Wednesday is for Prayer “The world is a sculptor’s shop. We are the statues and there is a rumor going around the shop that some of us are someday going to come to life.” —C.S. Lewis, from an essay, “Beyond Personality”, p. 7. “Lord, make us a people who are mesmerized by the rumor and … More The Rumor Going Around the Sculptor’s Shop (C.S. Lewis)
“Those who have never lived in a society which has been won over from paganism by Christianity find it hard to imagine how extensive are the obstacles presented to Christian faith by religion, vice, custom and sheer laissez-faire. Wherever they went, Christians were opposed as anti-social, atheistic [because they didn’t believe in the Roman gods] … More The Absurdity and Power of the Gospel
Health and wealth in this life is NOT the gospel message. We are called by a crucified Savior to a cross-shaped life. In other words, we are called to suffer with the weak, the oppressed, the hurting, the sheep who are lost and haggard and humbled by sin and corruption. Our lives should look like … More The Prosperity Gospel is Killing Christian Living
Thursday is for Discipleship I’m not completely comfortable with even starting this post. But I think it is important to the health of the Church for the next generation. Part of my discomfort is that I am a friend of Brian McLaren. We went to the University of Maryland together; we took three classes together … More Joel Osteen vs Brian McLaren: Which is the Greater Distortion of the Gospel?
Friday is for Heart Songs My son is more than an aspiring poet; he is a published, top 100 on Amazon.com list of books on poetry (four times) poet. He’s good. I am biased, but that doesn’t mean I’m not right. I love this particular poem so much that I recorded it at the end … More “The Church is a Whore; But She’s My Mother” (often attributed to Augustine)
Thursday is for Discipleship I was praying and preparing for a counseling appointment with a young Christian and thought of C.J. Mahaney’s The Cross-Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing. As I reread the book, I thought some of C.J.’s counsel was relevant for all of us so here’s the outline: How do you … More The Cross-Centered Life
Weekend Links Vacationing. Few Links. Little time, got to get back to relaxing. As always, presence on the list doesn’t mean complete endorsement of all the particulars. Better Thinking About Life, Rights and Sex Planned Parenthood Supports Sadomasochism : I Know, It Sounds Crazy But it’s True Rick Warren Comments on the Hobby Lobby Morning-After Pill … More Dogs vs Cats; Planned (Sadomasochism) Parenthood; Tim Keller; Rick Warren: Hobby Lobby; Reading the Bible; Doctrine
Wednesday is for Prayer Never, never underestimate the power of the gospel to completely transform a man, ANY MAN, from any background, any color, any sin, no matter how long standing his involvement in rebellion toward God. And never underestimate God’s ability “to make a way when there is no way.” What he uses to … More “God Will Make a Way Where There is No Way.”
Monday Preaching Reflections I have noticed a tendency in many young preachers, church planters, youth pastors, new communicators to embrace an “I need to be funny” mentality. Listening to them, one get’s the impression that they agonize over how they need to “connect” with people at some “funny-bone” level in order to prove themselves or … More You Don’t Need to be Funny. You Need to be Passionate and Dependent.
Weekend Musings Bonhoeffer is endlessly challenging. This is my fourth reading of his book, The Cost of Discipleship and again my spirit reels from his analysis and perspective on what he calls “cheap grace.” “Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the … More Bonhoeffer Wrecks Me on Nearly Every Page
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