Blog
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Jesus, Santa, and Saint Nicholas
Many of us may not know that the jolly old legend of Santa Claus is based on the 4th-century bishop from Myra, Saint Nicholas. Christmas season begs us to ask: who was Saint Nicholas? How did we get from a 4th century bishop from Turkey to a fat man in the North Pole? And how is Saint Nicholas relevant to our celebration of Christmas today?
The Narrow Path of Christian Faithfulness in an Election Year
Before we get too deep into all the heat and haze an election year brings, it’s good for us to remind ourselves of some of the salient biblical truths that ought to guide us through such a time. We will need cool heads–with eyes fixed on our God and His Word–in the months ahead.
The Eucatastrophe of Emmanuel
What makes the baby in the manger and the shepherds and wise men and the star and everything about Christmas so wonderful is the dyscatastrophe–the grief and ruin–that preceded it. The incarnation did not happen in a vacuum–it came as the stunning twist to a long story, full of heartbreak and frustration.
What does the Bible teach about homosexuality?
This article will explain what the Bible says about homosexuality. In an attempt to keep this article brief (on a complex and controversial issue), the answers have been provided in a short Q&A format. This article seeks to be as honest and concise as possible. We hope that you receive this as our attempt to give clear and helpful answers on a complex topic that has become convoluted…
Should I Spank My Kids?
Few words are as misunderstood and unappreciated in 21st century American church culture as "discipline." Whether it’s "church discipline" or disciplining our children, many of us cringe at the thought. This blog is intended to help clarify not only that discipline is necessary, but also that it is good, loving, and gracious. In fact, as we’ll see, failing to discipline is profoundly unloving.
Can We Trust That The New Testament Hasn't Been Corrupted?
“The Bible was written over thousands of years by dozens of authors. Along the way, errors crept into the text. A little bit at a time, slowly and slightly, the word of God was diluted by the words of men.” That is the story that the world is telling; a gripping conspiracy full of intrigue, subterfuge, secret councils and villains, and told in official-sounding documentaries by official-sounding professors. It’s a fascinating story. Fiction often is.
Forgiving Someone Who Hurt You Deeply
We’ve all been hurt by others—in a myriad of ways, and in varying degrees. But some of us have been unimaginably hurt by others. Some of us have been so scarred by what others have done to us that we think no one can ever understand our pain. Some of us have been so deeply wounded that we can’t even think about what happened without feeling sick to our stomach. When we’ve been wounded in these ways, we often try to deal with the situation in one of three ways…
Can Christians Sue Other Christians?
Can Christians ever sue other Christians? Can we ever go to court against one another? You may be tempted to say “no.” After all, the Bible seems to be pretty straightforward on this. But are the commands from Luke and 1 Corinthians really telling Christians to not go to court with another Christian, without exception?
"Only God Can Judge Me"
“Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1). Even those who couldn’t pick John 3:16 out of a lineup could probably still (mis)quote this well known yet rarely understood passage of the Bible. With just seven short words, the ultimate trump card is played, and any sin or shortcoming is magically justified. But do these words mean what we think they mean? Is Jesus intending to condemn any and all judgment?
A Theology of Lying
Ron Swanson, the manly-libertarian from the hit show, Parks and Rec says, “There's only one thing I hate more than lying: skim milk, which is water that's lying about being milk.” But what exactly is “lying?” Now, that may sound like a silly question; you might be thinking, “Who doesn’t know what lying is?” But as we’ll see, this topic is a bit more complex than you’d expect.
Are Christians Commanded to Give to a Local Church?
Some churches love talking about money. Some churches (if you even want to call them that) even go as far as to teach a perverted “gospel” in which God's blessing can be purchased in four easy payments of $19.99. The error of these kinds of churches is obvious. But there is another way churches can err when talking about money; it’s much more subtle, and at first glance might even sound like a good way to deal with the topic. Instead of talking about money all the time, some swing the pendulum too far and neglect the topic altogether. Here’s why that’s a problem: we cannot avoid talking…
Should We Use Wine or Juice for Communion?
Prior to the invention of the pasteurization process, communion was universally partaken with wine rather than grape juice. But with the influence of the Prohibition Era, and the innovation offered by Dr. Welch, there are many Christians in America who would be uncomfortable with taking communion with wine instead of the grape juice they’re used to. But here is the question we’d like to explore in this blog: is grape juice actually an acceptable substitute for wine? Or, to ask it in another way, is serving grape juice in communion the most faithful option for churches today?
Am I Suffering Just to Learn a Lesson?
We suffer for many reasons: we live in a broken world, God uses suffering to discipline those he loves when we walk in disobedience, God uses suffering to grow us in our faith, suffering is a way to imitate Christ, etc. But the purpose of this blog is not to give a full theology of suffering. Instead, this blog is aimed at addressing a common misconception many Christians have when it comes to righteous suffering. It goes something like this: “When we suffer it is because God wants us to come to a cognitive knowledge of some fact and, once we have learned that fact, he will take away the suffering.”
The Mission of Individuals Vs. The Mission of the Church
We, as individuals, have to be careful that we do not confuse what God is calling each of us to do with what he is calling our entire church to do. You may be called to work at a particular ministry, but that doesn’t mean your entire church is. You may be passionate about a particular social issue, but that doesn’t mean your entire church is. You may feel called to serve in a particular way, but that doesn’t mean the church is.
Christians and Alcohol
The American church has a long and tortured history with alcohol paved by winding turns of excess, prohibition, legalism, licentiousness, and confusion. So what should Christians think of alcohol today? Does the Bible command, condone, or condemn drinking alcohol? Is drinking appropriate, sinful, or unwise?
Are All Sins Equal?
There are a few phrases I’ve heard pastors say that just rub me the wrong way. A common one is that “all sins are equal.” But is that right? Are all sins equal? Or is that just one of those weird things we hear preachers say but never stop to look up the answer for ourselves?
What Should Protestants Think About Catholicism?
We recently had a good discussion in one of our theological equipping classes about what Protestants should think about Catholics. Are they friends or foes? Can a Catholic be saved and remain a Catholic? Is Protestantism a new church or is it simply a purification of a church that had drifted a bit?
Does Baptism Save You?
I have been baptized 6 times. If that sounds crazy to you, you are right; it is crazy. This blog aims to answer my questions which remained unanswered for so long; it might even help some of you avoid being baptized for a second, third, or seventh time…
Should Christians Take Medication for Anxiety and Depression?
This question is at the center of a big debate going on in Evangelicalism; much ink has been spilled over whether or not Christians could/should use medication to help battle anxiety and depression. On one end of the spectrum...
Let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector?
What does Jesus mean when he tells the church to treat an unrepentant brother as if they were “a Gentile and a tax collector” in Matthew 18? Does this mean that we should treat them like Christ treated Gentiles and tax collectors? If so, how did Jesus treat them? Or does it mean we should shun or excommunicate them? If so, how and why?