(Ordinary Pastor)
Do you find yourself apologizing for God?
You may not articulate it in the words, “I’m sorry that my God is like this.” However, there is some indication that the sharp edges of the character of God are better ignored, diluted, or otherwise recast so as to make his actions more acceptable. Don’t misunderstand, I am not talking primarily to liberals here but rather to evangelicals. Mr. or Mrs. card carrying evangelical, are you quietly ashamed of some of God’s tirades of judgment in the Old Testament?
Can your theology handle a book like Lamentations? MORE
Friday, September 30, 2011
Some Thoughts On Ministering to the Sick and Dying
(Kevin DeYoung)
I am no expert in ministering to people in suffering. It is a privilege to be with the sick and dying, but it can also be scary, hard work. I have great respect for chaplains, calling pastors, solo pastors, and other believers who spend a lot of their time comforting the sick and suffering with the gospel.
As you minister to the sick and dying–and we all will have opportunity to do so–here are some things to keep in mind.
1. Be patient. Ask lots of questions. Don’t assume you know what they are thinking or feeling. Ask them.
2. Ask direct questions. I have found especially with older generations that they don’t respond well to some of the “jargon” questions like “how is your walk with the Lord?” They are not used to thinking of Christianity in these terms. Ask more direct questions like “How is God helping you?” or “What Bible verses or hymns have come to mind?”
MORE...
I am no expert in ministering to people in suffering. It is a privilege to be with the sick and dying, but it can also be scary, hard work. I have great respect for chaplains, calling pastors, solo pastors, and other believers who spend a lot of their time comforting the sick and suffering with the gospel.
As you minister to the sick and dying–and we all will have opportunity to do so–here are some things to keep in mind.
1. Be patient. Ask lots of questions. Don’t assume you know what they are thinking or feeling. Ask them.
2. Ask direct questions. I have found especially with older generations that they don’t respond well to some of the “jargon” questions like “how is your walk with the Lord?” They are not used to thinking of Christianity in these terms. Ask more direct questions like “How is God helping you?” or “What Bible verses or hymns have come to mind?”
MORE...
Galatians, Gospel Indicatives, and Gospel Imperatives
(The Gospel Coalition)
At last week’s 9Marks @Southeastern conference, our conference host and seminary president Dr. Danny Akin delivered an overview sermon on the entire book of Galatians. Get this: the sermon had two major divisions with 42 subpoints! Don’t try this at home kids!
Essentially, Akin walked us through the book of Galatians commenting on the 29 indicative statements Paul makes about the gospel and the 13 imperatives that flow from them. If you’ve been following the blog discussion of the relationship between indicatives and imperatives then you might be interested in this talk and the panel that followed. Akin makes it plain that out of the “done” (indicatives) there flows a “do” (imperatives).
For those that are curious, here are the 29 gospel indicatives and 13 gospel imperatives Akin highlighted:
MORE...
At last week’s 9Marks @Southeastern conference, our conference host and seminary president Dr. Danny Akin delivered an overview sermon on the entire book of Galatians. Get this: the sermon had two major divisions with 42 subpoints! Don’t try this at home kids!
Essentially, Akin walked us through the book of Galatians commenting on the 29 indicative statements Paul makes about the gospel and the 13 imperatives that flow from them. If you’ve been following the blog discussion of the relationship between indicatives and imperatives then you might be interested in this talk and the panel that followed. Akin makes it plain that out of the “done” (indicatives) there flows a “do” (imperatives).
For those that are curious, here are the 29 gospel indicatives and 13 gospel imperatives Akin highlighted:
MORE...
John Piper: I Was Racist
(Christianity Today)
I was born in 1946 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and from the time I was six months old, I grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. I left for college eighteen years later and spent four years in Wheaton, Illinois; three years in Pasadena, California; three years in Munich, Germany; and the rest of my life in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. But those early years in South Carolina are the roots of my racial burden.
The population of South Carolina in 1860 was about 700,000. Sixty percent were African Americans (420,000), and all but 9,000 of these were slaves. That's a mere 150 years ago—only fifty-nine years before my father was born. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, largely in protest over Abraham Lincoln's election as an anti-slavery president and the implications that had for states' rights. Three weeks later, the Civil War began in Charleston, South Carolina. MORE
I was born in 1946 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and from the time I was six months old, I grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. I left for college eighteen years later and spent four years in Wheaton, Illinois; three years in Pasadena, California; three years in Munich, Germany; and the rest of my life in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. But those early years in South Carolina are the roots of my racial burden.
