By now most have heard the news that Joshua Harris is leaving his wife and Christianity. Harris is most well-known for his book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye. It was a popular book when I was in high school, though I never read it. (Someone I respected later told me his...
In thinking about the gospel, one of the truths that is often forgotten is that Jesus, as the Messiah/Christ, came to fulfill God’s promises of salvation. The early disciples focused much of their evangelistic witness on identifying Jesus as the Christ. Let all the...
According to the World Heath Organization, over 42 million abortions were performed across the globe in 2020, making abortion the leading cause of death. This Friday marks the 48th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the...
As Democrats in the Senate yesterday sought to pass the Equality Act (which would remove some key current protections for religious organizations), Denny Burk highlighted an important point in our culture’s current clash between Christians and those pushing the LGBTQ...
You may have heard about the pastor in Alberta, James Coates, who has been arrested recently in connection with his church’s gathering as a whole for worship (without masks or distancing), which violates the current government restrictions. You can see some details...
Christians in America have an increasing exposure to and awareness of a variety of believers who claim to be teachers and preachers of God’s Word. But this increased exposure has not always led to more skillful discernment and interaction with these teachers (as an...
From time to time someone raises a concern about how a particular event, trend, or activity will harm the “evangelical witness.” “Evangelicals” are warned that their “witness” will be damaged because of high-profile scandals from “evangelical” leaders, too much...
I suggested in a previous post that something like the following is a good foundation for determining the limits of governmental authority over the church: Christians/churches must submit to every government regulation unless it would mean disobeying God (i.e., cause...
*This article was originally posted in 2015. Its relevance has not lessened. Animal Farm, George Orwell’s satirical story criticizing Stalin and the Soviet Union, was first published in 1945. What may be surprising to some is the difficulty Orwell had in getting the...
It has been over 8 months since the initial major responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. Various local, state, and federal leaders and agencies have pursued a variety of responses and adopted a range of policies. Personally, I am thankful I was not responsible...
As we embark on a new decade, it can be helpful to consider what has occurred over the previous decade(s) to consider what we might expect in the coming one. I recently read a thought-provoking argument that may have some insight into apologetics efforts in the coming...
You’ve probably heard someone pray at church (and likely have prayed yourself) something like the title of this post: “We give thanks for the freedom we have to worship publicly.” This prayer is set in contrast to the experience of many Christians in different times...
If you interact with certain segments of conservatism, you may have heard about a kerfuffle at the Mere Anglicanism conference held a couple of weeks ago in SC, which included speakers like Sam Allberry, D. A. Carson, Rebecca McLaughlin, Carl Trueman, and Calvin...
If you are trying to read through the Bible this year there is a good chance you have recently finished the book of Exodus, are in the middle of it now, or will soon be starting it (depending on what kind of plan you use). When you read through the account of God's...
Arguments happen all the time. They occur in a variety of places (office, home, school, church, etc.) on a variety of topics (sports, theology, politics, behaviors, policies, finances, foods, plans, etc.) and between a variety of people (friends, strangers, spouses,...
As Christians in North America continue to transition from governments that were largely favorable or neutral to Christianity to governments that demonstrate an increasing animosity toward traditional Christianity, believers and churches will be forced to wrestle more...
With Tim Stephens’s[1] recent arrest in Calgary, Alberta under the charge that his holding church worship gatherings outdoors was a violation of current health regulations, many have been arguing rather vociferously that Tim and other pastors in Alberta (like James...
Dr. Doran recently preached a series of sermons addressing a significant problem in our day: anxiety. This was a timely series and the sermons are filled with biblical and practical guidance for fighting against the sin of worry. You can listen to the sermons here:...
One of the most important skills a believer can develop is the ability to utilize God’s Word to help those who are hurting. That ability lies at the heart of biblical counseling. I am excited to share some news at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary that will enable...
In Monday’s edition of the Briefing, Al Mohler spent some time discussing a recent letter signed by over 1,000 health professionals. One of the letter writers shared the reasoning for crafting the letter as follows: “We created the letter in response to emerging...
In Philippians 2:20-21, Paul gives a recommendation for Timothy that all those who serve Christ should covet: "I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ." In commenting...
Adoniram Judson entered Burma in 1813 and began laboring in sweltering heat and seemingly constant battles with sickness, disease, and death for the next thirty-eight years. He did not see a convert for the first six years of his ministry. After serving for eight...
One of the greatest and most common dangers for Christians is falling into the trap of the fear of man (Prov 29:25). Christians must be on constant guard against allowing their lives to be controlled by what others might think of them. Today the fear of man often...
You may have seen an advertisement recently with striking black and white photographs, thought-provoking statements, and the phrase “He Gets Us. All of Us.” During the Super Bowl, $20 million was spent to air two commercials, one saying Jesus wants us to be...
While preparing for a workshop on tolerance for the recent E3 pastor’s conference, I reread one of the more fascinating essays I’ve seen on the subject: I Can Tolerate Anything Except the Outgroup. While there are some flaws/blind spots in his assessment, I find the...
