The preacher must never be dull, he must never be boring; he should never be what is called ‘heavy.’
I would say that a ‘dull preacher’ is a contradiction in terms; if he is dull he is not a preacher. He may stand in a pulpit and talk, but he is certainly not a preacher.
Pay careful attention to what Lewis says in that paragraph. He does believe in a substitutionary theory of the atonement, but he rejects penal substitution. He admits that penal substitution is not quite as silly as it once sounded, but he still does not accept it. Instead, he argues that Christ pays a debt (which is true), but not as a punishment for our sakes.
The person who can find no pleasure in giving God one day in the week, is manifestly unfit for heaven. Heaven itself is nothing but an eternal Sabbath. If we cannot enjoy a few hours in God’s service once a week in this world, it is plain that we could not enjoy an eternity in His service in the world to come.
The bottom line of research says that it is the father who overwhelmingly determines the moral and spiritual development of the children. Three separate studies that I have read come to mind: One done by the Swiss government, a second reported by the Baptist Press and finally a third one reported by MSNBC (hardly a Christian biased outlet). A variety of sources—the government, church and the liberal left—yet these investigations show the same results. All three sources support the important influence fathers have on their kids—shocking as that is to those in the “we-don’t-need-men” club!
When I misunderstand or am misunderstood, I want to quickly ask, “What is God teaching me?” And, He is teaching me through Dr. MacArthur’s critique. For that, I am very thankful! For those of you who have been quick to be critical of Dr. MacArthur, please remember that we all need to be corrected from time to time. Also, ALL of us who are younger need to give a careful listen to the concerns of seasoned pastors, many of whom have forgotten more than we might ever know.
King’s Cross is Timothy Keller’s revelatory look at the life of Christ as told in the Gospel of Mark. In it, Keller shows how the story of Jesus is at once cosmic, historical, and personal, calling each of us to look anew at our relationship with God.
At the end of last year, it was announced that ten Primates from the Global South intended to boycott the meeting, in protest at the inclusion of the US Primate after rows over gay bishops and same-sex blessings. The Church Times understands that this number might have risen to 14 out of the possible 37 Primates eligible to attend…
The Telegraph [London] warned: “The right to hold religious beliefs, and to act in keeping with one’s faith, is being set against the right not to be offended — and is losing. This is a dispiriting trend in a free society.”
Is it true that John MacArthur has reversed his position on the eternal Sonship of Christ?
Yes.
Here's a statement from John about his views on that issue.
I realize that this is a sacred cow and a much larger conversation than a blog affords but it needs to be said. Seminaries cannot fully prepare a man for ministry. Thinking like this is like assuming that buying a ratchet at Sears will automatically change the oil on your car.
It usually comes out this way in conversations. A graduate of XYZ Seminary says, while rolling his eyes, “they never prepared me for [fill-in-the-blank issue/problem].” To which we should reply, “no, that’s what your church is supposed to do.”
If they say, “Are you a Calvinist?” say, “You decide. Here is what I believe . . .”
I believe....
Dr. Bart Ehrman is raising significant questions about the reliability of the Bible. In an engaging way, he is questioning the credibility of Christianity. His arguments are not new, which he readily admits. Numerous Biblical scholars profoundly disagree with his findings. This site provides responses to Dr. Ehrman's provocative conclusions
The couple in Australia openly admitted aborting their twin boys because they want a daughter. Millions around the world seem outraged by their decision, but having accepted the basic logic of abortion, they are hard-pressed to define when any abortion demanded by a woman might be unjustified and thus illegal.
The church did not rescue the New Testament from neglect and abuse. The New Testament rescued the early church from instability and error.
... Beware of idealizing the early church. She did not have your advantages!
Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close
Do you serve as a leader in any ministry capacity anywhere in the world? If so, you can subscribe to all new member-only content from Pastor Mark for free each week starting in January, here as part of The Resurgence. He’d like to share with you some leadership insights that he has learned firsthand along his fourteen-year-and-counting journey with Mars Hill Church. This content, including text and some video messages, will not be posted anywhere else on the Internet.
Yes . . .
If you mean: Ten million Christians should take 10 hours a week spent watching TV, and give that time to worthy social and political engagement.
No . . .
If you mean: The pastors should leave their Bible study and pulpits and counseling and evangelism, and put that time into politics and social ministries.
I know this won’t make me very popular with a lot of people, particularly many of the ladies, but the idea of the perfect “soul mate”—that God made one special person just for you—is the stuff of sweetsy, twenty-five-cent romance novels, and has no footing in Christian thought.
it's impossible to speak to a spouse if he or she is near running water, or using power equipment, or concentrating on something else, or eating something crunchy, or wondering if the squeak in the distance is the cat dying, or there is a child within a hundred yards. Amazingly, that covers 90% of every conversation you might attempt at home.
Recently I discovered that spouses, like computers, must be booted up before they can hear what you say.
...when the family is seen as an organic whole and egalitarian individualism is rejected, the influence of such women is known throughout society as being profound. Such influence can be used in a godly way, as Bathsheba did, or in a negative way, as Miriam once did, or in a godly response to ungodliness, as Abigail did, or in a evil way, as Lady Macbeth did, to take an example from fiction. But any way it goes, competent, wise women help to direct the destiny of nations
And so here is my central thesis: technology in all its forms is a type of wealth. The Bible contains no warnings about technology as such, but is crammed with warnings about the bias of wealth. Which way does wealth set us up? The Bible says that the wealthy are tempted to hubris, self-sufficiency, lack of concern for the poor, oppression, and the rest of that sorry lot. Wealth is a good thing, but it brings temptations. A lot of wealth is a lot of a good thing, but it brings with it a lot of temptations.
99 Christians camped at Lake Tabourie on the south coast this year to share her faith with summer holidaymakers.
I was even happier to discover that the whole performance is available for free online. Each video below represents a chapter of Mark’s Gospel.
