The besetting sin of conservatives who see what is going on around us is the sin of being strident and shrill. The besetting sin of most other conservatives is to react against that shrillness by adopting a posture of cluelessness. For has not experience shown us that as soon as someone gets a clue, they …
Three Elephant Ears and a Corn Dog
I am really excited about the release (today) of the DVD project for Notes From the Tilt-a-Whirl. I have seen different iterations of this over the course of the filming and editing, but just sat down to watch the final cut the night before last. This is theology that does what theology really ought to …
Water Does Not Replace the Word
“In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul makes a special effort to show that water baptism is not to be included as a part of the gospel. ‘For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lesty the cross of Christ should be made of no effect” (1 …
Because the Old Sermons Weren’t Pink Wine Coolers
“Even ‘sermon-tasting’, a reprehensible kind of ecclesiastical pub-crawling, which involved erratic churchgoing merely with a view to sampling and subsequently comparing the eminent preachers of the day, has gone out of vogue” (John Stott, Between Two Worlds, p. 50).
Taking Their Controversy Into Account
“This objection misses the point that Peter is making. The issue with Cornelius and his household was not whether they were old enough to receive water baptism, but whether they were Jewish enough. If this household had contained an infant, the members of the ‘circumcision’ who were there would not have objected to baptism on …
The Basic Recovery
“It stands to reason that every recovery of confidence in the Word of God, and so in a living God who spoke and speaks, however this truth may be defined, is bound to result in a recovery of preaching. This must be why so many great preachers have belonged to the reformed tradition” (Stott, Between …
Reusable Crud
So recently some pesky researchers decided to investigate reusable shopping bags. They offered new reusables to shoppers leaving a grocery store, asked them a few questions about their treatment of the bags, and sent them on their way. Then they toted the bags off to the lab to test them. Turns out the warm, dark, …
Another Heart, A New Heart
INTRODUCTION:Saul is given favor by God, even though the circumstances are unfavorable indeed. Saul is given favor by Samuel, even though Samuel knows that trouble lies ahead. This chapter contains a number of references that will help us understand the rest of the story rightly. THE TEXT:“Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured …
Hastening the Day
We noted at the beginning of the service that by receiving the bread rightly, you are loving your people. You are making a solemn pledge to love each other. You are renewing a most gracious oath, an oath that binds you together with everyone here, not to mention God’s people all over the world. You …
Not Throwing Bread from the Balcony
You are a congregation of God’s people. You have been gathered from many places, and many backgrounds. Apart from the work of God’s Holy Spirit, most of you wouldn’t have much to do with one another. And yet now, in that Spirit, you have been gathered together like this. Here you are. What are you …