In this series of posts we’re exploring the different ways the Bible confronts the reader and the appropriate response to each. #8 – READING THE BIBLE AS SIGNPOSTS TO CHRIST & THE GOSPEL I used to read the Bible as a long, strange book of OT stories (e.g., David & Goliath, Noah and the Flood, … More THE BIBLE: Signposts to Christ
From the DI archives. -JB In part 1 of my “Christmas Lights” series I explored the Ongoing Epic of God and His Flickering Lights. The Bible tells the story a humanity “unplugged” from the life of God by sin, and how Jesus came to earth to reconnect us to God by dying on the cross … More Christmas Lights 2: Flipping the Switch
From the DI archives. -JB There is a scene in the classic National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation where Clark Griswald (Chevy Chase) is ready to show off his creativity and hard put into decorating the house with thousands of lights. After the drum roll he plugs in his precious lights only to find….nothing. They refuse to shine. … More Christmas Lights 1: The Saga of God’s Flickering Lights
Here’s a repost from 2009. Enjoy! -JB “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself.” -Jesus As fall stares tired youth pastors in the face, weary from summer trips and fun-in-the-sun adventures, we try to take a deep breath, grab a mini vacation before ramping up for another year of bringing the good … More Worship at the Altar of Self
I am unpacking some thoughts on both the validity of the man-centered vs. God-centered debate and offering some healthy push back on the fuzzy, over-extension of this line of reasoning. I see a distortion of both the character of God and what it means for human beings to glorify God. Michael Spencer began his post … More Man-Centered vs. God-Centered 3: Is God an Idolater?
We’re comparing the differences between John Piper and N. T. Wright on Paul and the New Perspective using helpful summaries compiled by Trevin Wax featured in the June 2008 edition of Christianity Today. Today we focus on the central message of the gospel. What is the gospel? PIPER: The heart of the gospel … More Piper vs. Wright (5): The Gospel
I have updated my original post (see italics) and added a direct quote from iMonk. Michael Spencer, the Internet Monk, has a post this week entitled “Is Evangelism Child Abuse?” He is responding to the newest attack on religious people and leaders — the view that attempts to evangelize and convert people (especially young teenagers) is … More Is Evangelism Child Abuse?
What is the gospel? I mean: What is the full, Kingdom of God-announcing, cross-centered, New Creation focused, sin-bearing, substitutionary atoning, wrath-absorbing, life-transforming, social justice-bringing gospel really about? Scot McKnight is doing perhaps the best job I’ve ever seen in concisely and biblically recapturing the fullness of the Kingdom Gospel of Jesus that has been … More Scot McKnight: Loosening the Helmet of Salvation
“Worldwide cases of swine flu climbed to 236 on Thursday, a day after global health authorities warned that swine flu was threatening to bloom into a pandemic and notched up their alert system to the second highest level” (MSNBC.com). The outbreak is the top story on every news channel, in every newspaper, the topic around … More Swine Flu & Unreached Peoples in Perspective
Kingdom Harbor 