Category Archives: Christianity

Free Stuff

Posted on by

Desiring God Ministries is the public outlet of all things John Piper.  For a long time, they have been willing to work with people to get resources in the hands of those who might not be able to afford them otherwise.  Lots of stuff is available at little or no cost if you’re willing to work with them.  They are not just giving everything away, but if you have a need they will provide you with Piper books and other resources.  They are found online at desiringgod.org.  You may also want to check out the Desiring God Blog. 

Recently everything John MacArthur has become available.  At Grace To You (GTY.org) you can read, listen to, or buy a CD of his sermons – 2725 of them.  MacArthur is available through radio, television and podcast, and Grace to You has it all on their website.  This has gotten a lot of buzz on the blogosphere, so expect to hear sermons ripped off from MacArthur at a church near you soon!

The Bible, Uses and Misuses

Posted on by

bible-pagesImagine you wanted to open a one gallon can of paint.  Most all of us have a flathead screwdriver lying around in the kitchen junk drawer or else someplace handy.  You grab that and pry the lid from the can.  It’s not exactly what the screwdriver was made for, but it does the job well enough.  The Bible is like that also. Continue reading →

On the Issue of Slavery

Posted on by

slavesinegypt“And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”  Numbers 20:5 

In Numbers chapter 20 the Hebrews are complaining to Moses that he has brought them out of Egypt into the wilderness.  You see, even though they had been slaves in Egypt, the Hebrews were used to having certain things.  There they had lived in houses, not tents.  There was plenty of water to drink via the Nile River.  And one thing they brought up a lot was the food.  The Hebrews missed the pomegranates of all things.  Egypt had those. Continue reading →

My ESV Study Bible

Posted on by

It came today!  Some of you have had the ESV Study Bible in your hands for a month now.  I know because you’ve been posting pics of your Bible or pics of you with your Bible on your blogs.  Some of us didn’t get in on the first 50,000 copies run.  I knew back in the summer that I could pre-order a copy, but was kind of holding out for getting one as a birthday present (Dec. 11).  My birthday came early, so I can’t complain.  Special thanks to my secret Santa.

So if you’re already in Numbers, I’m now at least in the boat with you.  If you haven’t yet considered the ESV Study Bible, let me recommend it.  If you can’t afford an entire Bible reference library, this is like have a one volume set of the same thing.  The video below was produced by Crossway Bibles, and has been on YouTube since August.  It is highly informational, at least check it out.  Other ESV resources are linked on my ESV page tabbed at the top of this window, including my post on Why I Blog ESV. 

Vodpod videos no longer available.  

more about “Introducing the ESV Study Bible“, posted with vodpod

American Christians

Posted on by

crystalcathedralpipeorgansAmerican Christians are just not exactly the same as “Christians.”  That’s a sweeping generalization that I know is not true in some cases.  There are plenty of exceptions I’m sure.  But by in large, Christianity in America is light-years away from the first century church described in the New Testament. Continue reading →

Career Satisfaction

Posted on by

The Rev. Dr. Rick Wright says he enjoys helping people and being creative.

“With ministry I get to tie in my fundamental beliefs about God and life with what I do all day. So I get to work with people and assist them. And in ordained ministry I think it’s a bit unique in that people will open up to you because you are a priest/pastor and share who they really are inside,” explains Wright, senior associate rector at The Falls Church in Virginia.

Yahoo! has created a list of the people in America happiest with their careers.  I glanced it just out of curiosity, and wouldn’t bring it up at all if Clergy were not at the top of the list.  67.2% of clergy members report being “very happy” with their career.  Also on the list: firefighters, special ed. teachers, and auto mechanics.

Check my sources at Yahoo! for the full story. 

Why Should Christians Hear the Gospel?

Posted on by

jesusWhen Jesus preached his first sermon, it was a simple message of “Repent, and believe the gospel.”  (Mark 1:14-15)  It was obviously an invitation to the lost; Jesus the evangelist inviting souls to get saved.  So the question is, why do Christians need to keep hearing the gospel?  Continue reading →

It’s Hard to Find a Good Eutychus Sermon

Posted on by

eutychusWhen’s the last time you heard a good sermon on Eutychus?  Okay Bible Trivia fans, do you even know Eutychus?  He’s the guy in Acts chapter 20 that falls from a third story window after falling asleep while Paul is speaking.  Now you know. 

I have heard preachers use this before, but its been a while.  I was a kid.  I don’t remember if that was the sermon text, or just something used to make a point.  I listened to a small-town Baptist preacher make a 25 minute sermon out of it yesterday. Continue reading →

Parents’ Night Out

Posted on by

Let me tell you about a little thing we do twice a year called Parents’ Night Out.  My wife and I are the sponsors of an organization called Baptist Campus Ministry (BCM, formerly known as Baptist Student Union).  We were looking for a ministry opportunity that teenage youth could be a part of.  Since we are a school, not a church, some of the construction projects and work days that youth groups normally do are not a good idea.  We needed something that 9-12 graders could do to benefit the community, develop leadership, and nurture a servant like heart.  Enter my wife Teresa. Continue reading →

Theological Trivia Questions & Wacky Search Terms

Posted on by

I’m going to start a new category on my blog listing some of the wacky questions I get asked.  WordPress lists the search engine terms that people type in that leads readers to my blog, and some of those make you wonder what people are thinking.  I’ve often laughed to myself, but decided other people might want in on the joke.

I’m not making fun of anybody.  There’s an old saying that there are no stupid questions, only stupid people who don’t ask questions.  Often times though, the very question being asked reveals the person’s misunderstanding of the subject.  What’s funny is not that someone doesn’t know the answer, but that their  whole mindset is misguided.  This is especially true of theology.  Continue reading →