Why Leaving the 99 for the 1 is Good News for Both
Yet was it wise to leave the ninety-nine and wander away searching for the one? … Does the lost individual matter or …
Jesus Dining with Sinners and the Salvific Significance in the Communal Meal
Table fellowship anywhere in the world is a relatively serious matter. This is especially true in the Middle East. In his most …
Party Pranks, Class Humiliation, Jean Valjean, and the Genuine Invitation from Jesus
Luke 14:23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, …
Pentecost and Global Harvest
This is an excerpt from the Spirit-Filled Study Guide – Race and Reconciliation, “The Holy Spirit reversed what had happened at Babel …
Incarnation as the Model for Gospel Contextualization
“God condescended to our humanity, though without surrendering his deity. The bridges too must be firmly anchored on both sides of the …
Nationalistic Pride Dies at the Cross
Jesus is the only hope for the nations, for Israel, for Iran, for North and South Korea. Lasting unity only comes …
Great Commission as Counterpart to Great Commandment
From Michael Green in his commentary on Matthew: Moreover, the Great Commission is the counterpart of the great commandment to love God …
“In, but not of the world” or “Not of the world, but sent into it”?
David Mathis challenges the notion of being “in, but not of” the world. He proposes that a better understanding would be “not …
Epistemology of Grace and Power in the Person of Jesus
Epistemology that’s not grounded in both the Cross and Resurrection lacks grace and power. I could be wrong, but the more I …
PovertyCure – From Aid to Enterprise
While at Acton University 2012, I had the opportunity to take a couple courses with Michael Miller of PovertyCure. Here is a …
“It’s the Word of God, stupid”
Playing off Bill Clinton’s campaign theme in 1992, “It’s the economy, stupid,” I thought DeYoung’s emphasis on the ministry of the Word …
Misplaced Missional Zeal?: Everyone Ought to _________ (fill in the blank with some commendable global cause)
The following quote down below is a helpful observation from Kevin DeYoung for all those folks who think the church is pathetic …
Valentine’s Meditation: Incarnational Love versus Gnostic Love
Well, it’s that day again. It shows up every year and beckons us towards good will and mandatory gifts for the ones …
The Powerful Pulpit as Necessary for Kingdom Growth
J.C. Ryle says the following (from commentary on Luke): Let us observe, secondly, that one of the principal works which the apostles …
Carl Medearis Offers Some Thoughts On Israel and Palestinians Worth Thinking Through
Via: My Take: Jesus would support Palestinian statehood bid – CNN Belief Blog – CNN.com Blogs. I am not stating my support per …
The Attractional, Devotional, and Missional Jesus
Luke 4:38–44 (ESV) — 38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with …
Vern Poythress’ Quotes on Modernity and Postmodern Failures in Sociology and Missiology
Responding to postmodernism’s claim that religions must be tamed from making exclusive claims on truth: But they can be tamed only be …
Book Review of David Platt’s “Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God”
Platt, David. 2011. Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God. Multnomah: Colorado Springs, CO. I want to …
The Hipster Version of James Davison Hunter’s “To Change the World”, A Book Review: “The Next Christians” by Gabe Lyons
Catalyst Atlanta 2010: Gabe Lyons from Catalyst on Vimeo. Lyons, Gabe. (2010). The Next Christians: How a New Generation is Restoring …
What Kind of Church is Sovereign Grace Fellowship (Nampa, ID)?
Will Mancini has identified 12 types of churches in his article over at ChurchLeaders.com: 4 KINDS OF GROWING CHURCHES Neo-transcendence attractionals: Big crowds are …
David Robinson on Salvation by Grace Alone, through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone
Hall of Fame Basketball player was my favorite NBA player while growing up as a kid. Did you know he scored a …
One Catholic Church?
