There are some discussions/debates that are purely academic in nature, meaning that they have no real bearing on anything practical. Is Superman strong enough to beat up the Incredible Hulk? It doesn’t matter who wins the debate, there is no practical application for the results. Continue reading
Category Archives: religion
Re-Introducing Jesus
This is everything some have us have been saying about “other” Jesus for years (Hippie Jesus, Cool Jesus, BFF Jesus, Discount Jesus) we just haven’t been throwing down lyrics.
Thanks to The Joy of Grace for posting this (so I could post it also). I figure the more people see it the better.
p.s. The full screen button works!
Jesus’ Involvement in Starting the Christian Church
If we began a study of the first century church, 9 times out of 10 we would begin with Acts chapter 2. The Holy Spirit comes as promised, and Peter preaches a fiery message proclaiming Jesus is the Christ. Certainly by the end of Acts 2, we see the first Christian believers come together in an organized way. But if we back up a just a few chapters, Jesus gives the disciples instructions on what will happen next, going beyond his death, burial and resurrection.
Critics of Christianity, as an organized religion (the Church), even claim that Jesus had no intention of starting a new church or movement of any kind, but rather his followers started one in his name. To put it mildly, these critics have not studied the Bible. Continue reading
Jesus Was Not Religious
I’ve said before that the problem with religion is that it’s easier than following Jesus. It is usually a given that something is wrong with us, wrong with the world, perhaps critically or else just a little off, but most people agree that something must be done because all is not right in the world as it is. Religion, in most cases, offers us the chance to do something. If we read the right book, say the right things, act right, talk right and treat each others the right way we can “fix” what is wrong. Religion, as such, is worthless. But what could I mean that Jesus was not religious? Continue reading
Father Abraham (A Father’s Day Sermon)
There’s a lot of negative things to say about topical preaching, but I know two things: 1) Father’s Day will be one of the most searched terms today on the Internet, and 2) No matter what “topic” I begin with, before the sermon is over I will preach the Gospel.
“Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham.” So goes the old children’s song. While we recognize Abraham as the primogenitor of the Jewish nation, like any member our fallen race he was far from perfect. One danger of celebrating historic lives is that we elevate a person too high by never mentioning certain shortcomings or character flaws. Historians have to be careful in their presentation of certain figures, particularly the ones they like. Continue reading
Can A Person Get Saved Reading the Old Testament?
I certainly teach that the whole Bible is about Jesus. The Bible, on the whole, is the story of how a holy God relates to a sinful and fallen people. Jesus is at the center of that story. You’ve heard all this before.
The question I heard raised this morning is “Can a person get saved only reading the Old Testament?” II Timothy 3 tells us that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God. Obviously the New Testament is God-given, and we need to read and study it. If the Old Testament was sufficient, why would God give us another? But still, if the gospel is all over the Bible, is there enough there to lead a person to Christ? And I say, yes it is possible. Continue reading
America Is Not The World
Many of us in the United States are so richly over blessed that we are out of touch with the rest of the world. I remind my students a few times each year that America is not the world, and it happened again today. Continue reading
Saving(?) the SBC
The Internet Monk is at times the most critical voice of the SBC, even while on the inside. At the close of Advance 09, he aknowledges there are problems that the SBC needs to work through in order to remain effective, and wonders how we will do it. Continue reading
History Repeats Itself
“History repeats itself” is actually a terrible misquote. It leads students to ask questions like “If history repeats itself, why do I have to learn it the first time?” No, the actually quote is “Those who do not learn history (the past) are condemned to repeat it.” Google George Santayana. The point is that if we learn from history, we can avoid making the same mistakes. Here’s an example of New Testament people not learning their Old Testament history. Continue reading
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is next week (May 25), and I’ve been thinking about what that means. Memorial Day is traditionally the first long weekend of summer, so maybe for you it’s just another excuse to break out the grill and water toys. If you have to work that day, maybe it’s an inconvenience that that the Post Office and banks will be closed. Some people will simply sleep in that day and not care why. The American dream lives on.
The real reason for Memorial Day is so that we remember. In this case, we remember the men and women who died in miltary service to our country. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it began following the Civil War and was expanded to honor fallen soldiers of all wars during World War I.
So, Memorial Day is strictly American and has nothing to do with the Bible, right? Continue reading
The Master's Table 
