Count me among the millions of readers who have been blessed over the decades by the writing and ministry of J. I. Packer. His some 300-plus essays, articles, and books, such as Knowing God, have made an impact on innumerable lives, mine included. So, when it was recently revealed that the nearly ninety-year-old Packer had lost his vision and would … Read More
Ministering to the Forgotten Former Seminarians
“Ninety Percent.” As a young aspiring minister-in-training, I remember hearing this number frequently—and annoyingly—as I packed my belongings and life and headed to seminary. According to well-meaning mentors, this oft-quoted number represented the percentage of seminarians no longer in full-time ministry after 10 years. They were the “drop-outs,” I was told; don’t be like them. For me, the number functioned … Read More
Psalms 1 and 2 and the secret to the “blessed” Christian life
How does the old adage go? If you want a barometer for the spiritual health of a Christian, check his or her checkbook. Perhaps this is true. But let me propose another barometer, this time for the spiritual health of Western Christianity—the Amazon.com top-selling Christian books list. And its measurements are not encouraging. This list’s array of Amish romance novels, … Read More
Stargazing With King David and Psalm 8
Psalm 8 reveals that instead of feeling small in light of the vastness of creation, Christians should realize how the Creator God has reached down in special love for them.
Great Expectations at Christmas
Instead of settling for what is paltry and passing at Christmas, Christians should adopt the attitude and outlook of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.
Recognizing Christ in Christmas Chaos
In the “Song of the Suffering Servant” we have a prophetic text that helps us to recognize the significance of Christ’s work at Christmas.
Theology Matters… A New Poll Shows Why
A new LifeWay Research poll shows the need for biblically-grounded, theological education.
Homosexuality, culture wars, and the example of the pro-life movement
In the modern culture war surrounding homosexuality, evangelicals should adopt a more constructive and “grassroots” strategy as modeled by the pro-life movement.
Christian Worldview and Apologetics: Can We Trust the Scriptures?
t is true, and important, to assert that the Bible itself holds to its own abiding reliability and authority, due to its divine inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21). But we live in a world of skepticism, and even antagonism, toward the Scriptures. In this arena of ideas, Christians need to be able to articulate the reasons why, with good reason, we hold to Scripture’s reliability and accuracy.