where’s the line? what defines “course joking” ? is it simply using a (gasp!) curse-word? is it lewdness? is it always only in the ear of the beholder? are there simply some things a christian should never say, under any circumstances? (and if so, can you tell us without sinning???) is what you ought not […]
how i left a young earth theory behind
position: the whole bible is the “why” and genesis is a very short answer to man’s age-old question of “where did all of this come from?” when god revealed the HOW (as he probably did to the first people, who took the story and ran with it, until moses got the “written” version), he did […]
on arguing with god
Genesis 18:20 – 19:38 (English Standard Version) Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.†Abraham Intercedes for […]
ought “god” be capitalized?
position: god doesn’t care a whit about about the grammar rules of whichever particular language you write in. respect is shown by expressing a kingdom heart in a way that uplifts, rather than tears down. by truly caring more for your neighbor’s best interests than your own. this does not mean submitting to the prideful, […]
god has a sense of timing
position: all dimensions, be they measurable, immeasurable or simply theoretical, are part of the created universe — and therefore necessarily dependent upon a creator. this means god cannot dwell “in” them — as he dwelled before they existed. even in dimensions that have no apparent meaning of “time”, there is still the fact that if […]
sharing the truth in love
how did jesus do it? he told stories that made points about heaven, and let people draw thier own conclusions. he had a small group (120) that he encouraged to follow him around, learning how he lived, and an even smaller (12) that he went out of his way to teach deeper meanings to, and […]
“not acting like jesus would”
Matthew 11:19 (Contemporary English Version) 19 But the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, and you say, “That man eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what it does. jesus was, as we see here, accused of […]
a look at matthew 5:39-40
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. jesus, throughout these chapters, is giving illustrations, not rules. […]
sting
sometimes (and not always) it is better to just get away to intentionally put foot to path or key to hole or car to highway and sometimes (but not always) it is the wisest course of action to quietly slip away with only a kind word of reassurance that all will be well in the […]
“your life is your best witness”
i have heard, many times, something along these lines: “your life is your best witness” it is simply not true. your words are your best witness. your life, and the way you live, will prove out what’s really in your heart, but no one gets “saved” without hearing — and sitting there not sinning, but […]
love
john said that “they” will know us by our love. jesus said the entire law and the prophets comes down to love. the “odds” (if you will) of you going door-to-door and finding the right person who’s all ready to “give thier life to christ” and you “leading them to the lord” are amazingly small. […]
a thought on calvinism
i remember, back when i liked to take the label “calvinist” for myself, how i had so little understanding of what it means, really. i imagine there are lots of people like i was. i also know, now that i’m several years older (and hopefully wiser!), that all the discussions i had, thinking it mattered […]
consumerism has infected evangelical culture
for too long we’ve been presenting a brand of christianity that is about personal gain, which we generally mean to be equal to “the american way” — that is personal comfort, and happy families. a good amount of “beware the homos and abortionists!” is thrown in by the major radio pastors, in an effort to […]
Broken GoLite Pack :(
I bought a new “Team”backpack by GoList → a couple weeks ago at a place on the northside called “The Extreme Outfitters” →, to take on my hiking trip to the Red River Gorge. The trip was fun, but my bag ripped in 3 places (seams) before we even got out of the house. That […]