This photo by unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND “Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). We live in an age of fear. People fear for their…
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA Why does it matter if we listen to a variety of perspectives about God? Theology is theology, right? This seems right, doesn’t it? Why would a women theologian understand God any differently than a male theologian, or an African American theologian see things differently…
I get it; you’re busy. You have your job, you have family demands that can’t wait, and a list of chores as long as your arm. I’m right there with you. These are all urgent demands on your time. Who has time to go to church on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Holy Week?…
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA Being “woke” is a popular concept that has come to stand for any number of generally politically progressive ideas. It’s origin, and core, however, have to do with racial justice. How should Christians react to the “woke” mantra? The knee-jerk reaction for many may…
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is on everyone’s mind these days. Opinions are a dime a dozen. But how should Christians respond to war? What can the Bible tell us? War, as state-sanctioned violence for specific purposes, has been viewed differently throughout Christian history. Pacifism has always been a strong tendency (“you shall not murder*”…
“Lent, the liturgical year shows us, is about the holiness that suffering can bring. It is about bringing good where evil has been, about bringing love where hate has been. It is about the transformation of the base to the beautiful” (The Liturgical Year, 125). Let’s be honest—we aren’t fans of suffering. We prefer a…
To get stronger takes a lot of dedication and hard work. Improvement doesn’t happen overnight. There are a lot of similarities with growing in Christ. What is the hardest thing about being a Christian? In my experience, there are two answers, both equally difficult. The first is evangelizing, often called “witnessing”. The other is disciplining.…
Religious philosophy can lead one through logical deduction to the conclusion that belief in religion is the best choice. Along those lines, 17th century mathematician Blaise Pascal is best known today for what is called “Pascal’s wager”, where he argued that belief in God is logical because we have far more to gain by believing…
Pastor Timothy Keller is a leading example of how faithful Christians should stand apart from the world even as we seek to transform it for God’s kingdom. What follows are two short excerpts from his Facebook page that seem appropriate for believers, and bear repeating: A Warning Against Online Mockery God sometimes mocks (Ps…
Pictured: The Valley of Gehenna today Part 3: Gehenna It is with a sense of irony that we finish our 3-part study on the biblical understanding of Hell shortly before Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. With All Saints’ Day being November 1st, one could argue it would be more appropriate to study the biblical…