“What Would Jesus Do?” Hopefully others in our readership can join me in confessing that they too at one point (or perhaps even still) wore a lanyard bracelet that bore this culture-crossing acronym for Christian living. And although in some circles he question get’s kick-back, in others it is still treated as a very applicable…
You will look in vain for a section of the Bible entitled “Guidelines to Christian Parenting.” There are a few texts and they are extremely important and they fall under the general heading “Families that serve the Lord and live for him do these things.” With regard to children, parents are to instruct their children…
Last week, I talked about my obsession with Human Planet, the BBC series that brings the triumph of manly dominion to our TV screens. I’ve since finished the final two episodes (in all their high-definition glory) and although I’m impressed, even moved, by how well the series depicts our God-given rule over the earth, the…
There has seeped into the church culture a “new normal” with regard to children “growing up Christian.” I say “new normal” because I can only imagine it has not been this way in past generations of believers. Nothing in Scripture seems to support the idea that children growing up in a Christian home will “graduate…
I have a new addiction. Every night before bed, when no one is watching, I sneak into a dark room, turn on the television, and pop in another episode of Human Planet. Six episodes into an eight-part series, I’ve soaked up every second. This is no ordinary nature show. Whereas its predecessor, BBC’s Planet Earth,…
As most readers are aware, I am currently a seminary student. Most people think this probably means a lot of reading. Lots of writing. Lots of Greek and Hebrew. And… they’re right. But, this training involves some other activities. Activities such as what I will be doing this weekend. On Saturday, I and the eight…
It’s cold in Johannesburg. That surprised me because I always thought Africa was a hot place. That was the first of my expectations dashed upon the rocks of reality there. Accompanied by ten people, including seven high school students, I walked around an astonishingly large ghetto with bags of bread and canned foods. To be…
To be honest, I have always had something of an aversion to Lent. I generally dread this time of year: February drawing to a close, Lent is in full steam, and all my holy friends are giving things up for God. Part of me doesn’t see the connection between not eating chocolate and knowing God…