There’s no good way to tell a Christian story. The gospel is perennially uncool. Any story that points to the gospel runs the risk of inheriting its uncoolness. A Christian yarn may end up sounding like a sermon. It may come across as moralizing, over-hopeful, or lacking the secular sheen that modern readers demand. A [...]
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Last time I listed the main biblical passages dealing with divorce and remarriage. I also previewed some of the conclusions I had come to when studying these passages. But now let’s clear our minds, forget everything we (think we) know about divorce and rediscover what the Bible says with fresh eyes. Today we’ll look at [...]
I just finished teaching a series of lessons on divorce and remarriage for the young married couples’ class at our church. The passages we studied reopened my eyes to the Bible’s surprising—and oft-ignored—teaching on these crucial and difficult topics. I thought I’d share with you the passages we considered and the insights that emerged from [...]
I’m teaching a Sunday school series this semester on the Sermon on the Mount. I wanted it to be easy for those who attend the series to read the Sermon wherever they are—in the car, cooking dinner, or anywhere. So I recorded a reading, and here it is, free to use however you want to. [...]
This morning my girls asked me to read the words on a coloring sheet they’d gotten at Sunday school. The text was familiar but as I read I realized they wouldn’t understand it. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but [...]
I often hear people say they would have faith if God would only show himself. If God is real, and God is love, why does he lurk hidden above the clouds? It almost makes it worse to read about miracles in the Bible. Elijah proved Yahweh’s presence and power by calling down fire from heaven. [...]
I’ve resolved to blog every morning this summer. If you look around this site a bit you’ll see I have plenty to say. In fact it hurts to hold it in. So it’s a kind of relief to get some thoughts down each day. I enjoy the interaction as well. Getting thoughts down is one [...]
When I was eleven I saw the film The Dark Crystal. My mother took me on a Friday during the Christmas holidays. I had looked forward to it for months. I saw it and loved it. The movie haunted my thoughts all the next day—the long-legged striders, the magic, the music. I went back two [...]
Man, I have discovered a really sweet deal. There’s this free service that helps me get connected with like-minded people in a relaxed social atmosphere. I’ve made business contacts, cool friends—even scored a couple of dates. It gives me safe, high-quality babysitting at least once a week. And damn it, it makes me feel good. [...]
I turned on the radio just now and caught the tail end of Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 as performed by the Estonian National Orchestra. I don’t normally listen to classical music, but something about the sounds I heard kept me from changing the station. The last few chords of the piece sounded out—deep, rich, [...]
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