“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25). I don’t think he means that we are supposed to engage in self-sabatoge to make our life harder than it has to be. For example, I heard of a charity in the developing […]
Matthew 5:16, Paraphrased
Matthew 5:16 tells us the purpose of our productivity: “Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Where is productivity there? In the phrase “good works.” Good works are not just rare and special things we do, but any good thing […]
Why is Theology Central to the Christian Life?
Because, as J. Gresham Machen said so well, Christianity is not just — or chiefly — an ethical code, but rather “a way of life founded on a message.” Christianity is based on news. On something outside of us. On truth. And that’s theology. Since Christianity is a way of life founded on a message, you can’t uphold the […]
What is Wrong With Some of the Recent Teachings on the Authority of the Local Church?
There is a growing emphasis on church membership right now and “being under the authority of the local church.” This can seem laudable in many ways, but there is a very important emphasis which often seems to be missing when people talk about this. Without this emphasis, people will inevitably misunderstand. The missing emphasis is […]
Can Christians Actually Change Society?
John Stott has one of the best answers to this, in my view. From his article Four Ways Christians Can Influence the World: If we are pessimists and think we are capable of doing nothing in human society today, I venture to say that we are theologically extremely unbalanced, if not actually heretical and harmful. It’s […]
Can You Insult Someone to the Glory of God?
Joe Rigney is a very provocative writer, and his book The Things of Earth is very good. But I cannot agree with part of his recent post at TGC called “Surprised by Scripture: Love and Spirit-Inspired Insults.” In this post, Rigney argues that we need to have a category for “the Spirit-inspired insult.” Referring to Paul’s words in Acts 13:9-10 to […]
Preparing Your Teens for College
Most people are aware of Alex Chediak’s excellent book Thriving at College. What is often overlooked is his sequel to that book, Preparing Your Teens for College. Don’t let the title fool you. This book is not just for parents of teenagers. It is for all parents, because the solid principles he outlines actually make the book an excellent primer […]
Why Plant Churches?
A fantastic and extremely helpful article by Tim Keller that everyone needs to read. Here’s the start: The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for 1) the numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city, and 2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches […]
What is a Gospel-Centered, Missional Church?
A great article at the new For the Church Website. Here are a few excerpts: What is a gospel-centered, missional church? Simply put, a gospel-centered missional church is one that recognizes that: Authentic heart-transformation cannot happen apart from the gospel; AND Culture is not the enemy of the church; rather it is a broken treasure God […]
5 Questions on Faith and Doubt
Barnabas Piper’s new book Help My Unbelief: Why Doubt is Not the Enemy of Faith releases July 1st. In the weeks leading up to its release, he is interviewing several people on questions of faith and doubt. Today his interview with me is up. The five questions are: What does “I believe, help my unbelief” mean to […]
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