Latest Posts
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These are my Confessions…And Their Essential Role in Sharing the Gospel
Read more: These are my Confessions…And Their Essential Role in Sharing the GospelWhen it comes to sin (especially the darkest of them), confession is a terrifying thought. Yet, what is probably even more terrifying- and far more damaging for the church, and the individual- is to be found out. Thankfully, accountability to confession and to discipleship is available within the family of God. But, to what extent…
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The Casual Vacancy: A Review
Read more: The Casual Vacancy: A ReviewJ. K. Rowling has written a new book. Did you notice something in that sentence? Those who know my affection for the Harry Potter series should immediately recognize that my opening sentence ended, not with five exclamation points, but with a period. Sadly, I am not too thrilled about this book. And this is coming…
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The Table That Prayed For Me
Read more: The Table That Prayed For MeShe approaches the table slowly, hands laden with plates of food, and I recognize her immediately: Marina from Moldova. She had been our waitress on our last visit, had spoken to us in Russian, and we had prayed for her health. That was at least six months ago, and now, though she isn’t our waitress,…
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Morality and the Gay Debate
Read more: Morality and the Gay DebateLast week, Bryan wrote an article entitled, I’m (Kinda Sorta Yeah Not Really) Gay. As you might imagine, the post got a lot of attention: good, bad, and ugly. There were many who offered words of affirmation and encouragement, but along with these came comments with a totally different emphasis. The most common and fundamental…
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Straight Idolatry
Read more: Straight IdolatryI admit it. I’ve tried to “pray the gay away.” I’ve spent nights on my knees, asking God to take away my homosexual desires. Any Christian who struggles with same-sex attraction has probably done the same, and rightly so. Casting our cares on God should be the first thing we do (1 Peter 5:7). So…
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Getting Grounded
Read more: Getting GroundedThis last week, I learned about Earthing. If this sounds like a hippie-influenced, granola-society type of activity… you’re probably right. Though it’s proponents claim that there is scientific research to validate the claims of this practice, the basic gist is that we as humans accumulate loads of electron imbalances from the stress, emotions, work, and…
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Mumford Review: Babel
Read more: Mumford Review: BabelLast week Mumford & Sons released their new album, Babel. It’s a great album. Not as great as Sigh no More, but I like it holistically. In many ways, this new album follows the strengths of the previous album, especially in utilizing the crescendo effect (though it is a bit predictable). The most intriguing aspect of the album is…
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Osteen’s Big, Big Tent (Guest Post)
Read more: Osteen’s Big, Big Tent (Guest Post)If “aw shucks” inclusivistic sincerity were enough to commend a soul to heaven, hell would starve. Unfortunately, Joel Osteen’s “gospel” is enough to populate hell. Recently, the pastor of the nation’s largest church, Lakewood Church (Houston, TX) was interviewed by Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s “The Situation Room.” Blitzer asked Osteen whether or not Romney, a…
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Hermeneutics 201: Navigating OT/ NT Connections
Read more: Hermeneutics 201: Navigating OT/ NT ConnectionsWe call the message of a biblical text its theology. This is because the message is from God and it makes demands on our lives. It includes both the primary and ancillary theological principles that God inspired a text to communicate. A text’s message/theology represents the future-oriented direction of the text. In other words, its…
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I’m (Kinda Sorta Yeah Not Really) Gay
Read more: I’m (Kinda Sorta Yeah Not Really) GayPeople wonder if I’m gay. I know because kids in school used to ask me. When I replied with silence, they called me a fag and went on their way. If bullies wondered about my sexuality, then so did family, friends, people at church. They were probably just too afraid (or too nice) to ask.…