The population of South Carolina in 1860 was about 700,000. Sixty percent were African Americans (420,000), and all but 9,000 of these were slaves. That's a mere 150 years ago—only fifty-nine years before my father was born. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, largely in protest over Abraham Lincoln's election as an anti-slavery president and the implications that had for states' rights. Three weeks later, the Civil War began in Charleston, South Carolina. MORE
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Grudem's Essay
"Are Only Some Words of Scripture Breathed out by God?"
Crossway has generously granted me permission to post a free copy of an important essay by Wayne Grudem:
“Are Only Some Words of Scripture Breathed Out by God? Why Plenary Inspiration Favors ‘Essentially Literal’ Bible Translation”
This essay was published in Translating Truth: The Case for Essentially Literal Bible Translation (Wheaton: Crossway, 2005) 19–56. Grudem’s thesis is in the sub-title of the essay: Why Plenary Inspiration Favors ‘Essentially Literal’ Bible Translation.
Grudem writes:
‘I will argue in this chapter (1) that the Bible repeatedly claims that every one of its words (in the original languages) is a word spoken to us by God, and is therefore of utmost importance; and (2) that this fact provides a strong argument in favor of “essentially literal” (or “word-for-word”) translation as opposed to “dynamic equivalent” (or “thought-for-thought”) translation.’ MORE...
Crossway has generously granted me permission to post a free copy of an important essay by Wayne Grudem:
“Are Only Some Words of Scripture Breathed Out by God? Why Plenary Inspiration Favors ‘Essentially Literal’ Bible Translation”
This essay was published in Translating Truth: The Case for Essentially Literal Bible Translation (Wheaton: Crossway, 2005) 19–56. Grudem’s thesis is in the sub-title of the essay: Why Plenary Inspiration Favors ‘Essentially Literal’ Bible Translation.
Grudem writes:
‘I will argue in this chapter (1) that the Bible repeatedly claims that every one of its words (in the original languages) is a word spoken to us by God, and is therefore of utmost importance; and (2) that this fact provides a strong argument in favor of “essentially literal” (or “word-for-word”) translation as opposed to “dynamic equivalent” (or “thought-for-thought”) translation.’ MORE...
Five Ways to Redeem Your Ride to Work
(Kingdom People) According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, Americans now spend more than 100 hours a year commuting to work. The nationwide average drive-time is about 24.3 minutes, which tops the average two weeks of vacation time (80 hours) taken by many workers during a year.
Rather than bemoaning the time we spend going back and forth from work, we would be better served by thinking of ways we can redeem this time and use it for God’s glory. Here are five ways you can redeem your ride. Use the time…MORE...
Rather than bemoaning the time we spend going back and forth from work, we would be better served by thinking of ways we can redeem this time and use it for God’s glory. Here are five ways you can redeem your ride. Use the time…MORE...
The Smell of Sweet Success
(Carl Trueman)
It is now some sixteen years since the disaster that was `The Nine O'Clock Service.' This was the name given to an Anglican church in Sheffield which had started as a signs and wonders gig, gone Anglican, morphed into an odd fusion of Anglo-Catholicism and ecological mysticism and finally gone bust amidst allegations that the vicar, Chris Brain, had been having sexual relations with women in the church. In the process, the church grew from 10 to over 600 mainly young people. Its sacramental life centered on the memorably entitled and utterly mad `Planetary Mass' which Brain celebrated wearing the actual robe Robert DeNiro used in the film The Mission. He also formed a personal bodyguard of young, attractive women. You could instantly recognize them: they were the ones wearing the black catsuits. They were also the ones he was sexually enjoying on a regular basis. MORE...
It is now some sixteen years since the disaster that was `The Nine O'Clock Service.' This was the name given to an Anglican church in Sheffield which had started as a signs and wonders gig, gone Anglican, morphed into an odd fusion of Anglo-Catholicism and ecological mysticism and finally gone bust amidst allegations that the vicar, Chris Brain, had been having sexual relations with women in the church. In the process, the church grew from 10 to over 600 mainly young people. Its sacramental life centered on the memorably entitled and utterly mad `Planetary Mass' which Brain celebrated wearing the actual robe Robert DeNiro used in the film The Mission. He also formed a personal bodyguard of young, attractive women. You could instantly recognize them: they were the ones wearing the black catsuits. They were also the ones he was sexually enjoying on a regular basis. MORE...
