Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Blunt Objects


With a few exceptions, every Thursday morning I gather with a group of men for breakfast and fellowship around the Word of God. The coffee is pretty lousy, but the food is good and the encouragement and fellowship makes it well worth getting up before 6:00. We don't have a leader or any specific structurewe just show up knowing what topic or passage we are studying, and, after a few minutes of light chatter, we dig into the topic. Sometimes the depth of conversation is amazing and always edifying.

Recently, I have been guiding us through a study of Christfrom eternity past to eternity future. We are in the early parts of His ministry, hoping to move forward through the Gospels chronologically. As we approached John 4, I was trying to think of how to frame the

Saturday, December 17, 2011

So Much Sausage ... So Little Time


So, I have a small obsession. The funny thing is, my wife hates it. She can’t stand to look at it or the smell of it. It’s sausage … summer, kielbasa, andouille, brats, polish, you-name-it. Even though my wife does not enjoy my little hobby, she was kind enough to buy me a sausage cookbook a few years ago for Christmas. Bruce Aidells’ Complete Sausage Book is my guidebook, but Bruce has some issues. Everything he makes

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Biblical Patriotism (?)


I expect this will make me less popular in the eyes of some of you, but I hope only to call your attention to what Scripture teaches. This post comes about through a combination of the study of Christ’s birth with dear brothers I gather with each Thursday morning and a DVD discussing the merits of the black-robed regiment of “patriotic preachers” who promoted rebellion against England at our nation’s birth. The connection will become clear if you bear with me.

We had an epiphany!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Down with Traditional Values

There is much talk these days, especially since we are in perpetual campaign mode here in America, of the value system of a particular candidate or movement. The most common of these in the conservative circles I run in is “traditional.” Everyone wants to return to traditional values for the family, for television, for advertising, for schools, etc.

If you are a Christian, may I encourage you to fight strongly against such measures.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Paul Was Wrong (?)

Many of you have heard of the kerfuffle with Ken Ham and Peter Enns over invivtations to speak at certain homeschool conferences. In researching some information for Ken (in full disclosure, he is my boss) I dug into an essay by Enns posted on the BioLogos website. Many Christians within the homeschool movement, some who agree with Ken’s young earth position, have been defending Enns and his view of the inspiration of Scripture as orthodox and have chastised Ken for calling Enns a compromiser. Having read this article, Dr. Enns clearly understands

Sunday, February 6, 2011

A Kangaroo on a Leash


Have you ever had a kangaroo jumping on you? Me either, but it sure feels like that emotionally this past week. God has brought highs and lows into my life in a way that I have never experienced in so compact a space. Four days of fixing my eyes on Him—knowing more is to come.

Thursday morning I enjoyed sweet fellowship surrounded by dear brothers amplifying the faith we have in Christ and sipping on

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

The Nexus of Evangelism and Apologetics

Two sides of the same coin. That is how we describe many ideas that are so intimately related that we can’t separate them despite their distinctions. Evangelism and apologetics are two different concepts but they are linked in a very intimate way—so intimate that one is unlikely to happen without the other.

Evangelism is a term that comes from the Greek word

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Miss America


I never want this blog to turn into a rant, but that might just happen today. You have been warned . . . and so have I.

The 90th Miss America pageant was held recently and I was alerted to the outcome by a Christian news source I subscribe to. The news story lauded the crowning of a homeschooled young woman, Teresa Scanlan, who gives credit to God for creating her the way she is and for guiding the outcome of the contest. I don’t dispute that God has created

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Motivation


I bought my wife a Wii Fit for Christbirth. We got everything set up and when I took the little tests it had for me, I found out that I am obese and I should lose 90 pounds to be “normal” on the BMI scale. Well, I didn’t throw the machine across the room—even when my wife’s test came back normal. Maybe she should have bought it for me.
All that aside, I want to make sure that my motives for “getting healthy” are not focused on myself or this temporal existence. Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 4:8 that “bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” I want to make sure that I am seeking to honor God by