Over the past year, Christian leaders have been forced to think through the nature of governmental authority as it relates to the church. One consistent refrain has been that churches must comply with much if not all of the current government restrictions, because...
A while back I saw Oprah magazine had a list of 16 signs you may be in a loveless marriage (with the obvious assumption that love is something a person can fall in to or out of). Since this is a time in which many people are thinking about loving relationships, I’d...
How important is biblical creation for one's theology? Self-professed evangelicals increasingly say, “Very little.” A surprising number of theologians downplay its importance. Wayne Grudem, while agreeing that the biblical data favors young-earth creationism, argues...
Perhaps you’ve wondered before: if God already knows all things and knows what we need, why should we pray? Even more, if God has already planned all things, why should we pray? These concerns and questions are not new. John Calvin dealt with these issues in his work,...
From time to time people try to discredit the pro-life movement by arguing that those involved with it cannot genuinely claim to be pro-life unless they also support or hold other positions. Statements like “If you were really pro-life you would also…” or “You can’t...
Even though there has been a steady rise of in-person and online gambling over the last several years, few voices seem to be speaking out against this societal ill, a true threat to human flourishing. While some of the focus inevitably needs to deal with the role of...
David Platt gave a talk yesterday at the T4G conference that was an excellent challenge for all Christians to be more committed to pursuing disciples of Christ among all nations. He especially urged believers to do more to see the gospel go to unreached areas/peoples....
Ok, the title of this post is a bit misleading. The following quote from Sinclair Ferguson is not directly about the Rice Lecture this Friday, but it is about the book Dr. Joel Beeke co-authored on pastoral criticism, which focuses on the same topic as the lecture for...
The last several months have included a lot of opportunities for Christians to think about the government. Contested elections, controversial judicial decisions, political scandals, progressive laws, and changing health orders have led believers to wrestle with what...
If you are a current pastor looking to strengthen your counseling ministry or are a church member not interested in vocational gospel ministry but would like to be better equipped and trained at helping others with God’s Word, consider pursuing the non-degree ACBC...
We live in a world that is religious/spiritual but not Christian. A few years back, I mentioned in class the Sermon on the Mount. The blank stares caused me to accuse them of laziness, until it was revealed that not one of those 32 students had any idea what the...
I’ve seen several people recently discussing the issue of Federal Vision, a theological movement among Reformed churches that arose in 2002 and was both championed and condemned by various leaders within those churches. Some seem confused as to why some popular...
When we sang “In Christ Alone” recently in church, the copyright date grabbed my attention. The hymn came out in 2001, meaning many of those who graduated from college this last May would have never attended a church service before it was being used by God’s people....
We are excited to welcome Dr. Ernie Baker on August 22, 2023, as he presents a seminar on Biblical Counseling and Abuse. The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors is producing a series of affirmations and denials about domestic abuse and providing a framework...
The fear of the Lord is a key concept in the Bible but is often misunderstood by Christians today. There are three elements of the fear of the Lord: 1. A reverence/respect for the majesty of God "There is none like You, Lord;You are great, and Your name is...
*This post was originally published in 2013. My wife and I are looking forward to enjoying our first Christmas as parents, even if our son is currently more interested in putting wrapping paper in his mouth than in any other part of Christmas. It’s still fun to...
I recently came across a few interesting thoughts about infant baptism. The first is an excellent rejoinder by Jeff Straub to arguments that Baptist churches should allow those baptized as infants into membership. Some highlights: “The debate over baptism has raged in...
In a recent sermon on Matthew 7:1-5, Dr. Doran mentioned that a portion of that passage is perhaps the most well-known in our culture. People know the phrase, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” even if they do not know where it comes from. The phrase is often used,...
I do intend to finish my series on Matthew 24:36–41, but I am taking a break for this post. First, like Nebuchadnezzar’s magicians, I am “trying to gain time.” Second, while dealing with a passage that is debated, like Matthew 24, sometimes it is comforting to remind...
The Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24–25 is the longest prophetic section in the NT outside of the book of Revelation. If the next prophesied event that believers are looking forward to is their gathering to meet the Lord in the air, you might expect our Lord to refer to...
Read Part 1 in this series here. Read Part 2 here. Read Part 3 here. Teaching Directly Related to Justification (cont.) The previous post in this series examined what FV has said about the imputation of Christ’s righteousness and the role of works in justification....
Read Part 1 in this series here. Read Part 2 here. Teaching Directly Related to Justification While FV is not centered around soteriology, its proponents still address issues directly related to justification in their writings. Four specific issues directly related to...
While the dispensational community has rightly pointed out that NT never posits identity between the Christian Church and the Messianic Kingdom, the relationship of the Church to the Kingdom is sometimes murky in dispensational thought. Paul in Ephesians 1:10 tells us...
Read Part 1 of this series here. Teaching Indirectly Related to Justification As was stated in my previous post, FV is not primarily concerned with soteriology, much less justification. However, some of their teaching in other areas helps to shape their understanding...