Is Sanctification Monergistic or Synergistic? A Reformed Survey
The Gospel Coalition (Kevin DeYoung)
Recently, in a leadership training class at our church, a spirited discussion broke out on whether sanctification is monergistic or synergisitic. No, this is not what every class is like at University Reformed Church. But this one was. I wasn’t there, but I was told the discussion was energetic, intelligent, and respectful. I’m glad to serve at a church where people know and care about this level of theological precision. (More...)
Recently, in a leadership training class at our church, a spirited discussion broke out on whether sanctification is monergistic or synergisitic. No, this is not what every class is like at University Reformed Church. But this one was. I wasn’t there, but I was told the discussion was energetic, intelligent, and respectful. I’m glad to serve at a church where people know and care about this level of theological precision. (More...)
Saturday, September 17, 2011
9/11: A Decade of Studying Islam
(Mark Coppenger)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Since 9/11, we've all been in school, studying up on Islam.
But we've been to two different schools. In a nutshell, one says that Islam is a great religion with awesome accomplishments, now wounded by misfortune and embarrassed by extremists who've perverted its basically wholesome message.
MORE...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Since 9/11, we've all been in school, studying up on Islam.
But we've been to two different schools. In a nutshell, one says that Islam is a great religion with awesome accomplishments, now wounded by misfortune and embarrassed by extremists who've perverted its basically wholesome message.
MORE...
Sadly…The Cohabitation Revolution
(Rick Lowry)
The great divorce revolution of the 1960s and 1970s has faded. The great cohabitation revolution has begun.
The divorce rate for married couples with children is almost back to the levels of the early 1960s, before the run-up that crested in the early 1980s. Considering the decades of social turbulence buffeting the institution of marriage between then and now, this is a notable restoration.
But it only means that marriage is unraveling in a different way. According to a new study by the Institute for American Values and the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, cohabitation has increased 14-fold since 1970. About 24 percent of children are born to cohabiting couples, more than are born to single mothers, while another 20 percent experience a cohabiting household at some time in their childhood.
MORE...
The great divorce revolution of the 1960s and 1970s has faded. The great cohabitation revolution has begun.
The divorce rate for married couples with children is almost back to the levels of the early 1960s, before the run-up that crested in the early 1980s. Considering the decades of social turbulence buffeting the institution of marriage between then and now, this is a notable restoration.
But it only means that marriage is unraveling in a different way. According to a new study by the Institute for American Values and the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, cohabitation has increased 14-fold since 1970. About 24 percent of children are born to cohabiting couples, more than are born to single mothers, while another 20 percent experience a cohabiting household at some time in their childhood.
MORE...
Discounting Charity: Google New Treatment of Religious Nonprofits
(Breakpoint)
To Google, it appears that some nonprofits are more equal than others.
For years, Google has made its office software and Gmail programs available to individuals for free and to qualifying nonprofits — including religious organizations — at a discount.
Now, however, Christianity Today reports those days are over for some. Google has grouped several of its tools into a “Google for Nonprofits” program — and “schools, political think tanks, so-called proselytizing groups, churches, and organizations that take religion or sexual orientation into account in hiring,” are excluded from free or discounted access.Christianity Today says that one reason for this “some-nonprofits-are-more-equal-than-others” treatment of churches is due to a fear of offending potential customers.
MORE...
To Google, it appears that some nonprofits are more equal than others.
For years, Google has made its office software and Gmail programs available to individuals for free and to qualifying nonprofits — including religious organizations — at a discount.
Now, however, Christianity Today reports those days are over for some. Google has grouped several of its tools into a “Google for Nonprofits” program — and “schools, political think tanks, so-called proselytizing groups, churches, and organizations that take religion or sexual orientation into account in hiring,” are excluded from free or discounted access.Christianity Today says that one reason for this “some-nonprofits-are-more-equal-than-others” treatment of churches is due to a fear of offending potential customers.
MORE...
Not Good…More Americans Tailoring Religion to Preferences
(USA Today)
If World War II-era warbler Kate Smith sang today, her anthem could be Gods Bless America.
People take part in a National Day of Prayer gathering in San Antonio in May. Polls show that in 1991, 24% of U.S. adults hadn't been to church in the past six months; today, it's 37%.
