Sloppy Theology

JP: An important comment from Charles Ryrie.
Charles Ryrie on Sloppy Theology
Ryrie used his Wednesday lecture to examine Gospel appeals that are made with imprecise language. He suggested that phrases such as “give your heart to Christ” were too confusing.
“Keep the direction clear,” Ryrie said. “But that’s not happening. There’s too much ‘I give’ instead [...]

Evangelism: Event or Lifestyle?

JP: Good read by Jesse Johnson.
Evangelism: Event or Lifestyle?
Excerpt:
There are many misunderstandings about the nature of true evangelism. Many people don’t evangelize because when they think of evangelism, they think of the overzealous man on the street corner with the bullhorn. They think, “I’m not called to do that.” From there it’s a short [...]

A Christian View of the Economic Crisis

JP: A good read by Albert Mohler. See my brief comments after the blockquote.
A Christian View of the Economic Crisis
Excerpts:
More than anything else, this crisis has to do with what happens when the markets come to term with excessive valuations. Put bluntly, wildly inflated valuations led to risky financial adventures and worse. The [...]

Genesis: the “framework hypothesis”

JP: Good article by John MacArthur. See further comments below the block quote.
Genesis 1: Fact or Framework?
Excerpts:
This is the belief that the “days” of creation are not even distinct eras, but overlapping stages of a long evolutionary process. According to this view, the six days described in Genesis 1 do not set forth a chronology [...]

Jonah: Submitting to God’s will

JP: Outline for our Bible study this Wednesday (9/24)

Jonah’s helplessness (Jonah 2:1-3)
Jonah’s prayer (2:4-7)
Jonah’s repentance (2:8-9)
Jonah’s deliverance (2:10)

Clever outline of book of Jonah (from my study this week!):

Chapter 1: “I won’t go”
Chapter 2: “OK, I’ll go”
Chapter 3: “Here I am”
Chapter 4: “I knew I shouldn’t have gone”

Thought question: What was Jonah thinking about during this [...]

“Criminal News”: “the terrible Baptist sect”

JP: We need to both thank the Lord for the religious liberties we enjoy and pray for our brothers and sisters who experience persecution.
Scriptural perspective:

I Timothy 2:1,2, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in [...]

Thoughts on the economy

JP: The book mentioned, Business to the Glory of God, is excellent. If interested borrow my copy.
Why I Pray for the Economy
Excerpt:
First, it is better for people to be able to work for their living than to have to depend upon others to provide for their needs. For example, Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to [...]

The unequal yoke and marriage

JP: Good read by John MacArthur. I like the graphic (grabbed from the Pulpit Magazine page).
Unequally Yoked
Excerpts:
In 2 Corinthians 6:14, Paul says, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness? And what fellowship has light with darkness? And what harmony has Christ with Belial? Or what has a believer [...]

Thoughts on Quiet Time

JP: Good read by Diane Heeney. While her blog is written for women in the ministry, this ministered to me and I commend it to you.
Elements of Quiet Time
Excerpts:
If we love a person, we like to think about him. We call this: Meditation. We claim we don’t know how to do this…sure we do! [...]

Puppie rights … human rights

JP: Good read from John Piper. Puppy image © by Thomas Matheson. More here.
One-Issue Politics, One-Issue Marriage, and the Humane Society
Excerpts:
Investigating dog life in Minnesota has solidified my decision to vote against those who endorse the right to abortion. So then what is my response to the charge of being a one-issue voter?
…
When we bought [...]