James Davison Hunter says that, “…Christianity in North America…is a weak culture; weak insofar as it is fragmented in it’s core beliefs …
A North Korean Student's Testimony
Bill Walsh at Desiring God posted a video of her testimony and also linked to the reaction of Michael Oh, the Korean …
Book Review of David VanDrunen’s "Living in God’s Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture"
Living in God’s Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture Copyright © 2010 by David VanDrunen Published by Crossway Books …
Joseph D'Souza on the Caste System
Kevin DeYoung posted his friend Jason Carter’s thoughts about the Lausanne Congress here. Here’s one part that grabbed my attention: Perhaps the …
Compassion Fatigue
Krista Tippett recently interviewed Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times. Kristof has become well-known for his writing about humanitarian crises around …
Book Review, "Church Planter: The Man, the Message, the Mission" by Darrin Patrick
Church Planter: The Man, the Message, The Mission is the latest book from the Re:Lit branch of Crossway Books. Written by Darrin …
Evangelism and Social Involvement
Justin Taylor posted some good resources here by Tony Payne and Tim Chester. This essay, by both Payne and Chester, pointed out …
Missional Lessons from Mr. Miyagi and Karate Kid
I recently watched Karate Kid after having not seen it in many years. It was one of my favs when a kid. …
D.A. Carson on Gospel Proclamation and Mercy Ministries
Don Carson considers this question, ending with these reflections: Still, we returned again and again to this pointed question: Granted that we …
Tim Keller on Ministry to the Poor
Tim Keller explains how the gospel motivates and informs ministry to the poor in this Themelios article.
3 Very Different Documentaries on Christian Engagement: "Hell House", "Jesus Camp", and "Lord, Save us from Your Followers"
Well, with my new Netflix subscription in effect, I was able to take in a few documentaries (I am a big documentary …
Kevin De Young's Suggestions for Transformation in the Church…easier than you thought, but probably too demanding for you to actually do (please prove me wrong!!!)
C.J. Mahaney blogged a recap of Kevin De Young’s recent conference message on the Church. Here is the blog and here is …
Fear-Based "Christian" American Parenting that Bows to the Idols of Safety and Seclusion
Francis Chan is a cool Asian brother from another mother. Some may label him overly pietistic, however I think he grasps the …
Rick Hogaboam's Review of James Davison Hunter's "To Change the World" (Chp. 5)
In Chapter 5, Hunter takes the reader through a sweeping overview of history , and church history in particular. He notes the …
Scott Kistler's Review of James Davison Hunter's "To Change the World" (Chp. 5)
Hunter now turns to history to show how his explanations of cultural change can explain important changes: the Christianization of Rome, the …
Pentecostal Denominations are the only ones Growing, all other major denominations in decline
Ed Stetzer penned a recent article in Christianity Today, “Life in Those Old Bones”, where he makes the positive case for renewal …
Relating to the World Around Us
Kevin DeYoung offers a review and critique of David Platt’s Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, and includes a …
A Whole Gospel for the Whole World
I recently listened to a conversation about the Lausanne Movement (a group seeking to help evangelicals from around the world work together), …
Evangelistic Churches have Evangelistic People
Kevin DeYoung linked to this article by Thom Rainer of Lifeway Christian Resources. Rainer believes that the best evangelistic method for churches …
Saint Patrick, Appreciating the Man Behind the Myth and Legend
Well, Happy St. Patrick’s Day one and all. It is very difficult to sift through the lore of St. Patrick to understand …
A Good Week in Kankakee
I live and work in Kankakee, Illinois, about 60 miles south of Chicago. It’s a small city of about 25,000 with a …
Translating Zionism into Arabic
Ethan Bronner chronicles an unusual story in the New York Times, telling of a Palestinian lawyer who decided to translate Jewish author …
The Greatest "Mercy" Ministry is and will forever be the Proclamation of the Gospel
Scott Kistler posted some thoughts from a Toby Sumpter article on mercy ministry, doctrine of hell, and the need for good “damns”. …
Jesus, the Only Hope for Terrorists and International Strife
This is one point of a sermon I intend to preach on 1/31/10. Here is a link to a wonderful testimony from …
Al-Qaeda and Anarchism
In the introduction to The Modern Middle East: A History (my new textbook for Middle Eastern history this coming semester), James Gelvin …
Ministering to Returning Soldiers
Yesterday I listened to a podcast of a great episode of Speaking of Faith, originally from 2006. Krista Tippett interviewed Chaplain Major …
Pray for Persecution???
Here is an excerpt from John Piper’s book, “Finally Alive” – What Will It Take Today? What will it take so that …
Blast from the Past: An Old Bibliotheca Sacra Journal Article from 1951 Chiding Pentecostals for Being a "Small" Denomination
In my research for my thesis, I came across the following from BSac—V108 #429—Jan 51—pps. 46-47 Is the Pentecostal Movement Pentecostal? Part …
John Piper: Rejoice over the reach of world Christianity, but don’t be complacent
From his recent sermon, The Legacy of Antioch: Meet the Global South Let’s review the situation of the world today in regard …