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 […]
God is Much More Secular Than We Often Think
John Piper, in The Pleasures of God: God has an interest in all our nonreligious life. All our business transactions are his concern. God is not so distant or even ‘religious’ that he only cares about what happens at church and during devotions. Every square inch of this earth is his and every minute of our […]
Where Theology and Sports Collide
Today TGC has a TGCVocations interview that I did with Kurt Earl, founder of Compete4Christ. Kurt is a teacher and coach who has done incredible thinking on how the gospel applies to coaching and athletics. Check out the interview, as well as Compete4Christ, to get a taste of his thinking. And, of course, as a huge Patriots […]
Made to Flourish: A Pastor's Network for the Common Good
This is a guest post by Ben Stafford, a program associate at the Kern Foundation. Ben has an incredible understanding of the relationship between faith, work, and economics, and the role pastors need to play in helping build up the church more fully in a robust biblical view of vocation. How might pastors affirm the […]
How Do You Balance Material Goods with the True Spirit of Christmas?
Anne Bradley has a great post on this at the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics. Here are three very helpful points she makes (note especially the first one — it’s why I don’t think giving gifts at Christmas necessarily equals consumerism): What are some ways we can worship God with our whole being and […]
Calvin: Rejection of Good Secular Thinking is Ingratitude Towards God
Calvin: “We cannot read the writings of the ancients on these subjects without great admiration.” And: “Shall we count anything praiseworthy or noble without recognizing at the same time that it comes from God? Let us be ashamed of such ingratitude.”
How Saving Grace and Common Grace Relate
Here is one way saving grace and common grace relate: deed ministry, which is essential to the testimony of the gospel, often requires common grace in order to be done well. Hence, it is unwise as Christians to downplay secular wisdom (common grace). Secular wisdom is not the gospel. But it is God’s will that […]
The Fruit of the Spirit and Your Work
So, in what areas of life are we to manifest the fruit of the Spirit? Just at church? We are to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in all areas of life. We so easily miss that. It’s easy to think of the fruit of the Spirit and other Christian virtues as applying to some […]
Subversive Kingdom: Rebelling Against the Rebellion
I’m very much looking forward to reading Ed Stetzer’s forthcoming book Subversive Kingdom: Living as Agents of Gospel Transformation. Here’s a quick summary, which is what gets me excited about the book (along with the fact that it is by Ed Stetzer): How would our culture change if the entire Christian community started actively, intentionally […]
All of Life is an Arena for God's Glory
Gene Veith, in his article Our Calling and God’s Glory: Christian’s preoccupied with their families, struggling to make ends meet, living their mundane lives “are all in a state of holiness,” according to Luther, “living holy lives before God.” Read the whole thing.