One of my articles entitled “Christian Community: The Goal or Starting Point?” was recently published at the Small Group Trader.com. This website is a wonderful resource for Christians and leaders who share Small Group Trader’s passion for “Helping people trade in the pursuit of the American-Dream for a world that desperately needs Christ.” This online resource … More My Article Published at SmallGroupTrader.com
The following post is from one of my favorite blogging friends Michael Spencer, known to most as the Internet Monk. Michael was recently diagnosed with cancer and is beginning that battle now. He wrote this piece only weeks before the diagnosis. Please lift up the iMonk in your prayers and check out his writing ministry … More “There’s Always A Day Before” (by Michael Spencer)
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him” (Romans 12:1). It’s a New Year, and I’m tired of … More “True Worship” for the New Year
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry” (Matthew 11:28-30). … More “Yoked” for the New Year (Matt 11:28)
The most inspiring, heart-warming cinematic experience of the year for me has been without question The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock. While this movie based on a true story is sure to win over everybody’s heart, there is a special significance for Christians viewers. Coming out just in time for the Christmas season I found … More MOVIE REVIEW: The Blind Side (2009)
I have spent the past 3 months leading our senior high youth group through the first three chapters of Romans. It has been a dismal time sitting in the dark, godless, idolatrous world of sin painted in Romans 1:18-32 in particular. I knew very well that the good news would arrive in chapter 3 but … More Rewriting Romans 1:18-32
Here’s an oldie but goodie from the earliest DI archives written to the Revolutionary teenagers in Mound a few years back. Always a good reminder of how radically loving and inclusive our Lord and Savior is. Peace, JB “When you host a dinner or a banquet, don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your … More Who’s at Your Table? (Luke 14:12-14)
Is “being missional” more than the latest church conference buzzword? Is this a passing fad or a necessary rediscover of an essential characteristic of the very definition of church? Dan Kimball offers some help in capturing what it means to become more missional: – Being missional means that the church sees itself as beingmissionaries, rather than … More VIDEO: What is the Missional Church?
In my first review of this film I pointed out some of the underlying spiritual/psychological themes in the film: (1) the danger of letting a relationship take over one’s entire life, (2) turning a relationship into an idol which we cannot live without, (3) engaging in self-destructive behaviors (e.g., self-injury, suicide attempts) as a desperate … More MOVIE REVIEW: “Twilight: New Moon” – Part 2
I can’t believe I’ve never made this observation before. We all know Christianity and church life is all about COMMUNITY. Well, at least it has become the big buzz word for the last decade or two. The Sunday worship routine that had for so long become a spectator sport with the people on stage providing … More Christian Community: The Goal or Starting Point?
What if we could follow Jesus on Twitter? This question is asked all the time and is worthy of a good conversation. I’m glad you can find innumerable articles with similar titles as mine. Would he give new revelation via Twitter or just quote his own Bible verses daily? One person was surprised and humored … More WWJT: What Would Jesus Tweet?
The book of Romans doesn’t mess around. Paul is shooting straight and going to the heart of things. Our senior youth group is plowing through portions of Romans this fall and winter. We’re still bogged down in the swamp of chapter 1 and Paul’s description of the fallen human condition is growing darker verse by … More Sin & Monopoly (Rom 1:18-32)
The debate over the legitimacy of virtual church vs. traditional church has heated up at Out Of Ur over the past couple weeks. (Dr. Mark Roberts has a series of posts as well.) I’ll be honest and admit that I have at times been too critical and skeptical of the “virtual church” movement. I see the … More Is ‘Virtual’ Church ‘Real’ Church?
Here’s an old post salvaged from the old DI archives from a couple years back. Enjoy! I love the Bible. But I’ve never been good at citing “chapter and verse” as they say. Have you ever met those Christians who always need to have a verse cited to back up every statement made? When reading … More Beyond Chapter & Verse
“No one’s written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.” -Barrack Obama in his controversial speech to school children “It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of … More Obama: Who’s Writing Our Destiny?
Here’s a relevant topic for youth pastors. How do you address the topic of “cursing” with teens without sounding stuffy and pharasaic, old-fashioned and legalistic? I believe Brett McCracken comes at it from the right angle and with the right message. It’s not so much about the rightness or wrongness of actual words, but rather … More “Christian Cussing” (Brett McCracken)
I have so far in this series highlighted the inadequacies of two of the key aspects of the popular human system of social ethics: (1) that human beings have the ability to wisely and justly direct the course of history, and (2) that humanly created structures, powers, and programs are able means to bring lasting … More Cruciform Justice 10: The War of the Lamb
As we mentioned earlier, the humanistic optimism that drives the prominent secular theories of government acts as if human beings control the course of history. This is a responsibility too large for any human being and inevitably stirs up within them an overbearing anxiety, fear and despair. Many have therefore painted themselves into a Darwinian … More Cruciform Justice 9: Living Out of Control
The Cross calls us to a justice that moves us beyond the law of retribution: “An eye for an eye.” As Moltmann observes, “If evil is recompensed with evil, then the one evil is always oriented on the other evil, because only in that way is it justified.” While scoffed at by many, there is … More Cruciform Justice 8: Getting Beyond Retribution
Jurgen Moltmann is the foremost proponent for approaching the world’s suffering through the lenses of the cross. For Moltmann, “Christian theology must look at the question of Christ’s suffering before looking at the suffering of the world. It can only form a critical theology of its contemporary environment only in as far as it has … More Cruciform Justice 7: The Critique of the Cross
“You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s” (Mark 8:33 NLT). Is there any statement of Jesus more timeless and relevant to our own discipleship journey than the above rebuke of Peter? This central challenge provides the serious follower of Jesus with a handy test by which to make … More Kingdom-Colored Glasses (Mark 8:33-37)
Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights amidst a crooked and perverse generation. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in … More PHILIPPIANS 20: Shine Like Stars (2:14-16)
If you like fun, action packed thrillers or light-hearted, heart-warming romantic comedies, then Revolutionary Road (2008) is definitely NOT for you. However, if you like well-acted, deeply moving stories that tackle the deeper issues of life such as the search for personal happiness and purpose, finding meaning and contentment in one’s current lot in life, … More MOVIE REVIEW: “Revolutionary Road”
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God … More PHILIPPIANS 18: Christ Hymn 2 (Phil 2:5-11)
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God … More PHILIPPIANS 17: Christ Hymn 1 (Phil 2:5-11)
Jeremy L. Berg 