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
Articles
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
Righteousness
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Jesus (Matthew 5:6, ESV). What is righteousness, why would we want it, and how do we get it? What Righteous Is In the Bible, “righteousness” simply means “doing what is right” (as God defines “right”). In fact, the Greek word in Matthew 5:6, δικαιοσύνη, is sometimes just … [Read more...] about Righteousness
Jefferson on the Dangers of Solitude
Solitude has many benefits, spiritually and generally. But it can also have negative effects. Thomas Jefferson knew the downsides of solitude first hand. After an extended season of retreat at Monticello, Jefferson wrote: "I am convinced our own happiness requires that we should continue to mix with the world, and to keep pace with it…. I can speak from experience on … [Read more...] about Jefferson on the Dangers of Solitude
Finding the Grace, Praying the Gratitude
Each day is layered with grace upon grace. But in the rush and grumbles of life we may not notice these layers. Tyler Staton provides one possible antidote to our oblivion. Staton relays a helpful prayer practice to reveal these layers of grace and to produce gratitude. The practice is called dayenu (die-EE-new) prayer. Dayenu is a Hebrew word that means something … [Read more...] about Finding the Grace, Praying the Gratitude