4 Powerful Prepositions on the Incarnation
What is “#UglyChristmas”? If you are a Christian and you love the Christmas story you might be asking what is “ugly” about the birth of Jesus! You might also be wondering I am suggesting that we deeply celebrate #UglyChristmas. So what’s the intention behind...
A Vineyard Approach to Ferguson, Garner, & Racial Tension
As a Vineyard pastor in a Vineyard church who spends time with people who self-identify with the Vineyard movement, I often think on subjects through a "kingdom" lens. This is because our identity, both theologically and practically, are rooted in a commitment to the...
Mission Equates to Church Planting
Similar to what I argued recently about how a disciple making movement becomes a church planting movement, I was scanning through portions of one of my favorite books ever written... Total Church, by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. If you do not own this book, stop what...
Soteriology: Smooth & Easy or a Deep Struggle?
Soteriology, the theological category related to “salvation,” is one that theologians still dispute over. Actually, pastors and lots of other Christians debate about it too. In addition to the ordo salutis (order of salvation) and nature of salvation (Calvinism vs....
A Disciple Making Movement Becomes a Church Planting Movement
While I love the complex issues related to deep theological frameworks, I also really appreciate that Jesus boiled down the alleged 613 Laws of the Old Testament to two things: love God, love people (Matt. 22:36-40). And while I can appreciate the numerous purposes,...
Hope for Miscarriage (a review)
Shortly after my wife and I were married we were expecting our first child... which we quickly learned was actually two children, twins! The excitement of expecting children was pretty incredible and almost impossible to explain. Sadly, we lost that first pregnancy...
On Hanging Rape Victims, Oppressing Women, & Looking the Other Way
Two days ago, Oct. 25, 2014, an Iranian woman was hung by an Iranian court because she had the audacity to defend herself from being raped. According to Amnesty International, this woman was sentenced to death after a "deeply flawed investigation and trial." Let that...
Is it really being soft on the gospel to not use the word “sin”?
If you pay attention to certain theological circles, you'll have heard someone say something like this: "Preachers who do not use the word "sin" in their sermons are watering down the gospel. If you aren't willing to name sin, than you are deceiving people and...
Citizens of the Kingdom: Mount Up!
In 1989, David Bebbington wrote of four qualities that defined Evangelicalism and one of them was "activism." Evangelicals were, according to Bebbington, committed to expressing the gospel through their efforts in society. Unfortunately, Evangelicalism has received...
Reviewing a book on Mentoring Women
This review, to be honest, is a bit awkward feeling. How can a man review a book on women mentoring women? On one hand, I have a great mother, five sisters, three daughters, and a fantastic wife who is involved in mentoring women. On the other hand, I'm a dude....
William Seymour’s “love in the face of hate”
The Book of Hebrews provides what is arguably the best narrative theology of the "communion of saints" in chapter 11. Often referred to as the "chapter of faith," the writer describes the faith of the Patriarchs and Prophets and a few others along the way. It's a...
How’s Your Church’s “On Ramp”?
As we've entered into the fall, our attendance at Trinity Christian Fellowship has been growing and we're seeing new and old faces, together. It's beautiful to see Jesus' community gathered to experience the Spirit's presence/empowerment. This past week, as I stood...
Biblical Studies Needs Theology…
I recently was told by someone that they didn't need theology because they just needed the Bible. N. T. Wright responds in The New Testament and the People of God as follows: "Biblical studies needs theology, because only with theological tools can historical exegesis...
So You Want to be a Scholar? Here’s What They Won’t Tell You…
So you want to be a scholar? You likely already are aware of the fact that you are going to be reading a lot and writing heavily footnoted academic papers while engaging in discussions about methodology while analyzing and assessing arguments. You've probably weighed...
On Trading Our “Discernment” Birthright for a Bowl of Stew…
The story of Jacob and Esau is well known (Gen. 25-27). Esau, the eldest son of Isaac, sold his birthright to Jacob, his younger brother, for a bowl of stew. It was a catastrophic failure on Esau's part, as we read in Scripture that God hated Esau (Mal. 1:2-3) and he...
Keeping Jesus in Seminary
Any seminary graduate (or attendee) worth his salt has been warned about the "danger" of attending the cemetery. We are told that if we attend theological education, we'll lose our passion for Jesus and will embrace ideas that undercut the foundations of the Christian...
The Vineyard: Everyone Gets to Play!
The first Vineyard church I attended was the Smoky Hill Vineyard and the date was sometime in the early 90's. At the time the church was meeting at a local middle school and it was the first "church plant" that our family ever attended. The worship gatherings were...
When Revival Tarries I Ask Why
After what felt like a ton of reading for a class I took on the history of both the Evangelical and Pentecostal movements, I walked away with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for both of these traditions. I think Bebbington's quadrilateral is still a helpful...
An Open Letter to Richard Dawkins (and those listening in)
Dear Richard Dawkins, As a Christian, I follow you on Twitter because I believe it is good for Christians to engage with those who disagree with our viewpoints. I've read your book, The God Delusion, and have read a number of your essays and articles. I believe there...
I Think the Word “Church” Should be Abandoned.
I attend a church. I am also a member of that church. In fact, I serve that church as a pastor. I often invite people to visit that church or to visit our church's website. As you can tell, the church is a big part of my life. I love the church and spend a lot of time...
Ken Wilson on Pauline Theology (part 5)
In this post, I want to review and interact with Ken Wilson's work in ALTMC on the Apostle Paul. In addition to several posts covering Ken's introductory work (here, here, and here), I've posted my thoughts on his use of the Old Testament. Now I want to start looking...
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