“Watch the video,” The Five’s Greg Gutfeld tells the American public, in reference to ISIS’ video of the beheading of American journalist James Foley. For Gutfeld, watching the video is a justified act because it can arouse a better understanding of the terror ISIS pledges against our country. I can’t help but wonder, however, as an American with no National Security credentials, […]
Are Liberian and Mexican Souls Less Valuable Than American Souls?
In the August 6 edition of the Southern Baptists of Texas’ Digital Texan, an article named “52,000 Immigrant Children and the Call to Love Outsiders” appeared (originally published on erlc.com), coauthored by Criswell College’s Barry Creamer and Brandon Smith. The article encouraged Christians to sensitively consider that the border crisis is more of a people crisis than […]
I’ve Changed My Mind, Sodom is About Inhospitality
Matthew Vines, the self proposed “gay Christian,” in his book, God and the Gay Christian, argues that gay people in committed relationships is not ungodly or unbiblical. This is to say that Vines believes that it’s okay–biblically warranted even–to be homosexual, so long as you are in a monogamous relationship. His book argues this point by […]
Why Your Vibrant Church Might be a Dying Church
I remember watching a documentary some years ago on the life of Paul Wight, a seven foot, four hundred and forty one pound wrestler for the WWE. You might know him better by his stage name, “The Big Show.” The documentary detailed how, during his sophomore year in college, Wight was diagnosed with acromegaly, a condition that causes […]
Save the Cheetahs, but Slay the Children
I’ll never forget an experience I once had in one of my pastorates in East Texas, an experience that highlights the illogical atrocity that is liberal thinking. In attempts to raise money for a Christian School associated with the church, one of our members raffled off a cow for butchering. After the raffle was over he took […]
What is the Achilles Heel of your Pastoral Ministry?
There is a legend in Greek mythology that details the story of a baby on whom a young death was prophesied. This baby’s name was Achilles. To thwart this prophecy, Achilles’ mother, Thetis, took him to the River Styx, a river that supposedly offered powers of invulnerability. Thetis placed her faith in this river’s fabled power, and […]
I Got this Tattoo to Share the Gospel
The following might be a familiar scenario: After noticing a new addition to your Christian friend’s arm, you couldn’t help but ask what inspired him to pay money to a stranger to stain his skin with a tool forged in the pits of Mordor. (Can you tell I hate needles?) The response might have gone something like this, “I […]
THE FAITH IN FIFTY YEARS: ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA, AND HOMOSEXUALITY
One of the most important questions that can be asked is, “What is truth?” As Christians, we believe that God’s Word is truth. Thus, if God’s Word says something like, “Do not steal,” then we know that the truth is that we shouldn’t steal. No questions asked. We also know (or should know) that if […]
ADOPTION ON TRIAL: THE TOP THREE QUESTIONS I GET ON INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION
Since announcing our adoption roughly two years ago, my wife and I have encountered a range of questions concerning the details of the process. This article cites the three most often asked questions and provides insights into each of them. 1. WHY ADOPT WHEN YOU CAN HAVE KIDS OF YOUR OWN? When my wife and […]
An Altar On Which to Die: A Case for the Invitation
I was raised in a church in which there was no “invitation,” a moment at the end of service designed to allow people to respond to God’s Word. To be clear, in light of the contextual mood of this post, this isn’t to say that this church is evil. I deeply appreciate my experience there. But, because of […]
Ten Tips to a Testimony
Everyone has a story. And everyone who has trusted in Christ has the best story, one that’s worth telling. Many believers, however, are a bit timid when it comes to sharing their stories. You might be one of these timid believers. This is, perhaps, because your story’s details are somewhat of a discombobulated collection of […]
Three Ways I’ve Learned to Respond to Antagonists
There is an episode on the comedy sitcom The King of Queens, in which Carrie Heffernan is shunned from every nail salon in the neighborhood because of her poor attitude towards her manicurist. As it turns out, the nail salons are in cahoots with one another, and whenever she angrily leaves one they fax her picture to […]