Homeward Bound

“Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” Proverbs 19:27 There is a temptation for us to grow arrogant as we grow in knowledge. For those of us who have been church attenders for some time, there can arise an internal pride that groans: “I have heard this all before.” “I have heard this teaching over and over again; could we please do something new?” Sometimes our ears tune out the common refrains in Scripture because we have “been there done that” one too many times. As someone who has grown up in a Christian home, attended a Christian school, studied Bible in college, and been immersed in the local church since day 1—I understand the tendency. The verse above tells us something interesting about human nature in reference to instruction. The father warns his son, if you “stop listening to instruction, you will stray from the words of knowledge.” It is clear that the proper way to walk, the way that accords with the words of know...

Here is a quick life update as there has been a lot going on of late. Montana had a sonogram for baby #2 due in early September, and we praise God everything is going well! The report came back positive; though due to my wife's wishes we did not find out the gender. In some things, it is important to choose your battles wisely! Hudson at a year and a half is getting a lot more "toddlery" which comes with its new set of pros and cons. It can be hard being a little guy! Teething has been painful and he is getting a lot of the bumps and bruises typical with this age; but it is fun to watch him see new things and process the world around him as he grows. We wonder how he will react to a sibling! I have been blessed with some awesome ministry opportunities which are all too cool! I preached back to back weeks the last two weeks (first at The Mission and then at my home church) which I really enjoyed. You can watch my message at Faith Bible Church here . Profe...

I have been wondering recently if social media is worth it. I am sure it is worth it for some people who have been gifted with a platform and the needed wisdom to use the medium well. Social media like most any tool is neutral territory; it is how one uses its powerful functions which determine its suitability for use. Here is my recent thought process on why, for me, the cons seem to outweigh the pros: Pros: 1) I can get a heartbeat of the culture and what is going on in the world.  Perhaps my chief use of social media (largely Twitter) is that I am able to follow theologians, politicians, and other social commentators I respect, and see what they are saying about the events and ideas of the world. Because it is all in real time, it can be helpful to hear what others are saying the moment after something happens. I also use social media to get a feel for what people are into and the questions people are asking. As Christians I believe we need to be listening to the c...

There is a major emphasis in our world at large on leadership, self-improvement, overcoming obstacles, and finding the best version of yourself. Achieving goals and actualizing dreams. You are familiar with the messaging I am sure. It is no surprise to me that such ideas have for a while existed in our modern, Western Christianity. There is enough overlap between the “modern motivationalism” and the New Testament statements of “life abundant” and “be ye transformed”, that the former can be easily conflated with the latter, provided there is a slight cherry picking of the Bible verses to satisfy the majority of the evangelical masses. Many of us see no contradiction in the two messages, and our Christianity is thus shaped by the surrounding culture. The difference between the two is subtle, but nevertheless foundational. Jesus came that we might have life and have it to the full! But this fullness can only be experienced if we let go of ourselves. If we lose ourselves that we migh...

It is natural as people learn and progress in their faith for them to gravitate to the teachings and developments of others. The Christian tradition has a wealth of material to glean from—from theological systems, to ancient controversies, to interpretations of challenging texts, to foundational doctrines—much of which the modern Christian can ground himself in, to much personal benefit. It is my personal opinion that the anti-intellectualism and simplistic epithets of modern evangelicalism could profit much from an immersion in the robust thought of those Christians who have gone before us. With that introductory caveat, I want to address the temptation many of us have to allow this rich tradition to supplant the primary place of the Scripture. I have noticed many days pass where I have read much of a certain Puritan or Reformer and read absolutely nothing of the actual Bible. What a mistake! There are days when I read what is often very good, but neglect to feed myself what is ne...

Lloyd-Jones is one of my favorite preachers of all time. Over the years I have listened to scores of his messages on sermon audio and youtube, as well as read several collections in book form. This collection from the early years of Lloyd-Jones ministry is as good as any other I have read. There is a simplicity to these early messages at Aberavon. They each go directly to the heart of the matter: how is one to find salvation from the wrath of God against sin? True to form, Lloyd-Jones does not waste a word in extraneous thought or light jocularity. Each sermon is desperate in scope, each dealing with the deep severity of eternity. What makes these especially prescient is Lloyd-Jones was preaching these messages to primarily “churched” people: individuals who had a degree of Biblical literacy and a high morality. The Doctor was convinced that many who call themselves Christians in his day were not actually saved, and these messages were often targeting that class of nomina...

Being a Dad is just the greatest thing. I was at one time a bit unsure about how it would work out, afraid of the added responsibility and the expense. Maybe I am still afraid of those things, but the joys of fatherhood seem to have outweighed any lingering fears. Few things can be compared with seeing the face of your son light up as you walk through the door after a long day at work. I had heard that being a Dad will help you understand a little more the reality of God being our Heavenly Father: the way He feels about us, or the methods He may use to form and discipline us out of love. Though no analogy is perfect I have already had a few experiences which seem to have shed first-hand light on some ways God works on us. A few weeks ago, Hudson was having one of those nights. He is usually pretty good about sleeping through the night, unless he is bothered by something. In this case it may have been a tooth breaking through or some stomach pains from something he ate that d...