Alan Cross blogs at Downshore Drift. I am thinking about this week and the story it tells in the Christian life and how we live according to an alternative reality that is rooted in Heaven and not this world. Tomorrow and Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments involving the legalization of Gay Marriage in America. That is not a small issue. We debate politics, the economy, and who has power and who does not. Christians live in a world that is telling and living by a story different from what we see in Scripture. What are we to think? What are we to do? I think that the … [Read more...] about Easter Story: Sin/Suffering, Cross, Resurrection, Ascension, New Creation (by Alan Cross)
Follow (pt. 3): Know Who You Are and Delight in the Father’s Love
Below is part 3 of an outreach and discipleship booklet I put together for my church based on an April 2013 sermon series by the same name. You can find Part 1: Give Up Your Life for Jesus, here; and Part 2: Value Jesus Above All Else, here. To Follow Jesus, Know Who You Are and Delight in the Father’s Love[1] In Luke 15, Jesus was surrounded by two groups of people. One was a group who disregarded God’s commands, lived how they wanted to live, and sought pleasure in whatever sins they could commit. This group included those who became rich by robbing their very neighbors (the Roman … [Read more...] about Follow (pt. 3): Know Who You Are and Delight in the Father’s Love
Biblical Christianity Needs Both Javert and Valjean.
Okay, confession time. I'm a musical theater geek. In my small Baptist college, I was in the communications department, which included theater. I was Arvide Abernathy in "Guys and Dolls" (thankfully, no video exists). I played a dynamite pirate in a summer children's theater production (Aargh!) and performed what is generally considered to be the worst-ever performance of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet during a class. A rose by any other name, and all. I've written and produced plays (at church, not Broadway, of course). My two youngest children both got involved in show choir … [Read more...] about Biblical Christianity Needs Both Javert and Valjean.
Conquering the Lonely Grave
Darkness. Deadness. A lonely grave. That is what I feel when I say I’m battling depression. I feel almost nothing; save for that tinge of guilt and remorse that I feel for feeling nothing. Beauty is lost. Almost everything seems pointless and hopeless. Somewhere in the recess of my being I know that the darkness is distorting everything. Yet that small voice of reason is silenced by the apathetic screams in my head. Occasionally I experience fear that the darkness will not break and this ever-pursuing monster will finally swallow me whole. I read Psalm 88 today. At least … [Read more...] about Conquering the Lonely Grave
Follow (pt. 2): Value Jesus Above All Else
Below is part 2 of an outreach and discipleship booklet I put together for my church based on an April 2013 sermon series by the same name. You can find Part 1: Give Up Your Life for Jesus, here. Value Jesus Above All Else Luke 14 tells us how Jesus was walking along and an exceedingly large crowd followed. At one point Jesus stopped and turned towards them, and said some very difficult things to them. Imagine Jesus speaking these words, and listen as you read: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, … [Read more...] about Follow (pt. 2): Value Jesus Above All Else
Follow (pt. 1): Give Up Your Life for Jesus
Below is part 1 of a booklet I put together for an upcoming sermon series, and a booklet we will hand out to all in attendance on Easter Sunday. I posted the rough draft as a .pdf file a couple of weeks ago. I want to now provide each section as an individual blog post. I hope it is both encouraging and challenging to you as we enter into this Spring season of 2013. FOLLOW We all follow something… Who (or what) do you follow? ____________________ “Follow Me” ~ Jesus, Luke 5:27 Everybody in life follows something or someone. So who, or what, do you follow? Who is the person that … [Read more...] about Follow (pt. 1): Give Up Your Life for Jesus
Breaking News: Dr. Russell Moore Elected President of ERLC
In a move that shocked and amazed absolutely no one, Dr. Russell Moore was elected today as the eighth president of the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. You can read the details in Baptist Press. From the time that Dr. Richard Land announced his retirement, Vegas odds-makers had Dr. Moore as the prohibitive favorite to be elected to this position. (No, Vegas does not make book about Baptist politics - relax!) The Baptist Press article has a series of quotes by a wide range of SBC leaders, all praising the selection. From Dr. Land: "I am … [Read more...] about Breaking News: Dr. Russell Moore Elected President of ERLC
Born That Way vs. Born Again? (by Bart Barber)
Editor: I'd give Bart an introduction, but you pretty much all know who he is, right? While we await a Supreme Court decision that could possibly re-define marriage in American jurisprudence, would you entertain with an open mind an argument from me to the effect that the marriage debate, while very important, is not the most important question that the homosexual movement has placed before us as Christians? Rather, the most important question that the homosexual movement has raised for Christians is the question of whether reparative therapy (a.k.a. conversion therapy, ex-gay ministry, etc.) … [Read more...] about Born That Way vs. Born Again? (by Bart Barber)
The Not Created
I was looking at Genesis today, and noticed something I had taken for granted. Ever notice what was there before God starts to create? The first thing God created was light, the energy that is radiated from a light source, God created light before the sun and the stars, He of course is the original light source. For light to exist, it had to be created. If you go back, you see before there was light, it was dark. This is sort of a "duh" sort of thing, if there is no light, it's dark. Darkness, however, exists before creation, it's not a created thing. It is, in fact, the absence of a thing. … [Read more...] about The Not Created
Where Is My Plow, and Where Is Yours?
8:23 am Hey Andrew. 8:31 am Who this? 8:39 am Your mother. 8:42 Mom! You have a cell phone now? 8:47 am I'm using your sister's phone. Beth's phone. 8:51 am Oh, hey. Don't have Beth's number in my phone, so didn't recognize it. How are you? Everything cool? 8:58 am No, not really. Your father fell again last night. Few fractured ribs, busted wrist, wounded pride. 9:05 am Wow! He ok? Doing alright? What happened? 9:12 am He will survive, but in lots of pain. Will be in hospital till 27th. 9:20 am Man, that's awful. Thnx so much for letting me know. 9:25 am Your … [Read more...] about Where Is My Plow, and Where Is Yours?