Half Free
Like many of us in life, we get a feel for what’s going on, but we never really engage in our lives.
Yes, Jesus does forgive us for our sins. Yes, Jesus does cleanse us from all unrighteousness, but there’s more. The reason Jesus does all of this is so we can be of useful service to Him and His kingdom. You have heard it before – we are saved FROM and we are saved FOR. Most of us never get... Continue Reading
New Harvard Research Says U.S. Christianity Is Not Shrinking, But Growing Stronger
Is churchgoing and religious adherence really in ‘widespread decline’ so much so that conservative believers should suffer ‘growing anxiety’? Absolutely not.
New research published late last year by scholars at Harvard University and Indiana University Bloomington is just the latest to reveal the myth. This research questioned the “secularization thesis,” which holds that the United States is following most advanced industrial nations in the death of their once vibrant faith culture. Churches becoming mere landmarks, dance halls, boutique... Continue Reading
The ‘Family Roles’ Model: Reflections on 1 Thessalonians 2
According to Paul, even men can be like spiritual mothers to the Lord’s people—and on account of that verse I allowed my Mother’s Day exhortation to remain gender neutral.
1 Thessalonians 2 is a fascinating chapter for helping us think through what ministry should look like, because in the space of just a few verses Paul compares himself to a father, a mother, and a child. He employs all three of these ‘family roles’ as part of his description of faithful ministry, thus suggesting... Continue Reading
Would Jesus Bake the Cake?
If Jesus was a baker, and He was asked to make a cake for a same-sex ceremony, would He do it? Various actors, journalists, and political pundits are sure that He would.
The artists object to the MESSAGE being sent, not the person. They have routinely served gay people. But they do not want to endorse a message that is sinful or violates their religious convictions. These merchants (bakers, florists, photographers) were often targeted by gay couples who knew they could find services at a dozen other... Continue Reading
The Pence Rule and Wisdom
If a man meeting with a woman alone leads to sexual temptation, then there is a serious problem with the heart.
As Christians we despise sexual immorality, and seek to flee from it. For these reasons, false teaching sounds appealing and it is hard to put a finger on what is wrong with it. It isn’t that it is completely wrong. It’s that it is almost right, which in many ways is far worse. Almost right... Continue Reading
The Sex Education We Need
In seven chapters, Pearcey takes on the most contentious issues of our time—abortion, euthanasia, sexual morality, marriage, transgenderism.
Pearcey is evangelical in her outlook but ecumenical in her tastes. She draws on scripture, tradition, and a breadth of contemporary Christian leaders—Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox—to present the possibility of a unified Christian understanding of human anthropology and dignity. Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions About Life and Sexuality is Nancy Pearcey’s timely attempt to... Continue Reading
Evangelicalism Is a Subset of Protestantism
George Marsden wrote a guest post that argued for seeing evangelicalism from the perspective of the big picture.
what we call “evangelicalism” is made up of a vast number of different churches and organizations from around the world that are mostly disconnected with each other, even though they share a number of basic common features (notably, “biblicism,” “conversionism,” “crucicentrism,” and “activism,” as defined by David Bebbington). And if we start our thinking about... Continue Reading
How Jesus Answers the Cries of Our Heart
Many of us have favorite psalms—perhaps even some we’ve memorized—which give us hope in the midst of sorrow, fear, loneliness, or grief.
Jesus fulfills all the deepest cries of our heart. Jesus is God’s ultimate answer to all that the psalmist cried out for. Just as the psalmist turned to God as his salvation in the midst of his sorrow, grief, and fear, we also must turn to Christ as our salvation in our own emotional turmoil.... Continue Reading
Should I Try to Be My Child’s Friend?
Your job is not to be the best, coolest friend of your child.
Jesus knew when he came that he would be despised and rejected for who he was, for what he said, and for what he did. But he was willing to do it, because he loved us. That’s the kind of love you want to give to your children. The Nature of True Parental Love... Continue Reading
The 2016 Election and The American Church
What has the 2016 election revealed about the state of the Church and its place in American culture, and how ought we (the American Church) move forward from here?
Overall, the 2016 election has shown how the Church’s political engagement is shot through with ressentiment—the Nietzschean concept warned about by James Davison Hunter, in which we ground ourselves “in a narrative of injury. . . a strong belief that one has been or is being wronged.” Surveying our political landscape driven by rights, wrongs, and... Continue Reading