7
Oct
2013
Worldliness and the Problem of Disordered Love
/
Recent discussions about the nature of worldliness reminded me of a statement that dates from the late fourth century. In his book On Christian Teaching, Augustine (354–430) discusses what it means to live a holy and just life. He says that a person who lives such a life has ordered his love, so that he... Read More
4
Oct
2013
Should Believers Be Different from Unbelievers?
/
As often happens with discussions of worldliness among Christians, Pearson’s post yesterday sparked a bit of disagreement (much of which confirmed the first paragraph of the post). As Pearson noted beforehand, the debate typically includes what it means to love the world. In each of the questions Pearson provided, he encouraged believers to consider whether or not... Read More
3
Oct
2013
Will Anyone Speak Against Worldliness?
/
There is an elephant in the room of Evangelicalism that very few want to talk about. If we bring it up, we face ridicule and labels. “Legalist!” some shout, having little understanding of what legalism really is. “Traditionalist!” others say, as if we don’t have a rich church history and a very old Book as... Read More
1
Oct
2013
On College and Faith
/
A pair of articles on the question of whether to send one’s child to a secular or to a Christian college here and here and discussed further here has recently captured my attention. My eldest son is a high school senior and this decision is imminent for him, so I’m always on the lookout for... Read More
28
Sep
2013
How Long Does It Take to Prepare a Sermon?
/
How long does or should it take to prepare a sermon? You might enjoy the answers from some well-known preachers. HT: Tim Challies
25
Sep
2013
Understanding Biblical Theology: A New Guide
/
I’m leading a seminar this semester on biblical theology. We just had our third meeting this last week. For the first two, we read from and discussed a dictionary. (It was better than it sounds. I promise!) Last week we read and discussed a new release from Zondervan written by two Talbot profs called Understanding... Read More
21
Sep
2013
The Road to Damascus…Then and Now
/
In recent weeks the city of Damascus has frequently appeared in our headlines. Although it now appears that a U.S.-led strike against the region is not on the immediate horizon, it also looks as if negotiations over the proposed transfer of chemical weapons will continue throughout the coming weeks and more likely the coming months.... Read More
17
Sep
2013
Wanting to Be Noticed
/
We live in a hyper-sexualized and semi-pornographic culture. The problem dominates popular advertising, pervades our entertainment choices, and even weasels its way into our churches. The concept of modesty is no longer a legitimate standard for censure, but an object of censure. We’ve come to the point that modesty is sincerely regarded as a vice... Read More
14
Sep
2013
Don't Abandon Children's Ministry!
/
This past Sunday evening, we had our annual Ministry Equipping and Training Seminar here at Inter-City Baptist Church. During this time we have ministry-specific seminars and also general sessions. I did a general session on “Discipling the Next Generation: The Mission and Goals of the ICBC Children’s Ministry.” There is a lot of discussion in... Read More
12
Sep
2013
Why Are You In School?
/
Though summer is not officially over until September 22, the summer break has ended for schools and students are back in classes. Some are beginning their first year of college or seminary, excited for the journey ahead and overwhelmed by the amount of work each class requires. Others are beginning what they hope to be... Read More