I’ve always hated buddy rushes. “Buddy rushes?” What’s that? Buddy rushes are a form of military movement under enemy fire. It is a movement used to advance on the enemy. When under enemy fire it is important to have cover and concealment. And it is important to move quickly. Here is how the buddy rush […]
"Should we bust up the foundation?" (Foundational thoughts on Genesis inspired by Bill Nye and Ken Ham)
The past three days since the big creation/evolution debate I have read a chapter of Genesis a day and scribbled down some of the foundational teachings that we get from Genesis. Many of these teachings our foundational to a Christian worldview and I would even say Western society. Here are some important things we learn […]
Be Transformed by… Gospel Motivation
The first “action step” I want to look at is the most important. If this one isn’t understood the other ones probably won’t see a lot of action. First, an example from Timothy Keller. “Imagine that a baby bird falls from its nest in the sight of a fox. The bird cannot yet fly (hence […]
Is Addiction a Disease?
There is a common model that says that addiction is a disease. It is a genetic malfunction. Well, I am no neuroscientists but I do believe that we have all been affected by the fall.[1] I do not mean the season fall, of course. I mean the fall that took place in the Garden of Eden. […]
"But I don't feel transformed…"
“Mr. blogger guy, hi, my name’s John Doe, I believe in Jesus but I don’t feel very transformed. I understand that we’re simultaneously saint and sinner but my sinner side shows itself a lot more often. I understand that we are holy, right now through Jesus, and yet called to be progressively holy. I, however, am not […]
“Hello, my name is_____ and I am transformed”
“Hello, my name is_____ and I am an alcoholic transformed” The Bible does not deny that we were various things—addicts, homosexuals, angry, prideful, pornographic masturbators—but that is what we were (past tense). The emphasis in Scripture is on what we are and what we are called to be. The Christian does not say, “Hello, my name is […]
Here… the solution to humanity's problems
First, let it be clear “If you are going to help someone, you need to know what is wrong and how it can be fixed. You go to your auto mechanic because he can determine why your car is malfunctioning and get it running again. Any trustworthy perspective on personal change must do the […]
Your Kids, Church, and Electronics
We just posted seven blogs about the purpose of church. I hope you get the heart behind these blogs… we want you to see that when you gather together on Sunday morning it is a time to worship God. I want to encourage you to view the congregational gathering as a holy time. The people […]
Congregational Worship in a Nutshell
Over the past week, I wrote five posts about congregational worship. Now I am going to do what I was actually asked to do and try to put everything into one brief post. The New Testament gives five main ways in which people should worship as a congregation when they meet on Sunday mornings. […]
Elements of Congregational Worship: Giving
Here we are at the last element of congregational worship! So far I have written about prayer, singing, Scripture, and the Lord’s Supper. Now I want to finish off by discussing giving. Notice that I say “giving” and not “tithing.” This is because I believe that tithing is a practice commanded in the Old Testament […]