Jonah and Jesus
Just been reading through Jonah the past few days during the Christmas break. The story is broken up into two sections: the first time the Word of the Lord comes to Jonah, and the second time. Throughout the first half of the story, the similarities between Jonah and Christ are incredible. Here are a few...
Some thoughts on Gospelization, Culturalization, and Contextualization
Since I haven’t posted in a while, I think I should say it, “No. I don’t have an ax to grind.” God has been good to me over the past few months and I am excited to get back into a regular cycle of sharing what he is doing in my heart and mind. I...
Why do unsaved church-goers not realize they aren’t really saved?
There are unsaved, unrepentant sinners who sit in church pews every week. Don’t be deceived. Church membership does not mean someone was ever truly converted. Neither does tithing regularly. Or being on the deacon board. One sign of a true believer is someone who confesses that he is a sinner, and then lives a life...
Why I Listen to Some Calvinistic Preachers
I have a confession to make: I like to listen to Calvinistic preachers. John Piper. Kevin DeYoung. Mark Dever. But not because they are Calvinists. Rather, because many of them are text-focused, gospel-driven, and biblically theological. Here’s what I mean by those terms: Text-focused. This kind of preaching is concerned with what the text is concerned...
Image-Bearers: Chick-fil-A, Gays, and the Gospel
When I first heard about Chick-fil-A day, I was somewhat fearful. When Christians are in the spotlight, God’s name is at risk. How we behave reflects something to our communities about the God we serve. Were humility, selflessness, patience, and kindness demonstrated yesterday? I would certainly hope so, but I did hear of one personal...
Voddie Baucham on How to Fight the Culture War
Here’s a good example of biblical, Christocentric theology by Voddie Baucham when he spoke at the D6 Conference last year in Dallas. VBaucham from D6 Conference on Vimeo.
Are Works Required For Salvation? No . . . and Yes
It will be most helpful for me to clarify from the get go different aspects of salvation. There are more than these two aspects, but the two that apply to the topic of this post are initial salvation and final salvation. Initial salvation is the moment a person first becomes a Christian by putting faith...
Links Worth Reading
Hey guys, I hope you all have had a great weekend. I went with my friends Kiley and Russell to go backpacking/camping at Montgomery Bell State Park near Dickson, TN. The low was 24. We’re alive, and we had a good time. Getting back into the office today I found a ton of great posts...
Why the Gospel Frees You From the Pressure of Being a “Successful” Pastor
I’m not a pastor yet, but I can already feel it: the pressure to be “successful.” Being successful is different depending on the context in which you pastor. New buildings. A ton of converts. Multiple campuses. How many churches your church has planted. How well you follow the rules. How much money your church gives...
Assurance of Salvation: Our Foundation
If you want assurance of salvation, you need to start with the right foundation. What is the source, root, or grounds for your assurance? Is your assurance based on something you’ve done or felt? Or is it based on what God has said? Using the wrong ground for assurance can lead to many religious people...
Homosexuality and the Church in the Bible Belt: A Wakeup Call
If you’re like me, you know homosexuality and Christianity are being mixed . . . somewhere. But, it’s time for a wakeup call. And this wakeup call might come in the form of an article that appeared in the Tennessean on October 19, 2011. We need to wake up to the issue of homosexuality and...
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