Free Speech Still Cool on Campus, Religious Freedom … Not So Much
Two prominent universities publicly affirm their commitment to free speech; some state legislatures debate whether a Christian campus ministry can restrict its leadership to those who hold Christian beliefs.
What about freedom of association? In California, Assemblywoman Shannon Grove introduced the California Freedom of Association Act as a response to—in the words of Assemblyman Tim Donnelly—“an all-out assault on religious liberty and the right to associate freely on California college campuses.” California’s public universities have forced Christian campus ministries either to embrace non-Christian leaders,... Continue Reading
Freedom of Conscience Wins a Round
A bit of constitutional sanity in the midst of unrelenting bad news regarding freedom of conscience
In its order upholding HOO’s right not to speak — its right not to assist in spreading a message endorsing an unbiblical view of sexuality — the court relied on the Supreme Court’s clear statement in Wooley v. Maynard: We begin with the proposition that the right of freedom of thought protected by the First... Continue Reading
Gordon College Wins—and Loses?
I am concerned that the Administration and Board may have made too many concessions
“The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) may have left Gordon alone for the time being but only because they are satisfied that advocates for homosexual relations have (so to speak) secured the beachhead and are advancing inland. After reading the College’s own “Questions about Gordon’s Working Group” I felt some sadness for... Continue Reading
This Is How God Works. Don’t Look Down On It.
Don’t neglect to serve Jesus because you can only serve him in some tiny way
“How often we despise the day of small things. Often when people first get saved, we see little fruit. We can’t imagine how many prayers it will take to see someone healed. A church building project can seem overwhelming considering the few resources we have. It may feel like we have an impossible mountain to... Continue Reading
Something Important That I Have Learned From My Parents
I am reminded of who my children really belong to
“Whether we come from a great home or a highly dysfunctional one, I’m pretty confident that most of us come out of our childhood with a list of things that we will do differently with our own children. We are thankful for all the good that we may have inherited from our parents, and we... Continue Reading
Why Think About Heaven
Here are three reasons why the future reality of heaven ought to influence believers now
“Recognizing that they will soon be in the presence of their heavenly King, those who belong to Christ desire to please Him and reflect His perfect character in every way possible. As the apostle John wrote in his first epistle, “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see... Continue Reading
13 Tips for Leading the Congregation in Prayer
Public prayer is often boring because little thought is put into it
“Make sure there is a flow and direction. Don’t get too wordy. Keep a good pace. It often makes sense to work from the inside out, praying first for concerns of the congregation and then moving out to the community, the global church, and the world.” 1. Prepare. Some traditions use set prayers. Others... Continue Reading
Faith, Union With Christ, And The Means Of Grace (Part 1)
The Spirit who gives us new life also gives us true faith
“Catechism questions are not just opportunities for an answer. They are not just filling space. They often contain important truths. In Calvin’s catechisms the question is sometimes the answer. He asked long questions the answer to which was, “Yes, teacher.” Since then we are made partakers of Christ and all His benefits by faith... Continue Reading
Logic on Fire: The Life and Legacy of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (DVD Review)
Anyone in the Reformed community will recognize many of the special commentators in the film
“This film was recently debuted at the Gospel Coalition conference in Orlando where many of the guests featured on the DVD documentary were speaking, preaching, and lecturing. I have to say, there was a great amount of excitement about the release of Logic on Fire.” I had an opportunity to review the brand new full-length... Continue Reading
Protest and Survive, But How?
We are being once more made conscious of what was obvious to first-century Christians: the fundamental difference that exists between the city of man and the city of God.
Churches which are doctrine-lite, or which define themselves with a ten or twelve point doctrinal statement, or which portray themselves as a nice, fun supplement to the more important things of life, are rather like the little pig who built his house of straw. When the wolf blows, the house will simply vanish in the... Continue Reading