People take part in a National Day of Prayer gathering in San Antonio in May. Polls show that in 1991, 24% of U.S. adults hadn't been to church in the past six months; today, it's 37%.
That's one of the key findings in newly released research that reveals America's drift from clearly defined religious denominations to faiths cut to fit personal preferences.
The folks who make up God as they go are side-by-side with self-proclaimed believers who claim the Christian label but shed their ties to traditional beliefs and practices. Religion statistics expert George Barna says, with a wry hint of exaggeration, America is headed for "310 million people with 310 million religions."
"We are a designer society. We want everything customized to our personal needs — our clothing, our food, our education," he says. Now it's our religion.
MORE...
If World War II-era warbler Kate Smith sang today, her anthem could be Gods Bless America.
People take part in a National Day of Prayer gathering in San Antonio in May. Polls show that in 1991, 24% of U.S. adults hadn't been to church in the past six months; today, it's 37%.
People take part in a National Day of Prayer gathering in San Antonio in May. Polls show that in 1991, 24% of U.S. adults hadn't been to church in the past six months; today, it's 37%.
That's one of the key findings in newly released research that reveals America's drift from clearly defined religious denominations to faiths cut to fit personal preferences.
The folks who make up God as they go are side-by-side with self-proclaimed believers who claim the Christian label but shed their ties to traditional beliefs and practices. Religion statistics expert George Barna says, with a wry hint of exaggeration, America is headed for "310 million people with 310 million religions."
"We are a designer society. We want everything customized to our personal needs — our clothing, our food, our education," he says. Now it's our religion.
MORE...
Saturday, September 10, 2011
All That Terror Teaches: Have We Learned Anything
(Al Mohler)
We are living in dangerous times, but far too many Americans seem to have forgotten this unforgiving fact. How can so many forget the unforgettable?
Terror is a tragic teacher, and the memories of September 11, 2001 haunt us even now. The images of planes crashing, towers collapsing, and bodies falling will be forever seared into our memories. Just to say “9/11″ is to invoke a flood of remembrance and the bitter taste of tragedy.
More than three years after 9/11, what have we learned? The immediate aftermath of the terror attacks in New York and Washington was widespread confusion. What had happened? Who was responsible? How awful is the damage? How many have died? Is more to come? The confusion gave way to the even more terrifying clarity. The carnage was just too much to imagine–but too real to deny.
MORE:
We are living in dangerous times, but far too many Americans seem to have forgotten this unforgiving fact. How can so many forget the unforgettable?
Terror is a tragic teacher, and the memories of September 11, 2001 haunt us even now. The images of planes crashing, towers collapsing, and bodies falling will be forever seared into our memories. Just to say “9/11″ is to invoke a flood of remembrance and the bitter taste of tragedy.
More than three years after 9/11, what have we learned? The immediate aftermath of the terror attacks in New York and Washington was widespread confusion. What had happened? Who was responsible? How awful is the damage? How many have died? Is more to come? The confusion gave way to the even more terrifying clarity. The carnage was just too much to imagine–but too real to deny.
MORE:
The Sinful Tragedy of Boredom
(NW Bingham)
“Dad, I’m bored.”
How many times have I heard one of my girls say that? And how many times has that statement been a cause for my patience and self-control to be tested?
Why do such cries test my patience? Because I know what my children are saying to me beneath the words, “I’m bored.” Firstly, they’re telling me they’re not satisfied with what I’ve given them. They want more, whether that’s more stuff or more stimulation. Secondly, they’re inadvertently telling me that they’re blind to what I’ve already given them, and what’s at their disposal. They have enough toys, books, dress-ups, etc., and they have that secret ingredient…imagination. Yet, they fail to see what’s there before them, and they cry bored.
A Problem We Don’t Grow Out Of
If you’re a parent, then you probably nodded in agreement to much of what I wrote above. You’ve heard the cries of boredom, you’ve experienced the frustration. But do you hear the same cry in your heart? ... MORE:
“Dad, I’m bored.”
How many times have I heard one of my girls say that? And how many times has that statement been a cause for my patience and self-control to be tested?
