, it’s easy to be swept up into the anxious feelings of the age. If we aren’t guarded against anxiety, we can become overwhelmed by the political clamor, outrage, and general uneasiness of today. If we merely fall in line with the temperature of Twitter and Facebook and CNN and Fox News, we’ll succumb to the stress and anxiety of society.
Servants and Stewards: A Two-Fold View of Ministry
The apostles of the early church were to be regarded as both servants and stewards. But an application of this passage can be applied to churches today, and particularly to pastors. Pastors, as the biblical leaders of the church, are to act as both servants and stewards.
”For You and For Your Sons Forever”: Remembering the Kindness of the LORD
Why would God impart such a statute, commanding that the Israelites celebrate the Passover forever? Because remembering God’s kindness is discipleship.
Escaping the Mundanity: Building a Healthy View of Daily Bible Reading
Each new year it happens: Inevitably, we all take up a grand Bible-reading plan. We start off fast out the gates, usually in Matthew or Genesis, but then, the all-to-often interruption occurs and we stop. The stop has many reasons, but I want to try to diagnose one today.
We stop reading the Bible because we start merely reading the Bible.
Hymn Highlight: Oft in Sorrow, Oft in Woe
Oft in Sorrow has endured through the centuries, giving Christians a song to sing in times of struggle and sadness. We need songs of celebration to sing on mountaintops, yes, but we also need songs that teach us to continue on in the battle of faith when we are in a valley. Oft in Sorrow is a hymn for such times.
The Flood: Wrath and Grace on Display
One of the most famous and disputed stories in history is found within the first 10 pages of the Bible. Noah and the flood. Genesis 6-9 contains the narrative of Noah and his family, wherein God covers the entire earth with a flood but chooses to save Noah and his family. After the flood, God establishes his covenant with Noah. These are but four short chapters, but a huge hinge in the Old Testament story.