I threw myself my own little, personal Christmas party the other day. The family was around the house, but each person was settled into some activity of their own. So I retreated to the quiet of the dining room. We had on the dining room table a Christmas puzzle underway. Christmastime puzzle working has become a bit of a tradition for us these last few years. We get these … [Read more...] about What Christmas Says
Articles
As Far As Scripture Goes
Should we be nuanced these days or bold and blunt? Should we pick a side, or should a third way be pursued? The discussion is ongoing (Link 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ad infinitum). John Frame, writing years before the current debates (c. 2025), provides us with a helpful reminder that neither nuance nor a third way is the point. Being biblical is the point. At the beginning … [Read more...] about As Far As Scripture Goes
Beware Extrabiblical Whizbang
I was studying John 4:1-26. As usual, at some point in the process, I consulted a few commentaries. I was surprised to find two significant disagreements on two mundane details of the text. Disagreement One "And he had to pass through Samaria" (John 4:4, ESV). Disagreement Two "Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting … [Read more...] about Beware Extrabiblical Whizbang
Preach It, Preach It, Preach It
To a chapel full of seminarians, Haddon Robinson stood up to preach a sermon from Romans 4:5, "And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness..." (ESV). It was the fall of 2003. Twenty-three-year-old me was sitting in the balcony, a first year, first semester student at Gordon-Conwell Theological … [Read more...] about Preach It, Preach It, Preach It
Why Evaluate a Profession of Faith
Churches sometimes ask people to share their testimony (or, story of conversion/confirmation, profession of faith) and their understanding of the Gospel. Answering these questions may be a condition for joining the church or a particular team at the church. Why do churches do that? A few thoughts... To protect the church from wolves. The church is commanded to … [Read more...] about Why Evaluate a Profession of Faith