There are few areas of the Christian life where I feel more tension than when it comes to giving. Is it wisdom or self-reliance that leads me to want a thick savings account? Is it greed for this world or joy in the goodness of it that makes me desire a pool one day? Am... Continue Reading →
Jesus and Guns Don’t Belong Together
I’m not a pacifist. I believe in Just War. I absolutely believe in the use of deadly force to defend the innocent. And, I lean in favor of self-defense to save one’s life (not one’s property). Further, I’m not just a gun owner, but an owner of guns. Rifle, shotgun, handgun, I’ve got them all.... Continue Reading →
People Pleasing or Christ Serving?
Recently, I was reading a commentary on Galatians by co-founder of the Center for Pastor Theologians, Todd Willson. Chapter 3 of the commentary (dealing strictly with Galatians 1:10) is titled “People-Pleaser or Servant of Christ?”1 As the title suggests, Wilson is setting those two concepts in opposition to each other. Either we are good servant’s... Continue Reading →
Jesus, the Law, and the Sabbath: Remembering the Timeline
One of the most difficult subjects that I believe Christians can wrestle with is which aspects of the Old Testament Law are still binding upon us. This is nothing new, and was the topic which caused the first ever recorded Church council (Acts 15). Most Christians will be familiar with one way to approach this... Continue Reading →
Suicide and the Death of Beauty
*As a major disclaimer: This post will be negatively critiquing the act of suicide. However, it in no way is meant to diminish or attack the individual character of those who struggle with it, have attempted it, have lost a loved one to it, or have actually committed it. I will be painting with a... Continue Reading →
Should the Universe’s “Fine Tuning” Really Surprise Us?
I’ll never forget my second week of college philosophy class. It was during this week that I became aware that as a committed religious person I was in for a long semester with my religiously hostile professor. To be clear, my professor was amazing. Still to date, he was the most engaged teacher I’ve ever... Continue Reading →