What do you think Christianity is? How do you read the Bible? It is quite easy to think of the Bible as a book of rules — things to DO. Yet, it is far greatest The Story of God, of His coming near to us, and in that way is not primarily about us. The Bible is about GOD. And not just facts, figures and fables — as if God were a science experiment, a idea to be calculated, quantified and categorized. In reality, God has acted in history — in this real world — and as we read Scripture we discover the stories are true, the characters are generally failures, and God is always faithful. That’s...

I’m still sorting out what I’ll blog next, and seeing how a rhythm of life will allow me to do so. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite articles from the last year or so: Happy Tensions: What, Why, How … + Who // my favorite article on seeing all things through the lens of Jesus. We need a Redeemer, not a system of redemption (how-to’s). I was pastoral intern at a purpose-driven church at the time Gospel-distorting approaches to change // perhaps another way of saying that all sin is idolatry, and since we worshiped our way to sin, we must worship our way out Happy...

A friend asked if I would join in a “Sovereignty of God blog series” this Summer, giving no set boundaries other than to ask us to share how we interact with God’s sovereignty from a theological and personal perspective. On the docket are lots of well-known bloggers, and then me. Oh yeah, and he scheduled me to go first. Humbling. My post “A Story of Sovereignty” is up now It’s a bit longer than a normal blog post. Won’t blame God for that … (The revised version posted is a bit shorter than the full version I’ll start posting here tomorrow,...

Christianity refuses to choose between head and heart. It is both head and heart. It is intellectually credible (if you would take time to study), as well as experientially pleasing. Christ fills our heads, and captivates our hearts. God’s Word forces us to think deeply, but touches us on the deepest level. It is real, and must be experience in real-time. We each are drawn towards one direction. Be tethered to both. Those who detach the two are either swimming in a sea of religion, or being swept away in an ocean of mysticism. Know God. Love Him. Enjoy Him. Fill your mind with Him , and never...

Two posts are worth investing further: John Piper asks, Does God "Lead Us Into Temptation?" (Desiring God blog). The short answer: yes. Tim Chester (author of Total Church , and pastor in the UK), contrasts Communities of Grace vs. Communities of Performance (the Resurgence), an expansive of some of his thoughts earlier (a third comes to mind too: "Community: Convenience vs. Grace" by church planter/pastor Jonathan Dodson) The connection is that we shall enjoy a mysterious union of Christ leading us into temptation, and our participation in being victorious by viewing...

We wait in the middle, between when God’s promises were made, and when they will be fulfilled, kept to their fullness. On this, John Calvin writes: “Let us also remember that we are all in the same condition as Abraham. Our circumstances are all in opposition to the promises of God. He promises us immortality: yet we are surrounded by mortality and corruption. He declares that he accounts us just: yet we are covered with sins. He testifies that he is propitious and benevolent towards us: yet outward signs threaten his wrath. What then are we to do? We must close our eyes, disregard ourselves...

Since we all need to be learning constantly in order to grow, we need more: Humility – to listen Discernment – to sift through what’s been shared Be humble and discerning. Listen well, and learn from those outside your group/tribe. But don’t take what they say wholesale. Pragmatism generally lacks discernment. On the other hand, those too deeply entrenched in their own views/tradition/culture generally lack humility. Don’t be either of those. Be humble. Be discerning. Think. Reflect. Discern it through the lens of the Scriptures and the Gospel. (And don’t take...

Paradoxes are great things to explore. They are not contradictions, for their connection and equity simply are beyond our finite understanding. Like when the "peace of God, which surpasses understanding , will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" ( Phil. 4:7 ). How can we experience this peace, yet not understand it? Our knowledge is according to experiencing it, that’s how. Recently I wrote a paper, and the professor especially liked one section I wrote: "… two things become apparent to me. One, God does not use lazy people. And two, those who are greatly used...

Reading Christ-centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon as collateral reading for my preaching class. Great book. This paragraph by Dr. Chapell struck me: "In some ways, the entire process seems ridiculous. Common sense rebels against claims that eternal destinies will change simply because we voice thoughts from an ancient text. When Paul comments the foolishness of preaching — not foolish preaching — he acknowledges the apparent senselessness of trying to transform attitudes, lifestyles, philosophical perspectives, and faith commitments with mere words about a once...

Has it ever occurred to you that your life is far more fruitful than you are faithful? Oh, what a happy tension. Clearly, my impact for Christ is not limited to my finite ability nor imperfect obedience. “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ” (1 Cor. 3:5-7) SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Faithful = Fruitful?", url: "http://www.deTheos.com/2008/10/01/faithful-fruitful/" });