Why do such cries test my patience? Because I know what my children are saying to me beneath the words, “I’m bored.” Firstly, they’re telling me they’re not satisfied with what I’ve given them. They want more, whether that’s more stuff or more stimulation. Secondly, they’re inadvertently telling me that they’re blind to what I’ve already given them, and what’s at their disposal. They have enough toys, books, dress-ups, etc., and they have that secret ingredient…imagination. Yet, they fail to see what’s there before them, and they cry bored.
A Problem We Don’t Grow Out Of
If you’re a parent, then you probably nodded in agreement to much of what I wrote above. You’ve heard the cries of boredom, you’ve experienced the frustration. But do you hear the same cry in your heart? ... MORE:
Jesus on Homosexuality
(JD Greer)
"We can be sure that Jesus viewed homosexuality as a sin. How do we know? 3 ways:
1) Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but fulfill it. There were dimensions of the Jewish law that do not carry over into Christianity. But Christ told us He fulfilled the law, not reneged on it. As He explained, He heightened its morality (Matt 5:17-20); fulfilled its signs, made good on its promises and gave substance to its shadows (Luke 24:46-47). He did not come hat in hand conceding that Old Testament God was backwards and uninformed. Leviticus says that God finds homosexuality “detestable” (Lev 18:22). God did not change, morally, in the New Testament. What God finds detestable one day He does not suddenly find agreeable the next. Now, if anything, Jesus says, we have a morality that now supercedes, and not contradicts, the moral law (Matt 5:17-21). Certain ceremonial shadows and social codes were fulfilled in Christ, but He did not, in any way, come to revise the God behind the law.... MORE
"We can be sure that Jesus viewed homosexuality as a sin. How do we know? 3 ways:
1) Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but fulfill it. There were dimensions of the Jewish law that do not carry over into Christianity. But Christ told us He fulfilled the law, not reneged on it. As He explained, He heightened its morality (Matt 5:17-20); fulfilled its signs, made good on its promises and gave substance to its shadows (Luke 24:46-47). He did not come hat in hand conceding that Old Testament God was backwards and uninformed. Leviticus says that God finds homosexuality “detestable” (Lev 18:22). God did not change, morally, in the New Testament. What God finds detestable one day He does not suddenly find agreeable the next. Now, if anything, Jesus says, we have a morality that now supercedes, and not contradicts, the moral law (Matt 5:17-21). Certain ceremonial shadows and social codes were fulfilled in Christ, but He did not, in any way, come to revise the God behind the law.... MORE
Behind the Mission to Land a Bible on the Moon
(Fox News)
"It was one small step for man -- and for some astronauts it was a big leap of faith, too.
Rare artifacts and trinkets from the history of NASA are going to auction in the upcoming week-long Space & Aviation Autograph and Artifact Auction from RR Auction starting September 15th. The auction will feature a letter from Neil Armstrong about his first words on the moon, Armstrong’s training glove, and other exceptional items from the history of space flight and aviation.
But one of the more unique items up for bid? A full King James Bible that has journeyed all the way to the moon’s surface.
A treasure trove of more than 800 unique and amazing historical space objects -- including many created or used by Buzz, Neil and Alan -- will go on sale in a September space auction.
“It’s an inch and a half by an inch and a half,” Bobby Livingston, VP of sales marketing with RR Auction, told FoxNews.com. “You need a microscope to really read it, and it’s more symbolic than anything. But it’s all there. The entire King James Bible is there.”....... MORE:
"It was one small step for man -- and for some astronauts it was a big leap of faith, too.
Rare artifacts and trinkets from the history of NASA are going to auction in the upcoming week-long Space & Aviation Autograph and Artifact Auction from RR Auction starting September 15th. The auction will feature a letter from Neil Armstrong about his first words on the moon, Armstrong’s training glove, and other exceptional items from the history of space flight and aviation.
But one of the more unique items up for bid? A full King James Bible that has journeyed all the way to the moon’s surface.
A treasure trove of more than 800 unique and amazing historical space objects -- including many created or used by Buzz, Neil and Alan -- will go on sale in a September space auction.
“It’s an inch and a half by an inch and a half,” Bobby Livingston, VP of sales marketing with RR Auction, told FoxNews.com. “You need a microscope to really read it, and it’s more symbolic than anything. But it’s all there. The entire King James Bible is there.”....... MORE:
Thursday, September 1, 2011
The Most Dangerous Threats to the Gospel Today
(9Marks) It’s impossible to answer what’s “most” dangerous to the gospel today without God’s knowledge of everything. But here are some prominent threats that loom on the horizon:
1.The prosperity “gospel.” The belief that the gospel is about God making us rich is a lie. Jesus came to save us from sin and reconcile us to God (Rom. 5:10-11; 1 Pet. 3:18), giving us every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3) and promising us suffering in this life and glory in the next (Acts 14:22, Rom. 8:18).
