Read Denny Burk's latest post. He denies the gospel, abandons the biblical gospel, and unmasks himself. … [Read more...] about If You Had Any Doubt about Rob Bell…
“Pujols: More than the Game” A Review
I cheered for Brett Favre for a long time. I loved his grit, his competitive spirit and the joy he demonstrated as he played football. I even cheered for him as he retired and unretired fourteen times. But he made it difficult to cheer for him as stories of his boorish behavior in his year as the Jets quarterback came to light. Sexual harassment. Sexting. Brett Favre is evidently a hero with feet of clay. Baseball's 1998 was a year of glory. Not only did the Yankees win more games than any other team ever has, but the home run derby between Mark McGwire (my hero) and Sammy Sosa (not … [Read more...] about “Pujols: More than the Game” A Review
Mike Huckabee, Radical Islam & Slippery Slopes
"But, add feelings to the list of those things that are now subject to scrutiny by the Islamist lobby in this country. First actions (South Park). Then words (Franklin Graham). Now feelings (Juan Williams). But, where will it end, especially in regards to Islam? Your guess is as good as mine. If CAIR and NPR keep getting their way, most Americans — both conservatives and even a few liberals — may no longer be able to recognize the First Amendment. Remember, the slippery slope always starts somewhere!" (From "Slippery Slopes: Speech, Islam & NPR") We can now add common-sense, … [Read more...] about Mike Huckabee, Radical Islam & Slippery Slopes
Learning a Thing or Two from the New Perspective on Paul
There has been a push in recent years to rediscover the Jewish side of Paul. He was, after all, a Pharisee who trained under Gamaliel, and it turns out that if you start to see his writings from a rabbinic Hebrew mindset they begin to make a lot more sense. The traditional view on Paul has placed him in a sort of Greek philosophical box and this messes up our understanding of him more so than even his contemporaries dealt with at the time. This has led to a host of theological presumptions that are so widespread, they aren't even questioned. We never dream that the words of Peter could … [Read more...] about Learning a Thing or Two from the New Perspective on Paul
Storing Up Stones in Places of Grace
"I don't need this." "I don't want this." "I hate this." "What is this?" Where did this come from?" Why do I have this? "Whose is this?" "This hurts." "I remember this." "I didn't ask for this." "Where should I put . . . this?" One thing is for certain: there really is a lot of this. I grew up in a family that accepted transition as a stable state of being. If I begin on Texas Street -- the first house I really remember -- I can close my eyes, unfold the memory map, and wind my mind down the roads of yesterday through tiny towns and sprawling cities, spooky old houses to … [Read more...] about Storing Up Stones in Places of Grace
Accepting the Hard Things (by Caison Jones)
(Caison Jones is a contributor at Apologia Appalachia: Theology from Them There Hills. I thought this article would be a blessing to the readers. Another one of their writers was the author of the post yesterdaty about the convention name-change. There is some quality writing being done at their group blog site!) "The trouble is that, nowadays, there are so many who receive the testimony of God only so far as they can satisfactorily account for all the reasons and grounds of His conduct,..." A.W. Pink I've heard this referred to as "Cafeteria Christianity", where we pick and choose only … [Read more...] about Accepting the Hard Things (by Caison Jones)
Is Tom Elliff the Right Poison?
My kids play this game called "Would You Rather?" produced by Parker Brothers or somebody. During the game, an individual is presented with two unsavory options. The general pattern is "Would you rather be 4 feet tall with arms that dragged the ground, or 9 feet tall and unable to touch your toes?" The other contestants vie to see who can accurately predict the individual's choice. When I was in college we would sit around and do this, thinking of the most horrific options for each other, just as a casual late-night dorm conversation among dateless guys. Painful experiences, ugly/mean … [Read more...] about Is Tom Elliff the Right Poison?
(Fill in the Blank) Baptist Convention (by Matt McGlamery)
(Editor's Note: Matt McGlamery is a contributor at Apologia Appalachia. I'll confess, I'd never seen that blog until I asked for posts and contributors. They are posting some top notch stuff at that blog. Check it out. We have another guest post from one of their contributors that will be up in a day or two.) The idea of a name change for the Southern Baptist Convention has been discussed for years. A quick survey of the Baptist2Baptist section of the SBC website shows the issue was discussed in 1975, 1998, 1999, and in 2004 when the proposal for a study of a name change was defeated by … [Read more...] about (Fill in the Blank) Baptist Convention (by Matt McGlamery)
What if….Pictures of Faith
Did you know: the African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet? Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall. It’s been said that faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see. That might be living faith. Dead faith might be falling prey to the question of, ‘what if?’ In other words, would or could the Impala know what would happen if he leapt to the other side of the zoo enclosure? Would I be worth the perceived risk to … [Read more...] about What if….Pictures of Faith
A Crisis of Faith and Why I am an Ice Cream Presbyterian
There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of some idea for a movie scene that I would love to see. If I wrote down every one of them I'd have the funniest script for a movie that probably only I would laugh at. In all seriousness, I am so, so thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ has graciously saved me. Yet, when it comes to a sense of humor and a perspective on observing life, well, I just ain't right. I realize that, in truth, a pastor's job is demanding of his time and energy, so realistically I would never do this, but... I would love to schedule a counseling appointment with … [Read more...] about A Crisis of Faith and Why I am an Ice Cream Presbyterian