The recent Rob Bell controversy has been an interesting case study in conservative-liberal dialogue. I’ve read a few blogs on the more conservative side of the spectrum and a few blogs on the more liberal side, and it seems the two groups are speaking different languages entirely. The result is a cacophony, with little or no progress. Why do the two sides of the spectrum … [Read more...] about Why Liberal and Conservative Christians Can’t Dialogue
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More Gospel Please
Chew on this quote: “If you came to Christ out of being the younger brother, there is always the danger of partially relapsing into addictions or other younger brother sins. But if you’ve become a Christian out of being an elder brother, you can even more easily slide back into elder-brother attitudes and spiritual deadness. If you have not grasped the gospel fully and … [Read more...] about More Gospel Please
Holiness
Where does holiness figure into your own spiritual walk? Holiness is a topic I bat around in my mind quite often. Obviously, I'm for it. But I'm not always sure what form it should take and by which path it should be sought. I've seen outside-in holiness from the fundamentalist's camp. I've seen inside-out holiness from the reformed camp. But both seem to lack … [Read more...] about Holiness
Is Church-Planting the Best Option
Ed Stetzer offers some very interesting research on other churches' involvement in church planting. He bemoans that: "Lifeway Research surveyed over 1,000 Protestant pastors and found only 3 percent of their churches served as the primary sponsor of a church plant in the past year, and only 14 percent gave financial support in partnership with other churches to help start … [Read more...] about Is Church-Planting the Best Option
No One Is Born Good
I've started Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller (2011). Here's a telling realization from sociologist Beatrice Webb that Keller quotes: "Somewhere in my diary--1890?--I wrote 'I have staked all on the essential goodness of human nature…" [Now thirty five years later I realize] how permanent are the evil impulses and instincts in man--how little you can count on … [Read more...] about No One Is Born Good