30
Dec
2022
When to Say “No”
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Many people are looking for excuses to do less for God. This post is not for them. This is for Christians who tend to burn the candle at both ends, for people who have a hard time saying “no.” I regularly meet with people who are overwhelmed with life. Sometimes it’s because of the pain... Read More
16
Dec
2022
The Eclipse of Divine Transcendence: A Historical Concern for the Christmas Season
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The Incarnation of the Son of God is the centerpiece of our celebration during the Christmas season. The eternal Son of God took on flesh and manifested in visible form the image of the (ordinarily) invisible God (Col 1:15) such that in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form (Col 2:9). In... Read More
14
Dec
2022
Why I Won’t Tell My Son That Santa Is Real
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*This post was originally published in 2013. My wife and I are looking forward to enjoying our first Christmas as parents, even if our son is currently more interested in putting wrapping paper in his mouth than in any other part of Christmas. It’s still fun to discuss what traditions we want to establish as... Read More
9
Dec
2022
The Use of AI Technology for Church Images
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A few weeks ago I drew attention to the AI movement and its complications with education. Namely, to what degree can students use AI and still consider the product their own work. Just recently, ChatGPT launched and now has over one million users. If you try to use it, you may see a screen informing... Read More
2
Dec
2022
The Scarcity of True Friendly Fire
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While preparing for a workshop on tolerance for the recent E3 pastor’s conference, I reread one of the more fascinating essays I’ve seen on the subject: I Can Tolerate Anything Except the Outgroup. While there are some flaws/blind spots in his assessment, I find the ending especially intriguing. Earlier in the essay, the author distinguished... Read More
18
Nov
2022
Biblical Counseling Certification
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In 2021 Inter-City Baptist Church became a certified training center with ACBC. Because our seminary is a ministry of ICBC, DBTS offers training that results in your ACBC certification. We offer two paths to biblical counseling certification. Path #1: MDiv Concentration in Biblical Counseling The first path is designed for MDiv students who are looking... Read More
10
Nov
2022
Confidence and Difficulty: Instilling Interpretive Confidence while Teaching on Difficult Passages
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I knew I had a difficult task ahead of me. The next passage to teach in my Adult Bible Fellowship was 1 Peter 3:18–22. If you have ever preached or taught through 1 Peter, you got goosebumps when I mentioned that passage. In just five verses there is complexity upon complexity. Even if we determine... Read More
8
Nov
2022
You Really Are Pro-Life, Even If…
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From time to time people try to discredit the pro-life movement by arguing that those involved with it cannot genuinely claim to be pro-life unless they also support or hold other positions. Statements like “If you were really pro-life you would also…” or “You can’t say you are pro-life and also…” are followed by a... Read More
4
Nov
2022
Start with the Mirror
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“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the... Read More
31
Oct
2022
Two Fundamental Questions in Abortion Debate
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The abortion debate in the public square often goes awry by delving into details that are irrelevant to the debate, bypassing the assumptions upon which both sides of the debate rest. The following represent the two seminal questions that are at stake. First, we ask whether or not human government has any role at all in... Read More