2.The attack on penal, substitutionary atonement. Many people reject the idea that on the cross God punished Jesus for the sins of his people. But to reject this is to reject the heart of the gospel itself (Rom. 3:21-26).
3.The rejection of the wrath of God. People today are extremely uncomfortable with the idea of a holy God who will punish sin. But if we reject the wrath of God we lie to ourselves about the fundamental problem the gospel saves us from (John 3:36; Rom. 1:18; 1 Thess. 1:10). MORE...
1.The prosperity “gospel.” The belief that the gospel is about God making us rich is a lie. Jesus came to save us from sin and reconcile us to God (Rom. 5:10-11; 1 Pet. 3:18), giving us every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3) and promising us suffering in this life and glory in the next (Acts 14:22, Rom. 8:18).
2.The attack on penal, substitutionary atonement. Many people reject the idea that on the cross God punished Jesus for the sins of his people. But to reject this is to reject the heart of the gospel itself (Rom. 3:21-26).
3.The rejection of the wrath of God. People today are extremely uncomfortable with the idea of a holy God who will punish sin. But if we reject the wrath of God we lie to ourselves about the fundamental problem the gospel saves us from (John 3:36; Rom. 1:18; 1 Thess. 1:10). MORE...
Pornification Part 2: Not That There is Anything Wrong with That
(Ed Stetzer) Last week I began a series entitled "The Pornifcation of American Culture." You can read the first post of this series here. These posts come from a lengthier article I wrote for the Assemblies of God Enrichment Journal. The entire issue is worth your time and you can access it here. In this part, I deal with changing views of sexuality and inceased sexualization.
Here is more of the text from that article:
The issues of human sexuality are impacting evangelical churches in a profound way. The church must recognize and address the changing sexual mores of the world. Sex and sexuality outside of marriage has been around for millennia but the current is moving to new places.
MORE...
Here is more of the text from that article:
The issues of human sexuality are impacting evangelical churches in a profound way. The church must recognize and address the changing sexual mores of the world. Sex and sexuality outside of marriage has been around for millennia but the current is moving to new places.
MORE...
Culture Watch: TV viewing can shorten Life
(Australian Researchers) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Watching TV literally takes the life out of people, Australian researchers say.
The British newspaper The Telegraph reported on the results of a study indicating that every hour spent watching TV may reduce a person's life by 22 minutes. Those who watch six hours of programming a day, for example, are at risk of perishing five years sooner than others who are less sedentary.
"TV viewing time may have adverse health consequences that rival those of lack of physical activity, obesity and smoking...," researchers from Australia's University of Queensland stated. MORE..
The British newspaper The Telegraph reported on the results of a study indicating that every hour spent watching TV may reduce a person's life by 22 minutes. Those who watch six hours of programming a day, for example, are at risk of perishing five years sooner than others who are less sedentary.
"TV viewing time may have adverse health consequences that rival those of lack of physical activity, obesity and smoking...," researchers from Australia's University of Queensland stated. MORE..
Ex-Homosexual - Thanks for Offending me with the Gospel
(Mike Goeke)
MIDLAND, Texas (BP)--As a pastor and as someone in ministry to churches and people across the country, I have seen a growing trend over the last several years.
It seems that we, as the church and as individual Christians, spend a lot of time pulling back the outward expression of our faith for fear of offending people. Churches sometimes water down theology and their message to make sure no one leaves offended. People ignore the destructive, sinful behavior of their friends to make sure their friends are not offended. People seek community that is intentionally non-confrontational so that they will not personally be offended. MORE
MIDLAND, Texas (BP)--As a pastor and as someone in ministry to churches and people across the country, I have seen a growing trend over the last several years.
It seems that we, as the church and as individual Christians, spend a lot of time pulling back the outward expression of our faith for fear of offending people. Churches sometimes water down theology and their message to make sure no one leaves offended. People ignore the destructive, sinful behavior of their friends to make sure their friends are not offended. People seek community that is intentionally non-confrontational so that they will not personally be offended. MORE
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