New Year seems like a redemptive holiday to me. A blank slate. A fresh start. A new chance to break some bad habits and start some good ones. For a long time, I was an ardent New Year's Resolutionist! I would sit down and makes plans and write down my goals and hopes for the year. Then, I realized something. This year's resolutions look a lot like last year's. 1) Spend more time in personal Bible study and prayer. 2) Lose 30 pounds (or 40, or 50, 0r 75 - this one has fluctuated over time). 3) Finish several of the book projects I have growing spider webs on my hard … [Read more...] about Do You Make New Year’s Resolutions?
It’s One Week to the Caucus and I’m Still Confused
Iowa has few marks of distinction - we grow a lot of corn, beef and pork. We have a lot of high-tech industries and an advanced public education system. But for one brief shining moment every four years the eyes of the nation are upon the cities and towns of this state. Our caucuses (a sort of dysfunctional town-hall meeting) are the first stage in the nomination process for president of the United States. Last time around, Iowa Democrats shocked the nation by choosing Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton (who actually dropped to third behind John Edwards) and sending the current president on … [Read more...] about It’s One Week to the Caucus and I’m Still Confused
Calvinist Identity Issues: What is a Calvinist?
I write this in deep fear that I'm going to get a poke in the nose from Rick Patrick. Actually, his light-hearted complaint about being labeled a Calvinist made me think about a problem with the whole debate. I left a comment on that post, but thought I would expand the concept as a separate post and ask the question I think we need to answer. What do you mean when you call someone a Calvinist? As I watch the sometimes intense discussion of Calvinism here and elsewhere, I can't help but think that one root of the problem is often the definition of the term. I mean one thing when I use … [Read more...] about Calvinist Identity Issues: What is a Calvinist?
A Bowl Game and NFL Playoffs Playground
From all evidence, Baptists love them some football. So, here's a place to talk about the pigskin explosion that will take place in the next couple of weeks. I think there 327 bowl games to be played. Plus, we approaching week 17 of the NFL season and the playoffs will be set. So, here's a forum for that discussion. CB will be the unofficial traffic cop and chief smack-talker for this forum. And, please, we don't need any sanctimonious, "football is idolatry" comments. Two things we all agree on. 1) The rematch for the BCS championship is a sham and an abomination. LSU ought … [Read more...] about A Bowl Game and NFL Playoffs Playground
A Frivolous Forum: Great Movie Moments
This is a "kicking-back" week for me. I'm not on vacation, but I'm not really working either. It's a kind of stress detox after the Christmas season. It'll be time to watch a few movies and I thought some of you might enjoy a little movie moment discussion. When I finally got home from church yesterday, my home-from-Cedarville daughter was watching the last 20 minutes or so of "A Few Good Men." I made this statement, and surprisingly, she didn't really disagree. "That may be the best 20 minutes of cinema ever!" "I want the truth." "You can't handle the truth." And this one: Col. … [Read more...] about A Frivolous Forum: Great Movie Moments
What is Christmas all about?
See You Monday – Have a Merry Christmas
I don't plan to blog over the next couple of days. I've got a video scheduled to post Christmas morning, but I certainly hope you've got better things to do over the next couple of days than to blog. I do. Have a cool Yule. … [Read more...] about See You Monday – Have a Merry Christmas
Why I Believe in Expository Preaching
I'm a preacher's kid, so I grew up hearing 2 sermons a week, 52 weeks a year. We didn't miss back then. My dad was a bit of a fanatic about something that, I now know, was not so common back among preachers back then - verse-by-verse, expository preaching. Since I sat under his preaching every week, I assumed everyone got out a Bible, tackled a passage and went through it verse after verse, picking up this week where we left off last week. Dad didn't "do a series" - he preached a book. Romans. Ephesians. 2 Peter. I didn't know there was any other kind of preaching, except for dad's … [Read more...] about Why I Believe in Expository Preaching
What in God’s Name Are We Doing to Our Children?
I am a grandfather now and I am deeply concerned about how the church is ministering to and dealing with its children. Of course, I want my grandchildren to be raised in the church, but is being raised in the church today that much different than the world? The world my grandchildren will grow up in is a Pleasure Island designed to seduce young Pinocchios into a life of servitude to sin. But what is going on in the church? I'm afraid that too often in our children and youth ministries we are trying to out Pleasure Island the Disney vision. I am concerned that many of the trends designed … [Read more...] about What in God’s Name Are We Doing to Our Children?