encouragement "Not In Our House!!" April 09, 2015 Have you ever tried to resist the inevitable? I do this whenever I sit down to eat. No matter how much I try to avoid it, my superlative skills in unintentionally creating social
Grace Of Kryptonite, Kool-Aid and Windex: Concluding a Series on the Practical Pursuit of Holiness March 14, 2015 As much as our hearts crave the completion of God’s sanctifying work within us, the prospect of stepping forward in newness of life can be daunting. We might fear that we will
Grace The Perfect(ionism) Excuse, part 3 in a series on sanctification ... February 12, 2015 Do you believe that it is possible to overcome a besetting sin in your life? And do you believe that this conquering is possible in _this _life? If your answer is no, or
antinomianism Our Father's Likeness January 08, 2015 What is your gut reaction, honestly, when you hear the phrase: “Obedience to God’s law”? Do you smile, or do you cringe? And why? In the previous entry on this subject, we
law Save Us, Superman!! (And then leave us alone.) December 11, 2014 As we look back at some of the most popular films of the past few years, and as we look ahead to movies in production, it is clear that superheroes have captured the
disappointment Being Open to Closed Doors November 13, 2014 Have you ever been so sure that the Lord wanted something or someone for you, some particular way of serving Him, only to find in the end that you and the Lord were
Epistemology Joy at Geneva, or: Oh, the Humanities! October 09, 2014 Last night was one of the highlights of my 16 month tenure as chaplain of Geneva College. I got to participate in the Geneva Reading Series, an initiative of the brilliantly creative Dr.
Forgiveness This is My Father's Word September 11, 2014 Do you ever avoid certain passages of Scripture because they remind you so vividly of past sin? You've confessed your sin, and you trust that God is faithful and just to
C.S. Lewis Take Your Soul off Silent: Our Desperate Need for Integrity in Education June 12, 2014 _This past spring, _I had the privilege_of _addressing academic scholarship recipients and their parents on the topic of academic integrity. The God-given potential in that room was electrifying, but it will fizzle
agnosticism A Time to Speak: The Conclusion of a Series on Emergence Christianity May 13, 2014 _Note: As Gentle Reformation made the switch to its new format, the first three blogs in this series were lost. Many thanks to The Aquila Report for keeping them online! Here are links
children of God Paternity, Prepositions and Painful Prayers March 27, 2014 Worthless. Disgusting. Useless. What would you think of a father who describes his children with these words? And what if this father encourages his children to describe themselves and one another the same
Christ Distance Education February 28, 2014 If you were told that a friend had suddenly become ill to the point of death, would you not do everything you could to get to your friend as soon as possible, especially
Bold or Brazen? November 25, 2013 When does bold faith cross the line to become brazen presumption? It is easy as Christians to lose sight of that line, especially when we or those whom we love are hurting. Humble-hearted
Christ Whatever, part ... whatever... November 04, 2013 In the previous entry, we considered Paul’s willingness to give up “whatever” in order to gain a right standing before God, a standing only attainable by faith in the risen Christ (Philippians
Christ Whatever ... November 01, 2013 What do you desire most in life? And how much are you willing to give up in order to gain it? Is there anything about which you’d say: “I would give whatever
abraham Texts Over Which To Weep October 10, 2013 Does God ever seem cruel to you as He’s portrayed on the pages of Scripture? You come across something God says, does, or commands His people to do and you cringe, thinking:
Discipleship "But what about him?!" September 13, 2013 Have you ever had a burden so heavy on your heart, a duty you knew you had to perform, that its weight altered your view of the rest of life and of those
God's will The Indispensable Expendables July 29, 2013 A good friend told me that upon leaving a congregation he had served as pastor, he had two fears: 1.) That everything would fall apart without him. 2.) That it wouldn’t! Now
debates Shady Interpretations June 05, 2013 Why is it that two Holy-Spirit filled, Christ-loving, Bible-believing Christians can come to very different conclusions on the very same passage of Scripture? The same question applies to Christian denominations (and non-denominational churches)
Christ Paul's Agony May 17, 2013 Christian conversation about pastoral ministry often includes the expression “a pastor’s heart,” but what does that expression actually mean? Though Scripture may not use the exact phrase in question, it absolutely answers
Calvinism For Whom The Bell Toils . . . May 09, 2013 Rob Bell is back, and the critiques of his latest work are coming in. I’ve not yet had the opportunity to read What We Talk About When We Talk About God, but
Christian The New You ... April 30, 2013 Were you you when you were converted to Christianity? Or, asking about the same idea from a different angle: Are you you subsequent to your conversion? Every Christian should answer with a resolute
Internet Sins of Cyber-Speech March 27, 2013 Does the following sentence make sense to you? “I found a BFF on FB with my Droid App; his blog made me LOL so hard I had to Tweet.”[1]If so, you
Calvinism Flower Power: T.U.L.I.P. Analyzed and Applied March 20, 2013 James tells us in 1:22 that the person who hears God’s word without doing God’s word is engaged in self-deceit. Obviously, self-deceit is subtle. How are we to know when
comfort Brooks, Baseball, and Battles Among Believers January 29, 2013 The Puritans are derided as legalistic killjoys whose meticulous writings tend to parse the life out of true piety. Even a quick overview of their work will reveal their ability to write exhaustively
