Christians constantly reference and preach the gospel. The whole of Christian religion centers around the gospel. And yet, scholars and commentators still debate its essential content. Everyday churchgoers also conflate or confuse its meaning. So what is the good news of the gospel? How might we boil down Christianity to its most core message? The good news of the gospel … [Read more...] about The Irreducible Gospel
Pencil Reading
I am a pencil advocate; this much you may already know. But you may never have considered why pencils far outstrip pens. Why are pencils superior to pens for reading and note taking? The reasons are many and irrefutable. (You should note I am speaking of mechanical pencils in particular). Pencils do not bleed. No need to worry about your thin Bible pages. Mark … [Read more...] about Pencil Reading
The Irreligious Religion of Christianity
The gospel will surprise you and thrill you when you see its true dynamism. The gospel can paradoxically create and abolish religion. Sounds impossible, but it’s true. Pastor Tim Keller captures the dynamism of the gospel when he writes: “The gospel calls us out of religion as much as it calls us out of irreligion.” This statement sounds confusing. Isn’t Christianity a … [Read more...] about The Irreligious Religion of Christianity
Simple Faith
We tend to complicate faith, but faith is fairly simple. If someone asked me what it means to have saving faith in Jesus, I would say saving faith involves truly believing in Jesus (more than just intellectual assent) and is verified by a life lived for him. That sounds good, but if we're not careful, we can complicate and clutter faith by adding too many qualifiers.In … [Read more...] about Simple Faith
Experience
Experience can do one of two things. It can either make you a worse critic or a better helper. You can take your knowledge and experience and judge others. You can say how you wouldn’t have done it that way. You can critique every last detail. You can puff up your own ego because you’ve identified where someone else has failed. Or... You can take your knowledge and … [Read more...] about Experience