It seems to me that we as a culture are too easily offended. Recently, Phil Robertson, of Duck Dynasty fame, expressed his convictions regarding homosexuality. Under intense pressure from the LGBT community, A&E suspended Robertson and the show. Colin Cowherd was a national sports radio personality with ESPN. Earlier this year he made … [Read more...]
Peace or the Sword?
Ephesians 2 tells that Jesus is our peace and that he has come proclaiming peace. But Jesus himself said that he did not come to bring peace but the sword (Matt. 10:34). How are we to resolve this apparent contradiction? I believe that Jesus came to bring peace and the sword. The key is the order. The disciples didn’t anticipate that they would … [Read more...]
Indulgent Parents, Coddled Children
The culture pushes us to be soft parents. We don’t want to demand too much of our children. We don’t want them to grow up too quickly. We want to preserve their childhood. We want to shield them from pain. But the reality is that we are often guilty of coddling them – and stunting their growth and maturity. The aversion to discipline and hardship … [Read more...]
Pointed Courage in an Age of Political Correctness
October 31 marks Reformation Day. It was on this day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. It signaled an urgent call for reform. Luther fiercely defended any perversion of this biblical truth. And this ultimately led him to confront the Roman church. In 1520 at the Diet of Worms, Luther … [Read more...]
Morning Devotions
I remember being challenged with the importance of daily devotions as a high school student. The thought of getting up early to read and pray was a hard sell at the time. My friends and I conveniently agreed that the important thing was that we did our devotions – not when we did our devotions. And yet Jesus’ example often troubled me. He would … [Read more...]